The US Air Force 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainers have installed a metallic 3D printed part on an operational F-22 Raptor, marking a first for the aircraft as 3D printing is increasingly used to create spare parts for land, air and naval assets.

“One of the most difficult things to overcome in the F-22 community, because of the small fleet size, is the availability of additional parts to support the aircraft,” said Robert Lewin, 574th AMXS director in a press release received by the UK Defence Journal last week.

A new metallic 3D printed part alongside the aluminum part it will replace on an F-22 Raptor during depot repair at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Jan 16, 2019. The new titanium part will not corrode and can be procured faster and at less cost than the conventionally manufactured part. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)
The printed part alongside the worn part it is replacing.

The use of 3D printing gives air forces the ability to acquire replacement parts on short notice without minimum order quantities. This not only saves taxpayer money, but reduces the time the aircraft is in maintenance.

Last year, we reported that US Marines with Combat Logistic Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, are now capable of ‘additive manufacturing’ F-35B parts, also known as 3-D printing.

According to a statement on the part being created for the F-22:

“The printed bracket will not corrode and is made using a powder bed fusion process that utilizes a laser to build the part layer by layer from a titanium powder. A new bracket can be ordered and delivered to the depot for installation as quickly as three days. The printed part replaces a corrosion-prone aluminum component in the kick panel assembly of the cockpit that is replaced 80 percent of the time during maintenance.”

The part will be monitored while in service and inspected when the aircraft returns to Hill AFB for maintenance. If validated, the part will be installed on all F-22 aircraft during maintenance.

“We had to go to engineering, get the prints modified, we had to go through stress testing to make sure the part could withstand the loads it would be experiencing – which isn’t that much, that is why we chose a secondary part,” said Robert Blind, Lockheed Martin modifications manager.

The part will be monitored while in service and inspected when the aircraft returns to Hill AFB for maintenance. If validated, the part will be installed on all F-22 aircraft during maintenance.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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captain P Wash.
captain P Wash.
5 years ago

It’s a different shape and a couple of holes are missing but apart from that, It looks spot on.

Fedaykin
5 years ago

Look again, it is the same shape just rotated 180 degrees.

captain P Wash.
captain P Wash.
5 years ago
Reply to  Fedaykin

Ok, It’s the wrong hand and no holes then !!!

Steve R
Steve R
5 years ago

Aren’t the RAF already coming this with Tornado GR4?

Should be more widely implemented among our forces really; imagine if every maintenance unit could 3D print parts like that without having to pay exorbitant prices and/or wait weeks for it?

Robert1
5 years ago
Reply to  Steve R

First up have limited working experience with 3D printing, and there seem to be limited cost comparison papers. I suspect for the near future best use of 3D printing would be for replacement parts at short notice on deployment where supply chain is potentially long and quick turn around required. But suspect that for spares/predicted maintenance cast parts will for now while having longer leadtimes be more economical to produce. Would be great to read some articles/papers with more detail but for now would suspect focus of 3D printing for military is for deployment use as opposed to replacing traditionally… Read more »

Lee1
Lee1
5 years ago
Reply to  Robert1

As far as I know Airbus are already producing parts for final assembly with 3D printing. F1 Teams are also using it quite a lot now. My understanding is that it produces very strong structural material while reducing the cost compared to milling large metal blocks.

David Steeper
5 years ago

This is the future guys. When this works fully through the system it will transform all our militaries in both war and peace. Imagine unmanned ships, aircraft and vehicles with an inbuilt 3D printer for repairs both routine and battle, ammo and the whole shebang.

Billythefish
Billythefish
5 years ago

Are you kidding me? – I could make that in my shed in about half an hour with a hacksaw, drill, file and a bit of aluminium square section.

Steven
Steven
5 years ago
Reply to  Billythefish

No you couldnt, unless you are part of the “Yeah, thats good enough” brigade that bodged British manufacturing into destruction.

Steven
Steven
5 years ago
Reply to  Steven

PS: I suspect it is titanium for a reason.

Billythefish
Billythefish
5 years ago
Reply to  Steven

Hi Steven, I was just referring to the comment in the article ”The printed part replaces a corrosion-prone aluminum component in the kick panel assembly of the cockpit that is replaced 80 percent of the time during maintenance”
Best regards,
Billy.

Lee1
Lee1
5 years ago
Reply to  Billythefish

Even in aluminium you would be hard pressed to make it in 30 mins to the required standards…

T GEORGE
5 years ago
Reply to  Steven

What a blind duck egg you are!

DaveyB
DaveyB
5 years ago

Titanium was used for the bracket for the simple reason that it requires less processing after it has been 3D printed. (tougher than Ally, but can be more brittle) The laser does fuse the titanium together, but it is not a fully amorphous structure and will have a number of inclusions. After it has been printed it needs to be put in an oven for a couple of hours for annealing, this softens (less brittle) the structure and tries to remove the inclusions. Southampton University have a metal 3D printer used by the engineering students. It has been used by… Read more »

captain P Wash.
captain P Wash.
5 years ago
Reply to  DaveyB

Thank you DaveyB That was very Informative and one of the best replies I’ve read here for Yonks.

John West
John West
5 years ago

Metallurgy is one of my specialties.

3D as its issues – it could be a holy grail, it could be a dead end. time will tell.

The rush to it may lose the basic knowledge though.

Few can remember how to cold stitch or weld cast iron _ I can, but I’m old.

Elliott
Elliott
5 years ago
Reply to  John West

Cold Stitch and Cast Iron welding?
In the US it is still taught in Ag at every small and mid-size town High School. Always a nice class to substitute for.

captain P Wash.
captain P Wash.
5 years ago

Ghost Busters ????

Ian2
Ian2
5 years ago

In the NEast of England there are quite a few rapid prototyping /small batch exotic material component manufacturers which would do you half a dozen off in a day or so and despatched for a good price. Thing is what about the black budget which would charge a few $millions.

John
5 years ago

If the original aluminium component is corroding that easily maybe it was designed to (sacrificial component). Hope changing it to titanium doesn’t cause what it’s mounted to to corrode instead.