“And Marines were being encouraged to be innovative and develop prototype solutions to real-world problems. “Around that time, the Marine Corps had been provided with 3D printing additive manufacturing tools,” said Burns. Waiting months for an order can reduce readiness or effectiveness on the battlefield.Ĭonsequentially, MCSC had to find an alternative solution. However, it can take from six to 10 months for the Marines to receive a part. This was one of those times where the part wasn’t available.”ĭLA can award a contract to a company, let that manufacturer set up a production line and then order a large sum of parts. “Sometimes the part is not available right away or something happens with a vendor and a part cannot be provided immediately. “At certain times, logistical issues can occur,” said Tony Delgado, research and development program manager for additive manufacturing at DLA. As a result, the Defense Logistics Agency-the agency responsible for providing parts for military vehicles-did not have enough parts to satisfy all orders. When an impeller experiences wear and tear, the part may not pull enough air to function properly, which could degrade mission effectiveness.Ī few years ago, the Marine Corps and the Army ordered a large batch of impellers. “This can get you through a mission, through your training exercise or whatever may be critical at the time.”Īn impeller expels dust from the tank engine to keep the filters clean. “Call it a spare tire or a stop-gap solution,” said Joseph Burns, technical lead for MCSC’s Advanced Manufacturing Operations Cell. The Corps plans to use 3D-printed impellers when the original part wears or becomes inoperable and a new part cannot be received in a timely fashion. Marine Corps Systems Command recently collaborated with fleet Marines and other organizations to review the successful performance of several 3D-printed impellers used on M1A1 Abrams tanks at Twentynine Palms, California.
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