Supernova, a rapidly growing Additive Manufacturing (AM) Startup, has announced the formation of a new Defence & Space business unit to pioneer 3D printing of energetic materials. This innovation aims to overcome the limitations of traditional manufacturing processes and improve the capabilities of produced components, with the goal of achieving technological superiority in critical applications such as Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs), which play an important role in the development of hypersonic platforms.
Supernova was spun off from BCN3D Technologies in Q4 2023 and announced as an entirely new entity with no ties to BCN3D. Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM), Supernova’s proprietary technology, is a lithography-based AM process that uses a transparent film to transfer high viscosity materials onto a build platform, where they are light-cured into 3D printed parts.
Unlike traditional processes that require low viscosity resins, VLM can handle materials with up to 100 times the viscosity and benefit from longer oligomer chains in the formulations, resulting in superior mechanical properties.
3D Printing of Energetic Materials
Energetic materials are compounds that can quickly release large amounts of energy through chemical reactions and are commonly used as propellants and explosives. Military-grade formulations, like APCP (Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant) and RDX (Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine), are extremely effective and dependable.
Traditional processing techniques, ranging from casting to extrusion, impose severe geometric constraints, impeding the effective technological advancement of specific components. One of AM’s key advantages is the geometric freedom it provides. However, military-grade formulations frequently have solid loads greater than 80%, rendering them unsuitable for processing with AM technologies.
Supernova’s VLM has successfully demonstrated the ability to process formulations with more than 88% solid load, overcoming this significant limitation and unleashing AM’s full potential to create the next generation of military-grade components. The primary value propositions that the process provides are:
- High energy density due to a superior solid load.
- Stable and homogeneous component properties include uniform particle dispersion, isotropic layers, and the absence of air gaps.
- Geometry freedom in component design.
- Rapid prototyping helps to accelerate development.
- On-demand and on-shore production.
The initial applications identified to benefit from these value propositions include Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs), which aim to improve combustion efficiency and develop custom thrust profiles; explosives, which aim to improve detonation performance in application-specific designs such as shaped charges; and bullet grains, which aim to achieve higher velocity while reducing weight.
“Supernova Defence & Space represents our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to manufacture. By pioneering 3D printing of energetic materials, we’re not just advancing technology—we’re providing the tools to the engineers to innovate and reshape the future of Defence and space industries.”
– Roger Antunez, Founder and CEO at Supernova
Based on these groundbreaking achievements, Supernova has announced its long-term initiative, Supernova Defence & Space—a business unit dedicated to pushing the boundaries of manufacturing technologies for the defence and space industries, with an initial focus on military-grade energetic materials.
About Supernova: Supernova is an innovative additive manufacturing company that offers solutions for producing end-use parts at scale and at a low cost using its proprietary Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) technology.
