United States Air Force Additive Manufacturing Applications for Civil Engineering Tools and Jigs

Additive manufacturing is a technology taking the manufacturing revolutionizing the manufacturing industry. By creating three dimensional objects from the ground up, the technology does away with the traditional manufacturing methods used to design and create all products. This research examines the application of additive manufacturing (AM) with regards to tools and jigs in United States Air Force civil engineering (CE) operations. After testing the parts, a usability survey was conducted to determine the value of AM. The results of the overall research indicated that AM will definitely impact the daily operations of a CE unit and a clear need exists for the use of AM. Further, the research determined that AM has reached a point where the integration of AM into strategically coordinated units, along with proper education and training, can be beneficial for the CE career field. Finally, the results indicate that 3Dscanning technology will reach a point within the next 5 years where it can help foster the rapid build-up of 3D CE asset designs for printing applications. The overall results push forward the Air Forces 3D printing knowledge while providing critical information for decision makers on this up and coming technology