The US Navy’s Trident Warrior 25 is a stay hearth manufacturing train hosted by FLEETWERX, a company that desires to convey collectively firms and academia to drive Navy innovation, together with the Naval Postgraduate College’s Consortium for Superior Manufacturing Analysis and Training (CAMRE). Collectively, these teams are working to use new manufacturing methods, prepare folks to make use of them, and take a look at manufacturing applied sciences in real-world situations. In that context, Trident Warrior is the right occasion for them to arrange, because it creates a practical situation the place precise elements are made underneath actual situations, often on board ships.
This yr’s Trident Warrior is true up our alley, too, with the train being the “JAMC, a cell manufacturing group that permits deployed forces to supply mission-critical elements utilizing 3D printing, machining and augmented actuality. This functionality permits sooner repairs, reduces downtime, and strengthens sustainment operations in ahead deployed or contested environments.” It “connects belongings throughout greater than 8,000 miles and two continents to exhibit how distributed manufacturing can meet real-world protection wants.”
Distributed manufacturing has lengthy been a buzzword, however really doing it with additive manufacturing is slightly to much more tough than we wish. On this case, the distributed manufacturing was not solely achieved with a number of machines at totally different places but in addition complemented by centralized manufacturing carried out by Stratasys’ service bureau, Stratasys Direct. This sort of mixture, between lower-cost, smaller-footprint machines and different applied sciences, together with extra centralized manufacturing, will likely be important for any future austere manufacturing or navy MRO program. It’s nice that they’re testing it right here. Very sensible concerns could make such an implementation way more tough than it will appear. Consider issues equivalent to a snap-fit half made for materials extrusion not becoming with a snap-fit powder mattress half, or a gap designed for a cloth extrusion half working much less nicely with one other materials, slicer, or machine. Or a hinge that simply doesn’t work on one other machine or know-how. It’s these sensible concerns that have a tendency to come back to mild with these workout routines.
Army drone in flight observing positions. Picture courtesy of Stratasys.
The JAMC, or Joint Superior Manufacturing Cell, introduced collectively seven groups, spanning a distance of as much as 12,800 kilometers. On this case, the corporate says that “Trident Warrior 25 additionally demonstrated that by deploying 3D printers within the subject, there may be diminished reliance on conventional logistics chains.” On this case, groups created new elements and made spares.
Morgan Bower, Program Supervisor, FLEETWERX, stated,
“Trident Warrior 25 demonstrated the worth of a multi-echelon polymer superior manufacturing community. By pairing field-ready options in forward-deployed environments with cutting-edge manufacturing experience, the group lower lead instances for crucial elements and boosted mission resilience.”
In the meantime, CAMRE Program Supervisor Chris C. Curran stated,
“Our collaboration with Stratasys and FLEETWERX throughout Trident Warrior highlights how academia, trade, and the navy can work collectively to validate and speed up new applied sciences.These efforts are essential to constructing resilient, distributed manufacturing ecosystems for the fleet.”
Whereas Lieutenant Colonel Michael D. Radigan, U.S. Marine Corps. Marine Innovation Unit acknowledged,
“We’re targeted on integrating superior manufacturing into logistics and upkeep operations to reinforce readiness and resilience. Workout routines like Trident Warrior exhibit how distributed manufacturing will add resilience to produce chains and ship elevated readiness and lethality to combatant commanders.”
This is a crucial win for Stratasys. The corporate is a provider of Fortus techniques to the Air Pressure. These have been used for years to create improvised elements, refit current elements, and produce spares in Ultem. The central promise of the Stratasys FDM ecosystem can be centered on its dedication to reliability, repeatability, and uptime. If Stratasys can parlay its early success within the Air Pressure into wider success all through the navy, it stands to realize massive. The market alternative in simply the US navy is very large. With all of its beautiful gear, the US navy wants a far-flung fast MRO functionality. Any consolation about Stratasys machines’ capability to make elements on a ship or at a distant location, precisely the identical method, will likely be significant progress for the agency.
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