C-5 Galaxy tails on the flightline frame a C-5 on final approach to Westover Air Reserve Base. Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
Defense One: US Air Force Is Waiting a Year for Parts That It Could 3D-Print
Its chief weapons buyer is mulling licensing arrangements to allow third-party manufacture.
Someday, the military will 3D-print missiles as needed, the U.S. Air Force’s acquisition chief says. In the shorter term, he just wants to use additive manufacturing technology to get broken planes back in the air. The roadblock is legal, not technical.
“I have airplanes right now that are waiting on parts that are taking a year and a half to deliver. A year and a half,” Will Roper, the assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in an interview.
Today’s 3D-printers could make short work of those deliveries, but some of those parts’ original manufacturers control the intellectual property — and so far, the service lacks clear policy for dealing with that.
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WNU Editor: If 3D-printers can solve the parts problem .... the question then has to be asked .... why are contractors not using them. Why mulling licensing arrangements to third parties.
The idea of 3D printing parts is valid in only a small portion of spare parts. Most parts will be multi-component multi-material needing some assembly and QC prior to install. The issue is having to manufacture parts on older lines; it takes time to revamp the line and get the parts. Kind of a troubling issue by it self and 3D printing can help but won't solve the basic issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of a shame, but that is how the DOD does business. The us taxpayer pays for all of the research and development, design, materials testing, machining and production line development and integration, source code development and integration....
ReplyDeleteAnd what are we left with after investing billions of dollars to design and develop a new aircraft??? We are left with an aircraft that is directly tied to the manufacturer because the DOD/usaf doesn't own the freaking design or intellectual property..... This is going to be one of the biggest issues with the f-35.... Lockmart would gladly sell these at a loss and make up for it over the programs lifetime with the alis system updates, threat inventory upgrades, mid life servicing, etc.
The current way of buying and procuring aircraft is a very poor deal for American taxpayers and an excellent deal for shareholders of lockmart.
The military should never be beholden to contractors, especially at the levels that we find these projects there is more than enough profit to be made.
My simple analogy is this. You want to build a house so you hire a contractor and provide them with your requirements like 3 bed, 2 bath, x size, x amount of lights x type, etc. You pay for them to design the house to your requirements and applicable standards. They do the engineering and build your house. You can live in the house but not do any maintenance, additions, change he the color of the walls or ceilings, change a window or really change anything that the contractor build or installed.
If you wanted to change anything you have hire the original contractor or risk being sued, you are not allowed to do the work yourself or hire a other contractor. You do not get a copy of the as built blueprints the contractor keeps those.
More or less yes you own the house but the service and maintenance industry owns you.