General Lattice
Digital manufacturing software firm General Lattice has secured a contract with the US Army to develop a 3D printed combat helmet with improved energy absorption.
The company is creating a predictive modelling toolset to design and generate lattice materials based on real-world data that will be harnessed to produce the next-generation combat helmet in a year-long research and development project. As part of its efforts, the company will partner with military and federal service provider All Points Logistics LLC and rapid manufacturing firm GoProto, Inc.
By combining the capabilities of its CAD integrated software platform and 3D printing, General Lattice is looking to replace traditional foam material with advanced lattice geometries that are impossible with conventional manufacturing technologies. These lattice geometries will be validated against key performance requirements as defined by the Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM-SC) to ‘enhance soldier protection and survivability for the warfighter.’
With the selection of specimen attributes, material and hardware that are applicable for the suspension system and impact absorption of a combat helmet, General Lattice will test lattice samples to measure the accuracy of its predictive model. The predictive model toolset will be the primary result of the contract, allowing DEVCOM-SC to explore lattice padding profiles for future use across a range of applications, in addition to the combat helmet.
Both General Lattice and the US Army are confident lattice capabilities will ‘revolutionise’ how products are manufactured across commercial, industrial and military markets. It will enable General Lattice, for example, to engineer and manufacture personalised products that are fine-tuned to specific biometric characteristics without additional costs and waste.
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