JOINT-BASE-MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST –
A 3-D printer’s laser moves faster than the human eye can detect as it fuses layers of powdered metal onto next generation parts to shape the future of the Department of Defense.
The minds at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst are the forerunners of this advanced 3-D printing technology, which is making the production of intricate aircraft parts more efficient and cost effective.
“We’re able to print parts much quicker than the traditional manufacturing process,” said Kyle Cobb, NAWCAD Lakehurst Additive Manufacturing Project Team-lead. “This technology has the potential to get the warfighter back in the air or back at sea faster.”
Recently, the engineers at NAWCAD Lakehurst used 3-D printing to create parts of the V-22 Osprey aircraft that make its revolutionary tilt-rotor flight possible.
The 3-D printed titanium parts were tested in flight and were found to hold up to the same standards as the parts made via traditional manufacturing, said Cobb. In addition, one of the major benefits of 3-D printing is the ability to reduce the amount of parts required for an assembly by combining features into one component, decreasing the work, time and materials required.
“This technology allows us to print complex organic shapes that cannot be achieved through traditional manufacturing,” said Cobb. “It allows us to keep pursuing the cutting edge of technology.”
But, as these kinds of new products emerge, older ones may become outdated or not get the attention and maintenance they need.
Enter the NAWCAD Lakehurst Reverse Engineering Team.
The reverse engineering teams’ primary function is to examine faulty, aged or hard to source equipment and design a homegrown solution or replacement part in the lab.
“We actually take an item apart piece by piece, see exactly how it’s made and a make a representative copy of it,” said Nick Cavaliere, NAWCAD Lakehurst Reverse Engineering Team-lead. “You have to go back and see how the equipment works; how it fits together. It’s like a puzzle.”
As 3-D printing technology improves, it is the hope of Cavaliere that the Reverse Engineering Team will be able to work alongside the Additive Manufacturing Team to replicate older designs.
The 3-D printer’s work is never finished. When a task is complete, the engineers prepare it for the next and ensure the printing of the future of the DoD continues, layer by layer.
“We’re excited to be able to deploy this technology and eventually transition 3-D printing pier-side and overseas to better support our warfighters downrange,” said Cobb. “This has opened up a whole new world in engineering and introduces a shift in the way we can logistically support the mission.”