July 24, 2023 Building the ‘Sandcastle’: 76 CMXG starts sand casting aluminum parts The 76th Commodities Maintenance Group and Reverse Engineering and Critical Tooling (REACT) Lab at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, have added the capability to sand cast aluminum parts in-house. The new technique adds one more tool to address the difficulty in sourcing parts for legacy aircraft.
Sept. 29, 2022 Casting new methods of production saves Air Force time, money The 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, part of the Air Force Sustainment Center, has a new additive manufacturing approach to solve an old problem, sourcing hard to acquire parts for legacy aircraft. By digitally recreating the mold used to create cast parts, instead of building the part from
Aug. 15, 2022 Building upon success, Tunnel 9 team looks to take 3D printing program to next dimension It started with a piece here, a small part there.But since its inception in the facility, additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, has evolved and blossomed at Arnold Engineering Development Complex Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 in White Oak, Maryland. From plastic rigs to elements
Feb. 16, 2021 AEDC Aeropropulsion team augments AFWERX Rapid Test Technique Development effort The Arnold Engineering Development Complex Aeropropulsion Combined Test Force team at Arnold Air Force Base has become involved with AFWERX to explore ways to reduce the time required to prepare to test new U.S. Air Force turbine engines.AFWERX is an Air Force initiative started in 2017 to foster a
July 31, 2020 Tinker units collaborate, produce first 3-D printed engine component Members of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, an Air Force Sustainment Center wing, have produced the first additively manufactured metal component successfully tested on a U.S. Air Force aircraft engine, a significant milestone for future sustainment of aircraft like the E-3 Airborne Warning
May 5, 2020 AFRL, FUSE host COVID-19 supply donation event On April 24, FUSE Makerspace and Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico Maker Hub collaborated to host a donation and collection event for 3-D printed full-face shields. The shields are intended to be donated to New Mexico hospitals and clinics in need.
Sept. 16, 2019 3D printing successfully used to fabricate discontinued part for lube oil system When a decades-old part could no longer be purchased, the Plant Operations and Maintenance team at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Engine Test Facility at Arnold Air Force Base coordinated with members of the Condition Based Maintenance, group, or CBM, to determine how best to recreate
June 26, 2019 Investment in 3D printing helps Team Edwards’ fleet aloft The 412th Maintenance Squadron is leveraging 3D printing technology to help keep Edwards’ aircraft flying, no matter their age.
Jan. 17, 2019 First metallic 3D printed part installed on F-22 The use of 3D printing is not new to the Air Force. The service has routinely used 3D printing for legacy aircraft requiring parts that may be out of production due to manufacturing obsolescence.
Nov. 30, 2018 Maker Hub, AFRL “sprint” to innovation WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – To build strength and endurance, athletes perform “intervals” or short, intense periods of exertion designed for maximum benefit in the shortest time possible. Thanks to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Maker Hub at the Wright Brothers Institute, that same