ExOne has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract to develop a self-contained 3D printing “factory” housed in a shipping container. Awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in August, the $1.6 million contract will focus specifically on improving the ruggedness of ExOne’s commercially available binder jet 3D printers, the company said in a statement.

Now under development, the rugged 3D printing factory pod would be set up in a standard shipping container, up to 40 feet long, to be deployed directly in the field, via land, sea or air, to manufacture parts to support war theaters, disaster relief, or other remote operations, says ExOne.

[Image courtesy: ExOne]