Rapid Manufacturing Process and Material Insertion 

Rapid prototyping (RP) technologies are shifting toward end product fabrication as a niche manufacturing methodology for low quantities (1–1000’s) and for part-design features that cannot be fabricated by any other technique.  The Advanced Digital Fabrication program and the Rapid Manufacturing Project at NCMS/CTMA currently works with technology providers to pilot new equipment technologies introduced to the marketplace and to pilot new materials formulated to meet our specifications for fabrication of end parts for DoD depot hard-to-replace legacy parts, and for commercial industrial applications.  The current project demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating or casting select parts directly or indirectly from RP technologies.  The challenge now is to define expedited methods in the DoD system for the introduction and approval of new fabrication processes and new material formulations for use in replacement or repair of hard-to-replace legacy parts.  Hard-to-replace legacy parts typically include those parts for which the original source no longer exists and contracting new sources and qualifying the end part are arduous and made difficult and expensive because no data package exists for the part(s).  Further, hard-to-replace essential parts are those parts essential for correct system operation and without which the Warfighter system does not leave the repair station.

In Phase II of the NCMS/CTMA Advanced Digital Fabrication Program, a Rapid Manufacturing Process & Material Insertion for DoD Part Applications Project is proposed.  The two-part thrust of Phase II is to:

• Identify and fabricate essential hard-to-replace parts from DLA, Navy, Army, Marine, and Air Force supply and maintenance depot communities, which are suitable candidates for fabrication directly or indirectly using RP methodologies and materials.
• Cooperatively with OSD, DLA, Navy, Army, Marine and Air Force, define an expedited process for obtaining process and part specification change approvals.

Hard-to-replace parts come at a high cost and with long lead times.  It is hypothesized that the largest potential savings to the DoD are expected to reside in essential legacy parts that are Class 1 or similar.  Further, benefits to increased readiness owing to reduced Warfighter system down time and cost savings

in end part cost, as well as CAD/STL files that can support future procurements of that part for the Warfighter system can be realized.  The specifics of these will arise from the candidate parts selected.