Handddle extends its 3D-printing capabilities after renewing partnership with French Air and Space Force

Handddle is a French startup which specializes in 3D printing, also known as 3D printer farms to the rest of the industry. Handddle has renewed its collaboration with the French Air and Space Force. The aim is to expand French forces’ ability to deal with unforeseen circumstances and quickly adapt to new situations on the ground. 

This collaboration marks part of the firm’s continued efforts to support the growth of Additive Manufacturing within the defense sector, and meet the French military’s growing production needs.  

Having installed the first of its Smart Farm micro factories within the French Air and Space Force’s National 3D Printing Pole (PNI3D) last year, the startup is now set to add two new installations. These micro factories provide optimal conditions for 3D-printing, and also include software which allows full control of the printer fleet in real-time. 

These facilities allegedly allow the production of custom parts in record time, allowing organizations to meet their production targets. They can also quickly produce components that adhere to strict quality, conformity and safety requirements. 

“With the possibilities offered by our platform during production phases, we can help them automate workflow tasks related to the management and security of production environments, allowing soldiers to focus on their main mission,” commented Handddle co-founder Dylan Taleb. 

Smart Farms for defense and optimization

French military are keen to use 3D-printing as a key technology in the defense sector.    

Incorporating several desktop FFF 3D printers from OEM’s such as Markforged and Ultimnaker, Handddle’s first PNI3D Smart Farm marked the beginning of the company’s defense industry collaborations. Since its installation in April last year, Handddle and the French armed forces have built a robust and ergonomic process for the production of parts that meet the French Air and Space Forces’s stringent industrial standards.     

In order to evolve and improve their offering, the startup analyzed and gathered user feedback from the previous year. The two new installations are equipped with improved hardware and a software package, with many workflows becoming more automated. 

Multi-site testing has also demonstrated an ability to remotely control and supervise distribution production, further optimizing the French Air and Space Force’s production process. Handddle also investigates retrofitting capability, in order to upgrade its original Smart Farm Micro-factory with these latest developments.

Handddle hopes to expand its Smart Farm offering in the future. This will allow it to better support the French Air and Space Force’s independence, logistical capabilities, and ability to resupply and maintain in crisis situations. Moreover, expanding the Smart Farm would also improve the French military’s adaptability on the ground.

A world-wide Smart Farm network could improve support for deployed armed forces by improving the cost control and technical availability.

Defense industry and 3D printing  

It is not a new phenomenon to collaborate between 3D printing firms and national defense forces. 

For instance, last month it was announced that Italian defense contractor Leonardo had collaborated with SFM Technology and large-format 3D printer manufacturer BigRep to 3D print key components for the Royal Navy’s AugustaWestland AW101 helicopters. Leonardo used additive technology to produce the first 3D-printed helicopter restraint cage. The company was tasked with creating a new main blade restarting cradle. 

In January, the US Navy announced that they had partnered with Philips to install their Additive Hybrid Metal 3D Printing technology aboard their vessels. This technology, powered by Meltio and Haas metal 3D printers, was installed on the USS Bataan to increase the ship’s self-sufficiency while in operation. At the time, Rear Admiral Brendan McLane, the US Naval Surface Forces Commander, stated that “the introduction of additive manufacturing into naval operations supports readiness and self-sufficiency.”     

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The featured image is the Handddle PNI3D smart farm. Photo by Handddle