The U.S. Marine Corps has increased its use of three-dimensional printing technology as part of efforts to boost equipment readiness, combat effectiveness and reduce maintenance costs for aircraft, vehicles, weapons and other systems.
USMC said Friday that a 3D printer works to help Marines create drones and replacement parts for buildings, equipment, weapons and vessels such as assault amphibious vehicles.
Capt. Matthew Friedell, 3D printing project officer in the Marine Corps Systems Command’s systems engineering and acquisition logistics division, said he believes the technology can help change the way the service branch applies logistics in warfare.
“Not only can we now fix weapons and vehicles faster, we can adapt in real time to meet new requirements,” Friedell added.
MCSC is tasked to evaluate the quality of 3-D printed components and certify the produced parts’ compliance with equipment and system requirements for fielded technologies.
The command partnered with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to produce and install a 3D printed steel yoke shifter onto an AAV at an engineering maintenance test site in Virginia.