Sandia Lab Accelerates Parts Production With 3D Printing
A new Albuquerque facility cuts lead times for critical components from several months to just one week.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Sandia National Laboratories is slashing design cycles for national security components by utilizing additive manufacturing at its new CAMINO facility in Albuquerque. This shift allows engineers to produce parts in one week, a significant improvement over the four to six months required by conventional machining.
Why it matters
By providing engineers with direct access to advanced manufacturing equipment, the facility enables rapid experimentation and iteration. This capability is essential for shortening the development timeline of complex national security hardware.
The new facility produces parts in 1 week, compared to the 4 to 6 months needed for conventional machining. Additionally, surrogate iterations now take 12 hours to produce, a massive reduction from the previous 12-week timeframe.
The players
Sandia National Laboratories
This facility is a federally funded research and development center that focuses on national security technology and advanced engineering.
The University of Texas at Austin
This public research university is partnering with federal labs to develop specialized academic curriculum for advanced manufacturing.
Kansas City National Security Campus
This entity manages the production of non-nuclear components for the U.S. nuclear deterrent and has pioneered the use of 3D printing to save costs.
The details
Engineers design components specifically for additive processes, utilizing a new space that facilitates direct hands-on equipment use and specialist guidance. The site recently hosted a three-day design sprint for the Power Sources Technology Group to further test these rapid production capabilities.
Timeline
The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation opened on February 12, 2026.
The University of Texas at Austin expects to launch a collaborative advanced manufacturing course in 2027.
Kansas City National Security Campus began integrating desktop 3D printers into its workflow in 2015.
Market Landscape
The facility follows a pattern of additive manufacturing adoption set by the Kansas City National Security Campus, which previously saved $10 million using desktop printers. This signals a broader industry shift toward decentralizing production and empowering engineers with direct fabrication tools.
While the technology is currently focused on internal national security components, these manufacturing efficiencies set a precedent for faster prototype development across the aerospace and defense sectors. This move highlights how shorter design cycles may soon reduce costs for high-tech components that impact national infrastructure and supply chains.
The takeaway
Rapid iteration through 3D printing allows for significant time and cost savings in high-stakes engineering environments. Adopting these design-for-manufacturing principles can help teams identify failures earlier and accelerate the transition from concept to finished product.
What happens next
Sandia and The University of Texas at Austin plan to launch an advanced manufacturing course in 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Manufacturing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 3D Printing Industry.
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