Rheinmetall UK adopts miniFactory FFF printer for Challenger 3 tank air ducts

Rheinmetall UK has integrated additive manufacturing into the Challenger 3 main battle tank program, using the Ignite FFF system from Finnish manufacturer miniFactory to produce complex polymer air ducts. The 600×400×400mm build volume printer processes ULTEM 9085 in an open-materials configuration, enabling the defense contractor to produce multiple parts per run for the new vehicle architecture developed with BAE Systems. Julian Wright, Technology Programmes Manager at Rheinmetall UK, now considers AM a standard solution for the channel components, citing rapid design iteration, same-day spare parts, and reduced program risk as primary drivers.

The decision to select FFF over SLS or SLA was driven by lower investment costs, manageable training requirements, and suitability for technical high-performance polymers at production volumes that made injection molding or rotational molding uneconomical. This application updates the defense vertical's relationship with polymer AM: rather than replacing established processes wholesale, FFF serves as a pragmatic bridge for small-series production where tooling commitment would otherwise delay design flexibility. The open-material capability allows Rheinmetall to source raw materials independently, a feature that matters in protected supply chains where qualification documents can lock vendors.

For the broader AM industry, this deployment demonstrates that polymer material extrusion can earn a place in armored vehicle programs without requiring the qualification overhead of metal PBF-LB. The practical takeaway is that FFF's value in defense lies not in raw throughput but in design agility and supply-chain compression for geometrically complex, low-volume components. Rheinmetall UK's next step is to demonstrate that the Ignite system can sustain production reliability across the Challenger 3 program's full lifecycle, not just prototype phases.