The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has completed tests on a three-dimensional scanner that showed the benefits of such an imaging technology in driving its additive manufacturing goals.
The agency said Friday that the imaging capability will enable defense users to share models across the Department of Defense through the Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange web-based platform for 3D printing.
Craig Gravitz, DLA’s information operations technology accelerator team lead, explained that the technology would help match manufacturing parts to a catalog model to figure out their national stock number.
DLA officials agree that a scanner would help improve how its Troop Support Product Test Center and contracting personnel, vendors and customers discuss platforms in development.
“Being able to send a 3D-model embedded in a PDF that users can spin around… you can actually see it, and it’s more meaningful to you rather than just a bunch of [technical] words on a page,” added Gravitz.
Another benefit of 3D imaging includes the ability to gather information on a hard-to-manufacture part through reverse engineering, added Jamie Hieber, laboratory manager for DLA’s test center.