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The Potential of

3D Printing for the ADF

LT Jacob Choi Army School of Ordnance

Scope

• What is 3D printing?

• The hype

• Current military applications

• Who can benefit?

• Potential of 3D printing

• Forecasting the Future

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What is 3D printing?

“3D printing is a technology which makes it possible to build

real objects from virtual 3D objects. This is done by “cutting” the

virtual object in 2D slices and printing the real object slice by

slice.”

- Createitreal.com

The Hype

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Chinese J20 fighter jet part

US Army Expeditionary Lab Mobile (ELM)

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Just recently using laser sintering…

Where does the ADF already use 3D printing?

Courtesy DSTO Connections, Nov 11

Defence Science and Technology Organisation

• Objet Eden 350V

• 350 x 350 x 200 mm

• 16 microns

• Vero 720 grade polymer filament ($200/kg)

Some ADF units, although not structured within the formal supply chain

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How much of this can be ?

Who can benefit? Navy

• Fleet replenishment ships

• LHDs – Aviation parts specific

• Modular printlabs

• Dry docks (overseas and in Australia)

• Filament harvesting from the sea

Army

• CSSBs and FSB/FSU

• SOCOMD integral support

• Training establishments (training aid and model production)

• RAEME, RASIGS and RAAOC

Air Force

• Forward Operating Bases

• Rapid parts manufacturing

• Deployable joint assets

Civilian/APS

• DSTO

• DMO

• DNSDC, JLU

Other

• Environmental officers (Cradle to cradle manufacturing)

• Contracted transport solutions

• Medical/pharmaceutical staff

• Ops and plans staff (Mud models, etc.)

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Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages: Precision customisation with minimal waste

• Ease of manufacturing replacement parts with optional alterations

• Deployable with few inputs for multiple outputs

• Minimises dependence on supply chain

• Minimal training for operators and low maintenance liability

Disadvantages: Changing ecosystems and physical constraints

• Ecosystem is not stable yet

• Mass manufacturing sees no requirement to switch to 3D printing

• Razor-razorblade business model for most products, including filament

• Limited by size of 3D printer itself

What does this look like in our ORBAT for the MCB?

Plan Beersheba – three like Multi-Role Combat Brigades

General Support

Close Support

Integral Support

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Forecasting the Future

Cradle to cradle printing (Zero waste cycle)

Quantum computing

Filament harvesting

Organ, tissue and dental printing

Micro, nano and macro 3D printing

The space race – in 3D!

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What if we could bio-print in 3D?

Courtesy MIT Mediated Matter group, 11 Jul 13

4D printing

Courtesy MIT Self Assembly Lab, Feb 13

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Further reading

• Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap for Australia, March 2011 (Wohler Associates, CSIRO)

• Dr Clint Arizmendi, The next evolution of 3D printing and the ADF,

October 2013 (ASPI)

• Engineering.com www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/

• Rapid Prototyping, Developing and Evaluation (RPDE): www.rpde.org.au

• Stratasys: www.stratasys.com/industries/defense

• 3D Systems: www.3dsystems.com/au/solutions/aerospace-defense

• Mitch Ferry, Additive Manufacturing : Technology Implications for the Royal Australian Air Force, April 2012 (DSTO, unclassified FOUO)

Questions?

LT Jacob Choi, Army School of Ordnance

Join the conversation:

jacob.choi@defence.gov.au

choisheungkay@gmail.com

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