MOD’s first superior manufacturing technique locations deal with additive manufacturing

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has printed its first superior manufacturing technique with additive manufacturing as its central focus. 

The doc, printed on Friday, emphasises how industrial 3D printing applied sciences can be utilized to spice up provide chain resilience by means of decentralised manufacturing, improve pace of response, shorten lead instances, and fight half obsolescence. Whereas sitting beneath the ‘superior manufacturing’ umbrella, this primary technique doc focuses solely on additive manufacturing. 

What’s the MOD superior manufacturing technique?

The technique is threefold: Incentivise trade to take a position additional in adopting AM know-how, unlock the constraints by adapting assist, monetary and business insurance policies, and construct networks for AM to be introduced into the provision chain.

The backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising hostilities within the Center East are stated to have heightened the defence sector’s urgency to extend provide chain resilience and adaptability, whereas reductions within the measurement of the Armed Forces, Civil Service and fleet sizes, and growing older gear are contributing to provide and efficacy challenges. 

The MOD set out its imaginative and prescient for AM adoption again in 2022, stating ‘Additive manufacturing boosts provide chain resilience and supplies a step change in platform and gear availability and readiness.’ The imaginative and prescient is made up of 4 pillars: design, whereby components are created particularly for AM or reverse engineered for AM with the identical assurances as their conventional counterparts; digital thread, which allows the safe transmission of knowledge required to fabricate stated half; totally licensed manufacturing capabilities, each UK-based and by way of a worldwide community of suppliers who’re certified in opposition to worldwide requirements; and cellular manufacturing capabilities which allow the manufacturing of components nearer to the purpose of want. Every of those manufacturing capabilities is alleged to be underpinned by a round supplies economic system the place supplies will be recycled and re-used.

In a foreword from Vice Admiral Andy Kyte CB FCLIT, Chief of Defence Logistics and Assist, Kyte stated “the proof to use AM is compelling” and pointed to the success of its AM accelerator program Challenge TAMPA, which just lately entered its subsequent part, as proof of AM’s capabilities inside defence provide chains.

Kyte stated: “This technique outlines our intent to embrace AM in new designs, to assist resolve obsolescence and to extend our aggressive edge by means of growth of expeditious battle harm restore strategies. This thrilling know-how has been in existence for a while, and defence should now realise the latent advantages it affords, by way of operational availability, improved provide chain resilience and effectivity.”

Kyte caveats that the tempo of adoption will correlate instantly with how shortly the sector can profit and requires the trade to work collectively in alignment with worldwide companions and Allies to make sure its success, including: “We should be daring in our choices and proportional in our threat urge for food.”

What are the advantages of utilizing AM in defence?

For the MOD, the adoption of AM is stated to be centered on addressing the fast shortfalls within the provide of stock gadgets, with obsolescence recognized in a 2021 report because the primary provide subject. In response to the technique doc, the MOD has a list that exceeds 1.3 million gadgets and whereas AM received’t essentially lend itself to each a type of components, the MOD believes the chance for the know-how is big. In response to a report commissioned utilizing Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) funding, the MOD stands to learn over £110 million web over the subsequent 15 years (with a web worth per 12 months thereafter of £35.5 million) if simply 15% of the defence stock was manufactured by means of additive.

Along with Challenge TAMPA, which was established to progress using AM and improve materials availability throughout defence, the doc outlines different programmes that are planning to deploy AM together with the Submarine Supply Company’s In Service Submarines (ISS), which is utilizing AM in assist of element/system enhancement to enhance submarine availability.

To technique notes that to ensure that AM to achieve success, the MOD wants extra agile routes to and from market and to grasp the capabilities inside the UK AM market. There’s a want for applicable preparation of defence contracts up entrance, alongside amendments to current contracts and processes to allow the agility permitted by AM, or the creation of separate provide chains for AM components. It additionally stresses that there’s ‘no ‘buyer clamour’ or demand sign emanating from the MOD to encourage additional or longer-term funding’, which means clear coverage should be created to enhance operational outcomes and acceptance. It additionally cites the identical challenges recognized at this 12 months’s TCT UK Person Group round repeatability, requirements, through-life assist provision, and coaching. It suggests commoditisation for coaching, gear provide and assist, and strategic partnering for shared studying as potential options to these challenges. It additionally highlights how the perceived excessive price of AM components wants a rethink, as like-for-like price comparisons to conventional components made some years in the past don’t essentially take into account components such comparable to prices of lack of availability in opposition to the price of an element, the place AM may doubtlessly step in and add worth.