Supernova
Supernova has been awarded a 2 million USD subcontract by the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) to 3D print military-grade energetic materials.
The award is being distributed under ACMI’s Critical Chemicals Pilot Program through the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s (DOD IAC) multiple-award contract (MAC) vehicle to support the United States Department of Defense’s (DOD) Industrial Base Policy Manufacturing Capability Expansions and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Pathfinders portfolio.
Supernova launched its Defense & Space business unit last summer to focus on the 3D printing of energetic materials. The company's flagship Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) has been developed to handle materials of high viscosities and is said to enable new formulations such as the high solid-loading used in energetic materials.
Previously, Supernova has been successful in printing simulant energetic materials, with the development of energetic formulas ongoing. Supernova sees potential in military-grade energetic materials which are capable of releasing significant amounts of energy through chemical and physical reactions. These materials could therefore be used in explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics, with solid rocket motors, bombs, countermeasure flares and bullet grains outlined as potential applications.
The 2 million USD contract will seek to deploy this technology to support the DOD's production of critical weapon system components.
“Supernova is proud to support the U.S. Department of Defense through this program,” said Roger Antunez, Founder and CEO of Supernova. “Our technology has the potential to overcome the design constraints of conventional manufacturing methods to produce the next generation of military-grade energetic material components, including solid rocket motors (SRMs), explosives, and pyrotechnics.”
“The technology that Supernova is developing will enable the production of critical components for weapon systems that are essential for national security,” added Victor Boelscher, Head of Federal Programs at ACMI Federal. “ACMI’s Critical Chemicals Pilot Program is designed to support Defense Industrial Base (DIB) resilience by taking commercial solutions and rapidly adapting them for DOD use. Supernova’s innovative technology fits this role, and we are excited to be partnering with them to meet a critical capability for the DOD”.
