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US Air Force Base in Utah Creating 3D Printed Replacement Parts for F-35 Fighter Jets

The US military has not shied away from implementing modern manufacturing methods such as 3D printing, but has actually embraced the technology. In fact, the US Air Force has used 3D printing for multiple projects, including components for aircraft and fighter jets, such as the F-35. This is what’s known as a next-generation fighter, and the 388th Maintenance Group of the Hill Air Force Base in Utah recently began 3D printing specific replacement parts for the F-35. Base officials are hoping that the technology will help to lower costs and increase availability.

Many branches of the military have turned to 3D printing to make replacement parts for those very same reasons.

“We’re always driving for speed, safety and quality. But cost-effectiveness is also a priority,” said 388th MG commander Col. Michael Miles. “This new tech has great cost-avoidance potential and provides rapid repair capabilities.”

Tech Sgt. Scott Mathews, assistant manager of the 388th Maintenance Group’s Air Force Repair and Enhancement program, makes adjustments to a 3-D printer the unit is experimenting with to create pieces and parts faster and more cost-effectively. [Image: Todd Cromar]

According to Tech. Sgt. Scott Mathews, assistant manager of the 388th MG’s Air Force Repair and Enhancement Program, early returns are showing that when his shop gets in damaged parts that are able to be reproduced through 3D printing, they are then able to be introduced into the supply chain with greater speed and at lower cost.

Tech. Sgt. Mathews explained, “It’s much more cost effective for the Air Force than buying new parts.”

One of the first items the team at the 388th MG created was a small-scale replica of the F-35 fighter jet. But now they’ve moved onto 3D printing simple plastic replacement parts, such as cable splitters, fasteners, grommets, housing boxes, and wiring harnesses. Tech. Sgt. Mathews said that many areas of the shop have figured out how to make the 3D printing easier to work with by “getting away from a lot of fancy metals and getting into composites and plastics.”

F-35 [Image: Lockheed Martin]

However, the technology is still young in the shop at Hill AFB, and the unit’s airmen are using trial and error to refine things, including using computer software to make their own in-house designs. There are even signs that they could manufacture more complex parts out of stronger materials in-house one day.

“There’s one printer (where) you can print with aluminum. That opens up a whole new world of opportunities,” said Tech Sgt. Matthews. “When you look at all of the different parts we could manufacture … it just boggles the mind, the things we could (make) on base. It’s just insane.”

The first two F-35 fighter jets arrived at Hill AFB in September of 2015. But, by the end of 2019, there will be three whole fighter squadrons, made up of a total of 78 jets, on the base. The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and the reserve 419th both fly and maintain the jets, while the Ogden Air Logistics Complex on base performs maintenance on all of the F-35s. Hopefully, 3D printing can soon be used to help with all of this maintenance.

Tech Sgt. Matthews said, “There’s a sense of pride knowing you played at least a minuscule role of getting them airborne.”

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[Source: Standard Examiner]

Study Compares 3D Printed Braille to Traditional Methods

3D printing lends itself well to aiding the visually impaired. It has been used numerous times to create tactile maps, learning tools, tactile art, and other aids. The technology makes the printing of Braille on objects easy, as well. A new study takes a closer look at the use of 3D printing to produce embossed dot graphics for the purpose of helping the visually impaired. The goal of the study was to improve upon traditional methods of creating Braille, like embossing machines. Entitled “A Proposed Method for Producing Embossed Dots Graphics with a 3D Printer,” the study can be accessed here. The author of the study, Kazunori Minatani, is visually impaired himself.

“The author designed this study to specifically take up the following challenge: develop a system that would convert data created using embossed dots graphics drawing software for a braille embosser into data that could be used with 3D CAD software,” the study explains. “The conversion would allow for completely customization of the size and shape of every dot, freeing us from the limitations in dot type associated with the braille embosser. Results are confirmed via physical measurements and tactile observation assessments.”

