Branch Technology, a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based technology company specializing in 3D-printed construction materials, is bringing its skill set to Kirtland Air Force Base.
Branch Technology will replace the facade of a building on base with 3D-printed panels, intending to improve energy efficiency and lower the base’s carbon footprint.
The project was funded through the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which aims to bring small businesses and federal research and development projects together. The direct-to-phase II contract, which Branch Technology applied for in May, is worth around $1.1 million.
The process will involve scanning the building with lidar, a laser-based technology, and 3D-printing a replacement at the company’s Tennessee facility, Ryan Lusk, CEO of Branch Technology, told Albuquerque Business First.
This method, according to Lusk, allows minimal intrusion into the building and those working inside it. A normal facade replacement generally requires employees to relocate during construction.
“The most common method, and why it doesn’t happen much, is to remove the entire facade of the building,” Lusk said. “It’s very disruptive. Obviously, you can’t be using the building and then you’re disrupting the buildings around it.”
Instead, Branch Technology will craft their panels to fit the existing facade, including window sills and existing structures surrounding the building. This allows work to continue inside “virtually the entire time,” Lusk said.
The panels will also be tested for defensive capabilities, including how they will hold up against weapon fire.
Lusk said the project will likely take around 14 months due to the preparatory work, including landscaping and producing the materials needed to construct the panels. In a statement, the company said it plans to implement the panels in more military buildings in the future.
This isn't the first time Branch Technology has worked with the Air Force. The company previously worked on a device to transport missiles for the department, although Lusk did not give further details due to potential confidentiality. The company is also currently working with the Army to develop a renewable polymer.
However, the Kirtland project does mark Branch Technology’s first entrance into New Mexico.
The contract implementing the project is an agreement with AFWERX, a technology directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory. Recently, AFWERX partnered with Albuquerque-based aerospace company X-Bow Systems to test and mature its rocket motor and propellant technologies.
