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NUBURU, an industry leader in high-power and high-brightness blue lasers for 3D printing and industrial applications, has been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to develop a blue laser-based 3D printing solution with area printing technology.
AFWERX is an innovation arm of the U.S Department of the Air Force that accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by pairing innovative technology developers with Airman and Guardian talent.
The goal of the one-year project is to demonstrate improved speed and accuracy of a metal 3D printer based on NUBURU’s blue laser technology. The new class of 3D printers will aim to offer micron level resolution, increased part size and metal density, up to 100x build speed, with minimal to zero post-processing and part shrinkage.
“We are honoured to bring the power of blue laser technology and next-generation 3D printing capabilities to the United States military through this contract,” said Mark Zediker, PhD, CEO and co-founder of NUBURU. “By combining the absorption advantages of blue lasers with area printing technology, we aim to create larger scale 3D printers that can offer up to 100x the printing speed of an infrared laser-based printer with full metal density.”
Zediker continued: “If we are successful, this could allow the military to build replacement parts for older aircraft that have been obsoleted by the original suppliers and can otherwise take months to procure. This would greatly diminish the time required to build and replace critical components and would allow aircraft to return to operational readiness more quickly.”
“NUBURU has already pioneered metal welding applications within batteries, e-mobility and consumer electronics, and we are excited to continue expanding our capabilities into metal 3D printing, all with the same powerful blue laser technology,” said Ron Nicol, Executive Chairman of NUBURU. “This project will help to bring area printing, with its high throughput capabilities and cost advantages, to key markets such as aerospace, automotive and more.”
AFWERX was established in 2017 and is the U.S. Air Force’s team of innovators who encourage and facilitate connections across industry, academia and the military with the aim of creating transformative opportunities and fostering a culture of innovation.
The team says its main mission is to solve problems and enhance the effectiveness of the service by enabling thoughtful, deliberate, ground-up innovation.
