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Lockheed Martin LPBF Process Matures, Supply Chain Bottlenecks for Thermal Management Parts Substantially Alleviated
2026-05-08
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense contractor, announced that its Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process has matured, effectively addressing long-standing supply chain bottlenecks for thermal management components in aerospace and defense platforms. Issues such as long lead times for raw materials, metal alloy shortages, and geopolitical disruptions are considered in its technical approach. In 2024, the company opened a 16,000-square-meter additive manufacturing facility in Texas, equipped with large-format multi-laser machines, as well as heat treatment and inspection equipment. Through partnerships with four specialists—Sintavia, EOS, Nikon SLM, and nTop—Lockheed Martin established an end-to-end ecosystem from design to flight, now applied to the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
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洛克希德·马丁LPBF工艺成熟，热管理部件供应链瓶颈获实质性缓解
全球最大国防承包商洛克希德·马丁公司宣称，其激光粉末床熔融增材制造工艺已成熟，可有效解决航空航天与国防平台中热管理部件长期存在的供应链瓶颈。原材料交付周期过长、合金短缺及地缘政治干扰等问题均被纳入其技术方案考量。2024年，公司在美国德克萨斯州启用了1.6万平方米的增材制造设施，配备大尺寸多激光设备及热处理、检测装备。通过与Sintavia、EOS、Nikon SLM和nTop四家专业伙伴合作，洛马建立了从设计到飞行的端到端生态系统，目前已应用于UH-60M黑鹰直升机和精确打击导弹（PrSM） 。