Cornerstone adopts new name, expands AM assets with Roboze Argo 1000 Hypermelt

Unboxing of the Argo 1000 Hypermelt, what CRG Defense says is only the second in the U.S. Source | CRG Defense

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 Roboze (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 to 3D Printing Industry, 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.”

“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.