The biggest advantage, according to the study, that 3D printers have over traditional Braille embossers is that they can freely customize the arrangement and shapes of the dots. Converting embossed dots graphics drawing software to CAD data allowed for full customization of the sizes and shapes of the dots; the software Minatani designed was named Ed12scad. Edel is a piece of drawing software used for designing embossed dots graphics for the ESA 721 embosser, which can punch out three different dot sizes.

Three dots embossed by ESA721 (up-left), generated by 3D printer (down-left) and the evaluated embossed dots map (right)

“By converting data so that it can be edited on OpenSCAD, users can take the drawings they’ve made on Edel and revise them in SCAD data format on OpenSCAD as solid objects,” Minatani states. “The small, medium, and large dots included in the Edel data are converted into solid hemispheres on the surface of circular truncated cones in accordance with their respective sizes.”

By using a 3D printer, Minatani was able to produce larger dots than could be produced with the embosser. He created a tactile map using the 3D dots, and enlisted the input of other visually impaired people to assess the results of the study. The following conclusions were reached:

The 3D models were not inferior to the embossed dots graphics produced on paper in terms of their expressive features
Changing the three dot sizes made it easier to distinguish them in the 3D model compared to the paper embossed dots graphics. The large dots, in particular, were greatly improved in terms of palpability.
The surface smoothness of the 3D model was inferior to that of the embossed dots graphic produced on paper.
The abbreviated city names written on the map in Braille were not easy to read.

Although the results created using the 3D printer weren’t without their flaws, the study emphasized the freedom that 3D printing allows in terms of creating different shapes, sizes, and arrangements of dots, unlike the limits of the traditional Braille embosser. Using 3D printing also makes it easier to create objects with Braille printed directly on them. 3D printing can be used in a number of creative ways to bring “sight” to visually impaired people – through maps, 3D pictures, even 3D ultrasounds. With 3D printing technology, visually impaired people can experience the world in more ways than ever before.

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Okuma Introduces Hybrid 3D Printer CNC Machine

CNC machine manufacturer Okuma has just unveiled their new foray into additive manufacturing. The hybrid 3D printer CNC machine mixes the processes of both devices for a high accuracy object. The Laser EX multi-tasking MU-8000V uses Laser Metal Deposition as an additive method of object building and can use multiple materials. Diabase also used the concept […]

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KAIST develops VR platform for 3D sketching in thin air

Researchers from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new 3D sketching platform that merges hand motions with digital pen drawing to generate faster and more accurate product designs. The Agile 3D sketching system, as it is called, also enables more design freedom as a result of its combined sketching […]

3D Hangouts – Episode #195 – LEGO Robotics and 3D Printing a Boat #3DThursday #3DPrinting

CRICKIT Lego Rover
https://learn.adafruit.com/lego-crickit-rover/

Adafruit Fusion 360 Parts on GitHub
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CAD_Parts

Adafruit CRICKIT on DIGIKEY
https://www.digikey.com/short/j51cfv

Circuit Playground Express
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333

LED Physics toy https://www.thingiverse.com/make:516103
Lie Ren Stormflower https://www.thingiverse.com/make:515148
Weather Station https://www.thingiverse.com/make:514961
Caitlins Dad http://www.instructables.com/id/Summer-Camp-Swag-Light-Up-Drawstring-Bagpack/

Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!

The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!

Lego Crickit Rover #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Guide: https://learn.adafruit.com/lego-crickit-rover

Build a CRICKIT powered rover robot using LEGO pieces and 3D printed mounts! Learn how to use the Circuit Playground Express and the LEGO brick system to build and assemble a two wheeled moving robot.

Use Microsoft MakeCode to program movements with interactive lights and sounds. LEGO is the breadboard equivalent to mechanical design. It’s modularity makes it perfect for prototyping robotics. With just two motors, an Adafruit CRICKIT and Circuit Playground Express board, you can quickly make a moving robot. LEGO is the glue that holds these parts together. It’s expandable and completely customizable with 3D printing!

