Divergent Technologies said it has engineered and built the "most advanced industrial metal 3D printer in the United States," and is expanding its factory footprint into Long Beach, California.
The company said its increased manufacturing operations will deliver an 8X increase in annual production output for customer programs across the defense and commercial sectors.
The Monolith One is built for continuous, high-throughput operations. Standing over eight meters tall and six meters wide, the Monolith One is a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printer that delivers 24kW of laser power (through 12, 2kW lasers) and features an expanded build volume of 700 x 700 x 835 mm. The Monolith One is compatible with any industry standard alloy including aluminum, nickel, steel and titanium, offering increased manufacturing flexibility.
The Monolith One, which is not commercially available to purchase or license, is a component of DAPS, the company's software-defined manufacturing platform.
Divergent
DAPS is responsible for producing metal and multi-material structures for aerospace, defense and automotive programs. Designed, engineered and manufactured in America, the Monolith One maintains a secure U.S. supply chain.
In addition to unveiling its new metal printer, Divergent announces its second factory, a 430,000-square-foot facility in Long Beach. Six Monolith One printers are currently operating at the company's headquarters in Torrance, California, and 64 more Monolith One printers will be brought online at its Long Beach factory over the next 24 months. Divergent's Long Beach factory provides capacity to deliver tens of thousands of munition airframes or hundreds of thousands of critical piece parts, per year.
"The Monolith One is the first metal 3D printer designed ground up for scaled production of critical hardware," said Lukas Czinger, CEO and co-founder of Divergent, in a statement. "Importantly, its design encompasses the years of operational insights we have earned delivering production structures to the defense and commercial sectors. Monolith One is an American machine with an American supply chain. We are building them at rate today and our Long Beach factory will house 64 more of them. With annual output in the tens of thousands of munitions airframes or hundreds of thousands of critical piece parts, our second factory represents the new industrial age at scale."
By producing its own LPBF printers in-house, Divergent delivers an adaptable, reliable and quality-assured additive manufacturing solution with features including:
- Industrial-Scale Architecture: A towering 6.5m x 6.5m x 8.2m printer purpose-built for continuous, high-throughput production
- Expanded Build Volume: A 700 x 700 x 835 mm build volume engineered for additive manufacturing of complex structures
- 24kW of Total Laser Power per Printer: Powered by 12 x 2kW lasers, each printer delivers an unmatched deposition rate using advanced beam shaping technology for superior process stability and part quality
- 2X~ Throughput Increase: Significantly increased throughput enabling faster production at industrial scale (vs. existing printers)
- Multi-Alloy Compatibility: Capable of printing aluminum, nickel, steel, titanium, and any other industry standard alloy for maximum manufacturing flexibility
- Dynamic Optical Control: 4-axis scanners with spot-size zoom capability enable precise energy placement and control
- Advanced Environmental Stability with 3X Gas Flow Rate Capacity: Robust gas flow system up to 1700m3/hr enables high-energy processing and extended runtimes between optimal window cleanings (vs. existing printers)
- Closed-Loop Powder Handling System: Integrated powder recovery and recirculation system designed to maintain material quality and enable continuous, high-efficiency operations
- Active Thermal Control: Build plates with heating and novel cooling controls up to 200°C enhance reliability, dimensional stability, and repeatability
- Rapid Turnaround for Maximum Output: Exchangeable build modules and software automation enable faster changeovers, reduced downtime, and increased machine utilization
- Innovative Condensate Management: Permanent filter system with advanced condensate management reduces maintenance and improves operational efficiency and safety
With 64 new printers, the Long Beach factory will substantially increase Divergent's manufacturing capacity to support growing customer demand and future program expansion. When fully online, Divergent can deliver hundreds of thousands of hardware annually, including any of the following:
- 275,000+ piece parts
- 30,000+ missile airframes (500lb class)
- 60,000+ warhead casings (100lb class)
- 25,000+ automotive subframes
- 30,000+ automotive suspension systems
At full capacity, Divergent's new Long Beach manufacturing campus will support approximately 1,000 direct jobs and create thousands of additional indirect jobs through construction, local suppliers, and supporting businesses. The facility will include 30,000 square feet of office space and 400,000 square feet dedicated to advanced digital manufacturing and assembly.
