Navy school takes delivery of Xerox’s first liquid-metal printer

Xerox and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) have formed a strategic collaboration focused on advancing additive manufacturing, a technology that the Navy believes has the potential to dramatically transform the way the military supplies its forward-deployed forces.

As part of a CRADA (Collaborative Research and Development Agreement), NPS was the first organization to take delivery of the Xerox ElemX liquid-metal printer. The machine, delivered in December, provides NPS faculty and students with hands-on experience as they study the ways 3D printing metal parts can improve naval supply chains.

“The military supply chain is among the most complex in the world, and NPS understands firsthand the challenges manufacturers must address,” said Xerox Chief Technology Officer Naresh Shanker. “This collaboration will aid NPS in pushing adoption of 3D printing throughout the U.S. Navy, and will provide Xerox valuable information to help deliver supply-chain flexibility and resiliency to future customers.”

The ElemX uses cost-effective aluminum wire to fabricate end-use parts that can survive in rugged environments. This ability to produce reliable replacement parts on demand reduces dependency on complex global supply chains for deployed forces and also addresses the hidden costs of traditional manufacturing.

“Global supply chains leave industries like aerospace, automotive, heavy equipment, and oil and gas vulnerable to external risks,” said Tali Rosman, vice president and general manager of 3D printing at Xerox. “Our goal is to integrate localized 3D printing into their operations, and the real-time feedback from NPS gives us actionable data to continuously improve the ElemX.”