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11 September 2023
by Michael Fabey
The US Navy installed a 3D printer on the amphibious assault ship USS
Bataan
in November 2022.
(US Navy)
The US Navy (USN) is striving to bolster the use of additive manufacturing (AM) in shipbuilding and ship repairs, according to Rear Admiral Jason Lloyd, chief engineer and deputy commander for Ship Design, Integration and Naval Engineering at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
“We have a national imperative to make additive manufacturing an interchangeable process for other types of manufacturing,” Rear Adm Lloyd said on 7 September during a keynote speech at the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Fleet Maintenance & Modernization Symposium.
Rear Adm Lloyd detailed the USN’s plans to encourage greater AM use in shipyards and on ships, including the installation of additional 3D printers on more vessels.
The service has some hurdles to jump to do that, he said. “AM is not a programme of record,” he added, noting the USN often has to rely on research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funding.
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