Engineers at the US Navy's NSWC Corona Division have designed a 3D printable clip that immobilises the arming parts of a submunition so it can be handled safely. Explosive ordnance disposal teams can print it themselves instead of waiting for supply. The design won a NAVSEA safety award for fiscal year 2025, and a provisional patent filing allows licensed production.
What does the clip do?
The Submunition Clip fixes the arming components of a submunition in place so the firing pin cannot move during disposal. It is low cost and made on ordinary 3D printers. Earlier practice was to pour epoxy or plaster around the firing pin, which took time, used expensive materials and did not reliably neutralise the item.
Who developed it and why print it?
Samuel Larter, a former Marine Corps EOD technician, had the idea. Darren Mansour designed it, both in the Close Combat Engineering Team. Mansour wanted teams to print the clip themselves rather than wait for a supply chain, with the model stored in an online CAD database. Larter cleared M42 and M46 submunitions in Kuwait and Iraq, and clearance of such munitions was still ongoing.
What comes next?
The team won a NAVSEA Excellence in Safety Award for fiscal year 2025. A provisional patent filing opens the way to licensing production to companies. Larter sees scope for similar clips for hundreds of other ordnance items.
What it means
The case shows a practical pattern for defence AM: a small, low-value part where speed of availability matters more than material performance. Distributing a CAD file lets users print on demand and avoids supply delays. For European manufacturers, the open questions are who validates such safety-critical files, how revisions are controlled and what licensing means for quality. Nothing in the report covers print material, testing or production volumes.
Frequently asked questions
Who can print the Submunition Clip?
EOD teams can print it on their own printers, with the model kept in an online CAD database.
Why was the clip created?
The older method of fixing the firing pin with epoxy or plaster was slow, costly and not certain to neutralise the item.
Can companies produce it?
A provisional patent filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office opened the way to license production to companies.