At a conference hosted by the European Defense Agency (EDA), Rheinmetall unveiled a novel method for the on-the-go manufacture of military vehicle spares.
Manufacturer of tactical and logistic tracked and wheeled vehicles, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, unveiled the new mission support concept. With Rheinmetall’s IRIS (Integrated Rheinmetall Information System) digital environment, the Mobile Smart Factory (MSF) provides metal 3D printing and postprocessing.
One 20-foot container is used as an office, while the other is used for manufacturing purposes in the MSF. The office container features a climate-controlled desk and cupboard space. The mobile office also includes a polymer printer and a hand-held scanner for quality assurance. A 6-axis hybrid machine, the Metrom P7000, is installed in the manufacturing container. The device can also use methods other than wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Since it includes a CNC milling machine, all necessary post-production work may be done in one convenient location. Battle Damage Repair now has more choices for fixing and overhauling thanks to welding and CNC capabilities. Because of this, the MSF truly is a “Mobile Smart Factory.”
Components having a maximum diameter of 700 mm and a height of 450 mm may be manufactured with this machine. Wires and polymers that can be welded can be employed. Up to 600 cubic centimeters per hour of metal can be deposited.
The IRIS platform is what truly sets apart the Mobile Smart Factory. Rheinmetall, a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of military vehicles, recognizes the need of secure data transmission and continuous monitoring of printed components throughout their lifetimes. The cloud-based IRISplatform allows for the seamless functioning of the IRISwork and IRISfleet software programs with the MSF, and it complies with NATO Restricted levels of information security.
IRISwork is a fleet management tool that records the installation of a particular printed component on a particular vehicle, while IRISfleet gives operators and maintenance staff access to technical documentation spare parts catalogs. To ensure the system’s safety, IRISfleet documents every aspect of the printed component and maintains a digital product passport. With IRIS, you may get remote help from business professionals like engineers and quality assurance specialists.
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Armed forces and the defense industry can quickly deploy additional capabilities to the modern battlefield thanks to the IRIS platform’s multitenant architecture, which allows partners to be integrated into a secure network.
About Rheinmetall AG
Established in 1889 by the Hörder Verein [de], the Rheinische Metallwaaren- and Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft is a German manufacturing company. Lorenz Zuckermandel, a banker and investor who lived from 1847 to 1928, was a founding member and the board’s first chairman. The firm produced steel goods, notably weapons.
Rheinmetall diversified after World War I when Germany disarmed, but the company returned to making weapons in the 1930s. It purchased the locomotive manufacturer A. Borsig GmbH in 1933.[
After acquiring the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves in 1999, Rheinmetall changed its name to Rheinmetall Air Defence in 2009. It rebranded as RWM Schweiz after acquiring the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves Pyrotec. It acquired RF Engines, located on the Isle of Wight, in 2009.
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