Cost reduction through the use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) and collaborative product life cycle management technologies to enhance the Navy's maintenance programs

Abstract

In order to keep its ships and aircraft in an operational status, the U.S. Navy must have access to the parts necessary for repair. Current supply warehouses do not always carry the required repair parts; therefore, when parts are unavailable, the Navy must either look to traditional acquisition sources or utilize manufacturing capabilities available at depot and intermediate maintenance activities. This thesis examines the potential cost benefits of incorporating additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, and collaborative product life cycle management (CPLM) software into these maintenance activities. The research uses the knowledge value added (KVA) methodology to analyze modeled data and capture and quantify the benefits of introducing AM and CPLM technologies into Navy maintenance activities. This proof of concept was developed to apply AM and CPLM to as-is and several to-be maintenance process models in order to measure the potential benefits. By introducing AM and CPLM technologies into the current manufacturing process, the notional scenario showed positive results and suggests a significant reduction to cycle time and a potential cost savings of $1.49 billion annually.