The U.S. Marine Corps’ Combat Logistics Battalion 31 has utilized additive printing technology to produce a prototype handle for a Combat Rubber Raiding Craft.
The team scanned a handle from the vessel and refined the model via the Cura software tool prior to printing, USMC said Wednesday. CLB-31 will upload the design to a Marine Corps database to allow other units to download and produce the model.
“They are going to use the lessons learned in this successful prototype to manufacture two more units and are confident that the effort will ensure that all 20 CRRCs maintain fully operational status,” said Maj. Richard Jahelka, executive officer at the Fox Company’s Battalion Landing Team.
Staff Sgt. Jack Hubbard, a communications electronics maintenance chief at CLB-31, said the U.S. Navy asked the team to produce a knob for forklift batteries.
“The benefits of using a 3D printer are endless,” said Hubbard added. “The cost of the entire unit is $45,000, but it only cost us three dollars to print the knob ourselves.”
After the completion of the task, CLB-31 printed handles to augment sailors’ protection in the delivery of the batteries.