3D Printed Drone Saves Thousands of Crops per Year

The corn borer is a pest that attacks maize stalks, causing the loss of thousands of crops every year. Rather than drenching said crops with chemicals, a company called Soleon is taking a natural approach – the SoleonAgro drone, which distributes trichogramma wasp eggs. The trichogramma wasp eats corn borers, offering an eco-friendly pest control alternative. The SoleonAgro drone has specialized arms that can distribute the eggs in three different directions at once, spreading them evenly and quickly across fields.

To build the drone’s unique design, Soleon turned to 3D printing by way of Materialise, which had been working with the company for years to create its wide range of drones for aerial photography, thermal mapping, civil defense and more. Each drone has a different design according to its purpose: a photography drone, for example, would need camera mounting points while a pest control drone like the SoleonAgro requires arms that move in different directions to distribute the eggs efficiently and evenly. 3D printing allows Soleon to rapidly prototype these drones, quickly moving through different iterations until the final product is achieved.

Using 3D printing also results in a much more lightweight drone than would be possible with other technologies.

“When we came to Materialise for end-use 3D-printed parts, our key requirement was that the parts needed to be lightweight (in order to maximize battery power),” said Soleon Founder Michael Überbacher. “The design of the drone body was very complex, since we customized it completely for the purpose of an efficient distribution system. We had already worked with Materialise for years for rapid prototyping on various projects, and had arrived at a design that we were happy with for the SoleonAgro.”

Because of the complexity of the design, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) was chosen to 3D print the SoleonAgro. It was 3D printed mostly in PA 12, a lightweight, durable material, which would allow for the weight reduction needed as well as the strength and toughness required for the drone’s operation. PA-GF, a polyamide filled with glass particles, was used for parts closer to the drone’s motor, as the material has higher rigidity and is less vulnerable to vibration.

“The big advantage of 3D Printing is that we can very quickly create complex systems, even in small quantities,” said Überbacher. “Normally the parts are printed and sent within one week. As a small company, this offers us the opportunity to react very quickly to the changes and wishes of our customers. Working with Materialise has been great, due to their wide range of technologies and large machine capacity, as well as their in-house design and engineering support. With this, we’ve managed to make the SoleonAgro the most cost-efficient and best performant solution on the market.”

Soleon is based in Italy and has been in business since 2009. It’s one of a growing number of companies that have been employing 3D printing in the manufacture of drones. Because drones tend to have complex designs, and because they need to be lightweight, 3D printing is the technology that makes the most sense for these machines. Thanks to the SoleonAgro’s unique 3D printed design, Soleon can save thousands of maize crops – and be faster than its competitors in doing so.

Speaking of agricultural drones, check out this project in progress as well.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

[Source: Materialise/Images: Soleon]

IJL Showcasing Jewelry 3D Printing Innovations

3D printing, and especially wax resin casting, have become a major technology in the jewelry world. Although not quite ubiquitous, they have caught on, with enough popularity to start up online platforms. Now, International Jewellery London (IJL) will be showcasing new jewelry 3D printing innovations at their trade show in September. Cooksongold is exhibiting its PRECIOUS […]

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Arkema Opening New 3D Printing Resins Technology Center

Materials and design solutions developer Arkema are looking to expand by opening a new resins technology center. The company will set up the new center at their Sartomer Exton, PA facility, where its partners will carry out further research and development work at the advanced center to develop cutting-edge 3D printing resins. Arkema specialises in lightweight materials, biosourced […]

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High speed metal 3D printing earns award for Fraunhofer ILT

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) and RWTH Aachen University have won an award for development of Extreme High-Speed Laser Material Deposition (EHLA). In place since 2000, the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis is one of the most prestigious awards in laser technology, and is presented every two years by a panel of experts from science and industry. Stressing […]