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NP Aerospace produces Mastiff suspension & differential carrier with Caracol’s Vipra AM technology image

NP Aerospace leveraged Caracol’s Vipra AM – a large-format wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) platform – to produce a Mastiff suspension and differential carrier, replacing traditional casting and forging routes. Working with the Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC), NP Aerospace produced a fully structural 110 kg metal component in just 60 hours of printing, cutting lead time, waste, and mass while eliminating tooling entirely.Mastiff-suspension-np-aerospace-dmc-caracol-waam-robotic-dual-use-transportation2

The limits of conventional manufacturing for large structural parts

The Mastiff suspension and differential carrier is a structurally critical, load-bearing component for protected and dual-use vehicles. It must withstand demanding dynamic loads, shock, and harsh operating conditions, making it a high-risk candidate for any change in manufacturing route. Historically, components of this size and complexity have been produced via casting, forging, or multi-stage fabrications. These conventional methods come with several constraints:

  • Long lead times driven by tooling design, manufacture, and qualification
  • High upfront tooling costs, which are difficult to justify on low-volume programs
  • Geometric limitations that restrict highly organic, topology-driven shapes
  • Reduced agility for design iterations and spiral development activities

Caracol’s Vipra AM enabled NP Aerospace to replace the traditional manufacturing route and produce complex geometry in a single process, without compromising on performance. The flexible multi-axis positioning of both robot and part made it possible to print extreme overhangs and intricate surfaces that would be extremely challenging or impossible on fixed-axis systems, all while meeting performance and compliance targets without redesigning the functional specification.Mastiff-suspension-np-aerospace-dmc-caracol-waam-robotic-dual-use-transportation3

Metal additive manufacturing process specifications

The Mastiff suspension & differential carrier was produced on Caracol’s VIPRA XP system, leveraging its large-format wire arc additive manufacturing capabilities. Key print production and process parameters were:

  • Material: ER100
  • System: VIPRA XP
  • Size: 540 × 500 × 500 mm
  • Weight: 110 kg
  • Print time: ~60 hours
  • Post-processing: Heat treatment and machining

Mastiff-suspension-np-aerospace-dmc-caracol-waam-robotic-dual-use-transportation5

Key performance outcomes

By deploying Caracol’s Vipra AM technology through DMC, NP Aerospace industrialized a metal LFAM process route that met the existing performance envelope of the conventionally manufactured part while delivering measurable lead time reduction up to 50%.

Furthermore, Caracol’s Vipra AM platform enabled NP Aerospace to eliminate tooling costs entirely, making low-volume production and development iterations economically viable while still meeting stringent performance requirements.

Thanks to the optimal multi-axis orientation capabilities of the Vipra AM system, NP Aerospace was able to print extreme overhangs and highly complex, organic surfaces that would be extremely challenging for conventional fixed-axis systems. The process route developed is inherently scalable for future spiral developments, supporting faster iteration cycles and opening the door to further optimization of dual-use applications.Mastiff-suspension-np-aerospace-dmc-caracol-waam-robotic-dual-use-transportation6

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