The 3D Printing in Military Applications: FDM Technology, Materials, and Implications
M. Marciniak
Abstract
The article describes the 3D printing technology using the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) method and the materials used in this technology in the context of military applications. The author presents the potential that this technology carries and discusses the use of 3D prints in the contemporary conflict in Ukraine. The article lists currently used materials and filaments, including a fiber technology that allows for printing of composites. Then the author presents a SWOT analysis of this technology in the context of national defense and its citizens who have 3D printers and can use them to produce so called “war gadgetsˮ. The article contains many examples of the application of this technology in the defense sector and also discusses potential threats associated with it.