On September 7th, 2023, Trial and Error Robotics had the opportunity to tour the Additive Manufacturing Lab, a part of the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Concrete and Materials branch in Vicksburg, MS. The lab works to develop new and exotic materials for protective structures utilizing cutting edge 3D printing technology for rapid component replacement of large scale civil works applications. Our team coach Cody G. an engineering technician, and mentor Hayden H. a polymer engineer, at the Additive Manufacturing Lab invited our team members for a facility tour. 

Our members learned about the lab’s work developing new materials for large-scale civil works applications and were introduced to the cutting-edge technology within the lab. The lab hosts large-scale additive manufacture machines such as Milliebot, a 3D Printer capable of printing large-scale metal components, an arc melting furnace that melts base materials to create new metal alloys, and various smaller 3D printers capable of printing materials such as titanium, resin, steel, and plastic. These technologies, while advanced, are the professional equivalents of tools that will be familiar to students on a FIRST robotics team. In teams like Trial and Error Robotics, the FIRST program acts as a stepping stone that introduces young people to a myriad of potential STEM careers.

Thanks to the Additive Manufacturing Lab at ERDC for having us! If you, or anyone you know would like to learn more about 3D-Printing and possibilities in STEM, please contact us at FTC10191@gmail.com