\u201cWe have a UH-60 Lima [that] we are currently disassembling,\u201d AMCOM chief Maj. Gen. Todd Royar<\/a> explained. \u201c[For each] component, they\u2019re scanning it, making a 3D model of it, putting it in a CAD [Computer-Aided Design] file\u2026 We\u2019ll start to get those back in a couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n Just how many different components are there in the UH-60L model of the Black Hawk<\/a>?<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect to probably get about 20,000 structural parts, -ish, out of that,\u201d Royar said. \u201cWe\u2019ll take a look at it and evaluate every one\u201d to see whether it can be safely and economically replaced with a 3D-printed version.<\/p>\n Other branches of Army Materiel Command<\/a> are conducting even more massive efforts. Tank-Automotive Command<\/a> (TACOM), which sustains and maintains ground vehicles is assessing about 48,000 parts for their suitability to be 3D-printed. Communications-Electronics Command<\/a> (CECOM) is assessing roughly 98,000<\/em>.<\/p>\n CECOM is not quite one-third of the way through, said its commander, Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo<\/a>. So far, he said, they\u2019ve evaluated 31 percent of the parts \u2013 over 30,000 items \u2013 and found 252 that are \u201cpotential candidates for additive manufacturing.\u201d That\u2019s less than one percent.<\/p>\n Why is this so hard? 3D printers can be made simple enough for schoolkids to use. But if you\u2019re trying to print a part that\u2019ll hold up in battle or in flight, you can\u2019t just eyeball the original and guesstimate the dimensions to enter into the printer. Even a detailed blueprint might not include enough detail to turn the 2D drawing into a 3D model accurate enough for printing.<\/p>\n Now, companies that use modern digital design techniques produce 3D models of their new<\/em> parts as a matter of course, and they often share these with the government. TACOM has such data files for the new Infantry Squad Vehicle<\/a>, for instance, and plans to 3D print some parts as a proof of concept. But digital models simply don\u2019t exist for vast inventories of older parts, some dating back decades.<\/p>\n To make a model where none exists, you need to use a specialized scanner \u2013 some are handheld, others mounted on robotic arms \u2013 to map each part in three dimensions, creating a CAD file.<\/p>\n That\u2019s just one step in a complex process, explained Brig. Gen. Darren Werner<\/a>, commander of TACOM, which oversees the Army\u2019s new Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence<\/a> at Rock Island Arsenal.<\/p>\n You have to study and analyze parts to identify which might be suitable for 3D printing, because not everything is. For example, some components might come under so much stress that they\u2019re best machined from a single, solid block of metal, using traditional \u201csubtractive\u201d manufacturing, instead of additive manufacturing that builds objects up layer by printed layer. They might need to be made of special materials, or specially treated, in ways that 3D printers can\u2019t yet handle. They might be just too big for the available printers to produce: At Rock Island, Werner said, the largest item they can 3D-print is about the size of a hotel mini-fridge. Other parts might be possible<\/em> to print but cheaper to make the old-fashioned way \u2013 so there\u2019s an economic element of the analysis, not just an engineering one.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified a suitable part, you need to certify that the 3D-printed version will be safe and reliable. That\u2019s one of the most demanding and time-consuming parts of the process, the generals at today\u2019s press conference agreed, especially for aircraft where components must meet Army and FAA \u00a0flight-safety standards.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s relatively easy, once you have a 3D model, to print something,\u201d said Royar, who\u2019s the Army\u2019s airworthiness certification authority, \u201cbut to ensure that it meets the qualification standards, that\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve certified the part, you can start 3D printing it in bulk \u2013 and doing quality control to ensure each individual copy is up to spec. When you print that specific model in that specific printer, does the output meet all the proper tolerances? Does it do so consistently every time? Does a seemingly slight change, like feeding the printer a different batch of powdered metal, cause a significant difference in the final product?<\/p>\n Only once you\u2019ve answered all these questions satisfactorily can you issue the printed part to maintenance troops, contractors, and Army depots for use with actual military equipment.<\/p>\n Despite all these hurdles, all the armed<\/a> services<\/a>, not just the Army, see tremendous potential in 3D printing that makes it worth this effort. The military holds onto equipment for decades, long after the production line has shut down, in many cases after the original manufacturer and their suppliers have gone out of business, so there\u2019s no one out there who can<\/em> make a particular part: The Army would have to fund someone to recreate the tooling and techniques. In other cases, a part may be absolutely critical to a weapons system working, but only a handful need replacement every year, so the profit margin for industry to make and sell them the traditional way would be too slim.<\/p>\n In the scenario that has military logisticians most excited, a unit in combat, its supply lines under attack or cut off altogether, could potentially 3D-print its own repair parts on demand. Instead of transporting an \u201ciron mountain<\/a>\u201d of different spares, not knowing which ones the unit will actually need, it could deploy with an archive of 3D models, a few printers, and a supply of powdered feedstock for printing. This kind of battlefield additive manufacturing has the potential to liberate frontline units from long supply lines and make them much more maneuverable in the fast-faced all-domain operations<\/a> envisioned for future wars.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3D-printer-Rock-Island-arsenal-5368804-copy-1024x683-1.jpeg\")