Xerox 3D Printer to Support Manufacturing Research at Naval Postgraduate School

Xerox has provided a liquid metal 3D printer to Naval Postgraduate School under a cooperative research and development agreement to explore the potential use of such technology in developing systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Students and faculty members at NPS can use the Xerox ElemX additive manufacturing system for hands-on learning and dissertation work, the company said Wednesday.

The ElemX is designed to produce parts from aluminum wire, a process the digital printing equipment vendor says can support on-demand fabrication of replacement components for military use.

NPS President Ann Rondeau said the partnership serves as an "example of how NPS uniquely prepares our military students to examine novel approaches to create, make, prototype and manufacture capability wherever they are.”

Naresh Shanker, chief technology officer of Xerox, noted the company aims to help the school drive 3D printing adoption at the Navy and gain insights from the collaboration to support the defense supply chain.