PATUXENT RIVER, Md. –
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Additive Manufacturing (AM) Team continues to expand forward-deployed readiness by providing AM training, engineering support and technical data to Navy and Marine Corps maintainers operating in contested logistics environments.
That AM expertise recently helped Marine Aircraft Logistics Squadron 36 (MALS-36) and the Air Force’s 18th Maintenance Group (18 MXG) return an F-15 Eagle to the fight in a matter of hours—months ahead of its projected return-to-service date.
AM, which builds replacement parts by “printing” materials layer by layer at the point of need, is becoming a powerful force multiplier for the Air Force, said Depot Liaison Engineer Air Force Capt. Diego Carrillo.
“In applications where 3D-manufactured parts are a viable option and are non-procurable or have a long lead time, using this capability can offer cost and time savings,” he said. “This capability is critical when items are not available from the supply chain or cannot be purchased from industry when needed.”
That was the case when maintainers at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, discovered a crack in an F-15’s right-hand cockpit cooling duct after a flight. Initial estimates suggested the aircraft would be grounded for three to four months. After first attempting a traditional repair using as much of the original material as possible, maintainers consulted with a depot liaison engineer and turned to AM to print and replace the item.
18 MXG maintainers printed two prototypes but experienced technical difficulties before printing a part that met specifications. Knowing MALS-36 operated the same machine, they reached out for assistance. Within 12 hours, the Marines printed, delivered and fit checked two prototypes.
The collaboration yielded an unexpected benefit: After analyzing the Air Force’s technical data package, the Marines brainstormed an improved design that reduced print time by two hours.
“We were skeptical of the first design provided by [the MALS] due to the significant shorter print time compared to our first prints,” Carillo said. “Our techs learned that the duct’s orientation affects the necessity for the support structures, which allowed the Marines to reduce the duct’s print time without compromising its structural integrity.”
“Here was a situation where a multi-million-dollar aircraft was going to be sidelined for months due to the lack of a part in the supply system,” said NAVAIR AM Program Manager Theodore Gronda. “The Air Force’s proactive, forward-leaning maintainers sought and obtained approval to repair the part using their onsite AM capability. 18 MXG was backstopped by MALS-36’s AM capability, and they even got a better and quicker AM design out of the collaboration. This was truly a glowing example of a ‘One Team, One Fight’ effort.”
Carrillo said the impact extends well beyond a single aircraft.
“The duct’s new printing requirements are now part of the Air Force’s AM technical publications and will be used for similar repairs across the F-15 community,” he said. “Cooperative and joint exercises with sister services and other stakeholders can help cross-pollinate ideas and methodologies, strengthen partnerships and increase force effectiveness.”
From the NAVAIR Additive Manufacturing Team. 