Long-term Partnership with Army Research Lab Advances Military Capabilities and Materials Science

Leaders from the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment (ACR) and Field Maintenance Shop-2 (FMS-2) of the Tennessee Army National Guard (TNARNG) and the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) recently joined researchers from the University of Tennessee at the Knoxville Armory for a demonstration of cold spray expeditionary manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge drone technology. These projects could help solve supply chain issues in the U.S. military and will support a directive from the secretary of war to extend advanced manufacturing and additive manufacturing efforts to operational Army units by 2026.

Researchers from UT have worked with DEVCOM ARL for the last five years to build advanced manufacturing capabilities that support military operations in the field. Funding from the Army supports applied research and investment in new technology that advances warfighter readiness. It has allowed the UT team to purchase an expeditionary manufacturing 3D printer that builds Army-relevant parts using metal powder called cold spray additive manufacturing. The partnership with the TNARNG allowed the team to embed the printer in the Knoxville Armory near UT's campus for the demo.

"The Tennessee Army National Guard, working with UT, is the first unit in the Army to place this ruggedized mobile additive manufacturing capability within an operational unit," said Bruce LaMattina, executive director for defense and special programs in the Tickle College of Engineering. "This system can produce critical replacement parts that would otherwise take months to procure, enabling rapid repair of Army vehicles closer to the battlefield. This capability keeps units mission-ready and helps get soldiers out of harm's way, allowing commanders to sustain operations. The 278th ACR here in Knoxville is one of only two armored calvary regiments within the Army and they deploy often to active combat zones. This cold spray process can help transform the Army, increasing combat power and ultimately saving lives."

In addition to viewing a demo of cold spray technology, the leadership team assembled at the Armory also observed the heat treatment and machining processes developed by SPEE3D, a global supplier of metal additive manufacturing technology, and UT researchers that enable finishing and installation of the 3D-printed machine parts as well as lithium-ion drone packs.

Advancing broader research

This technology reflects the broader research that is advancing because of the partnership between UT, ARL and the TNARNG.

"We excel in metallurgy, advanced materials, materials processing and material characterization," said Katherine Page, professor of materials science and engineering at UT and a leader of the research team. "The cold spray technology is an emerging area of research for us and builds on our proven experience combining manufacturing and machining with materials science."

UT researchers in the ARL project are also working on a "commander's playbook" to understand the trade-offs between processing time and part performance with a high level of confidence. "Although developing the commander's playbook requires a high level of sophisticated research, the outcome will provide commanders in the field with actionable information to determine what is 'good enough' for mission success under specific operational conditions," Page said.

Preparing the next generation of researchers

Many aspects of this work involve UT students, from undergraduates to postdoctoral researchers, who benefit both as scholars and as future members of the workforce.

"After spending the summer at the Army Research Lab, I came back to UT with a much deeper understanding of how this technology can make a real impact," said Hunter Lambert, a third-year graduate student who spent his summer embedded with ARL at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a U.S. Army facility in Maryland. "Once we began printing parts—like a locking door handle for a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle—it hit me that this work isn't just about materials, it's about keeping our service members safe."

Page agrees, noting that students are deeply motivated by knowing their research directly supports the Army's mission.

"This is a fast-moving, collaborative environment that includes monthly meetings with sponsors, industry partners and contractors," Page said. "It's research with a clear purpose, on an integrated project team that is preparing the next generation of researchers."

The event on Oct. 9 concluded with a visit to the the university's TN-MADE facility in west Knoxville, where military officials and defense industrial base partners toured the Defense Development and Applied Research Center and reviewed prototypes of technologies in additive friction stir deposition, wire arc additive manufacturing, electron beam additive manufacturing and machining.

Provided by University of Tennessee at Knoxville