Virtual Reality and 3D Printing - Beyond Virtual Prototyping

Lockheed Martin (LM) has been quietly developing a digital manufacturing future. The key elements of this project are additive manufacturing and virtual reality.

Earlier this month, LM’s VP of production Dennis Little gave community leaders a tour of the company’s new Space Systems production facility. At the heart of this facility, located in Littleton, CO,  is the company’s new manufacturing paradigm. This is something the industry giant refers to as a “Digital Tapestry”.

At the sprawling facility, engineers and designers are avoiding traditional 3D CAD models. Instead, they are developing and refining products using virtual reality. Called the Collaborative Human Immersive Laboratory (CHIL), LM’s immersive virtual reality environment allows its designers to create cheaper, more reliable, space systems in a completely artificial environment. Systems can be exploded and parts can be redesigned all within the CHIL landscape.

But CHIL is only one thread in the company’s Digital Tapestry. Once a system’s design has been verified, 3D printers can manufacture it in hours rather than days.

“Our Digital Tapestry of production brings digital design to every stage of the production process for a fluid product development cycle,” said Little. “From 3D virtual pathfinding simulations to 3D printing, we are using innovative digital technology to streamline the manufacturing process”.

While we’re only in the beginning stages of this new digital manufacturing paradigm, it’s hard not to be excited by the future of advanced aerospace development. If this type of advanced manufacturing technology could be exported to smaller industries product design could be revolutionized forever.

Images and Video Courtesy of Lockheed Martin