CAES, the leading provider of RF technologies and related mission critical electronic solutions, and SWISSto12, the leading provider of 3D printed technology for RF applications in the aerospace and defense industry, announced today a strategic alliance to enable CAES to bring additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology to US customers. The alliance grants CAES exclusive license to SWISSto12’s patents, trade secrets, and product designs for the US market. CAES and SWISSto12 will work together with US customers on new designs to meet the high-performance requirements of future missions.
“We are proud to offer this innovative technology to leading US aerospace and defense primes,” said David Young, Chief Technology Officer, CAES. “This alliance enables fully trusted next-generation RF solutions for our customers that require the highest level of security, including Department of Defense and classified applications. Through the transfer of best-in-class technology to a US market leader, leading aerospace and defense primes will now be able to deploy this technology on key programs requiring RF, microwave and millimeter wave innovation. Our decades-long relationships with our prime customers and our track record of successfully delivering on our programs, combined with SWISSto12’s market-leading additive manufacturing intellectual property and flight heritage in space, electronic warfare and other applications will ensure that the US government can fully exploit this emerging technology,” he continued.
“SWISSto12 is excited to partner with CAES,” said Emile de Rijk, CEO, SWISSto12. “Our pioneering expertise, product and patent portfolio utilizing additive manufacturing techniques for RF applications combined with CAES’ market leadership in the US, RF design engineering, large scale manufacturing, and test expertise will position the US aerospace and defense industry to successfully adopt groundbreaking technologies. Additionally, the alliance provides an opportunity to develop subsystems combining the best of both companies’ technologies.” Here is the virtual signing that was done online:
Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is an advanced manufacturing technology that has gained traction in the aerospace and defense industry over the last decade. Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, for RF systems requires high precision formats and complex geometries that allow form factors and performance that cannot be achieved with standard manufacturing solutions. Integrated subsystems that combine multiple components in one single homogeneous part that reduces weight and complexity, a key favor for prime companies where cost and space are at a premium. SWISSto12 pioneered the development of tailored and patented AM technologies aimed at delivering advanced RF performance, size and weight savings as well as product competitiveness through optimized manufacturing tolerances, surface finishes, plating techniques and RF designs. The technology and associated products address the increasingly challenging size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) requirements of defense prime contractors.
MWJ talked with CAES who said they will be installing 3D printers at their Exeter, NH location to support production of various products. CAES has the historical success on many defense projects and access to the US markets to bring this technology to customers here. Some products are already ESA certified for space applications so have the reliability and performance for LEO and GEO applications. Making waveguide structures is one of the first product sets that will be addressed as the 3D printing technology is well suited and already proven for producing complicated structures and improving SWaP-C. Some example products are below.
