The Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) in North Carolina has achieved a significant milestone by manufacturing and installing its first flight-certified metal parts using 3D printing. These parts are now operating in active aircraft, marking a milestone in military maintenance. 🚀
Laser Technology for Critical Components 🔧
The process uses laser powder bed fusion, a technique that allows creating complex geometries without the need for molds. The parts, made from titanium alloys and stainless steel, passed fatigue and strength tests to obtain certification. FRCE aims to reduce repair times and logistics costs, avoiding dependence on external suppliers for low-volume components.
Goodbye to Waiting for the Spare Part That Never Arrives 😅
While at home we wait weeks for a plastic bracket for the printer, the military prints titanium parts for fighter jets as easily as making coffee. Military bureaucracy, which used to take years to certify a screw, now says ok to parts made over a weekend. If this keeps up, soon they'll be ordering an F-35 on Amazon.