DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES FOR EXPLOSIVES

Abstract

There has been a rapid development of 3D printing technology at the turn of recent years. Additive manufacturing is expanding into more and more industries, from very small and high-precision components production in biomedical engineering to the manufacture of rocket modules in the aerospace industry. The possibilities of using additive manufacturing technology in the defence industry are also being considered, where printing techniques are being developed, including not only the production of equipment elements, but also direct printing of explosives. The article presents the current level of knowledge on 3D printing of explosives. In addition, the most frequently used techniques of additive manufacturing and their practical application by various research and development facilities were presented. It is also focused on the characterization of materials currently used for printing and the modification of the manufacturing techniques.