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Defense innovation company Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG, Miamisburg, Ohio, U.S.) is adopting a new name, CRG Defense, to reflect the company’s evolution into a next-gen defense tech platform business, one that integrates problem-solving, product development and manufacturing to (learn more below). Alongside this announcement, CRG Defense has become the second U.S. company to acquire the Argo 1000 Hypermelt a large-format 3D printer from Italian manufacturer  (Bari). The system enhances CRG Defense’s ability to produce aerospace-grade polymer and composite parts at scale and serves as a new asset for partners seeking to enter or grow within the U.S. defense and aerospace sectors.

The Argo 1000 Hypermelt uses fused granulate fabrication (FGF) to produce high-performance thermoplastic components with accuracy and repeatability. Its build volume of 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 millimeters (~ 39 × 39 × 39 inches) enables the production of large, complex parts and assemblies that meet demanding aerospace requirements. According , the Hypermelt uses “a broad spectrum of advanced materials, super polymers like PEKK and Ultem 9085, composites like carbon fiber-filled PEEK and PA, elastomers, recycled materials and bio-based polymers.”

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“This gives us immediate production capability while we continue developing our next-generation additive manufacturing [AM] technologies,” says Ian Fuller, strategic director and AM mission area lead at CRG Defense. “It also allows us to support organizations that want to bring advanced materials, such as fiber-reinforced PEEK, PEK and PEI, into secure production environments without building that infrastructure from scratch.”

The acquisition builds on CRG Defense’s ongoing $2.5 million U.S. Air Force contract to design a large, ultra high-temperature 3D printing system for future aerospace applications. That project, funded by the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office, focuses on producing components capable of withstanding extreme operating conditions at a scale previously not achievable with AM.

In parallel, CRG Defense says the Argo 1000 Hypermelt provides a fully operational, production-ready solution that can meet today’s manufacturing needs in defense, aerospace and adjacent industries such as oil and gas, motorsports and automotive.

CRG Defense offers more than technical capability; it also provides a fast track into defense manufacturing. With existing contract vehicles, long-standing partnerships and a secure, U.S.-based production environment, the company enables commercial innovators and foreign-friendly firms to transition their technologies into government programs without starting from scratch.

In addition, the company highlights its compression molding expertise for fiber-reinforced primary aerospace structures. Some of the platforms over the years include the XRQ-73 Shepard, Raytheon Mald J, Bombardier Global, GA SkyGuardian, SpaceX Falcon 9, V-22 Osprey, Airbus A380, Pilatus PC-24, CH-53K, Boeing EcoDemonstrator and more.