Additive Manufacturing Can Revolutionize Industry.

• Author: Falconi, Kristen

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reverberate throughout the global economy. Supply chains and logistics--once mundane and arcane topics--have gone mainstream and are grabbing news headlines in ways previously unseen.

The status quo of most industries was overturned as businesses, governments and private citizens scrambled to purchase materials that were previously ubiquitous.

Because of microchip shortages, the production of new cars ground to a halt and prices for used cars skyrocketed. As building supplies dried up, commercial construction, residential development projects and home renovations were delayed indefinitely or switched to subpar materials to continue.

The true shortages from the pandemic were not the panic-induced toilet paper shortages in the early months of 2020, but the lingering effects caused by disruptions to global supply chains.

Imagine, however, a world where builders, vehicle manufacturers and semiconductor foundries are able to manufacture their products at their delivery points without the reliance on long, interconnected, global supply chains. That world may soon be possible due to advancements in additive manufacturing that will have significant national defense implications.

Also known as 3D printing, additive manufacturing is increasingly becoming integrated in the U.S. military and has a growing influence in the defense industrial base. In February, the Defense Department assessed critical defense supply chains. The assessment advocated for the military to continue efforts to advance its use of additive manufacturing to significantly exceed its current capabilities.

The use of 3D printing, which builds a physical, 3D object from a digital model--known as a computer-aided design, or CAD--often provides a swift and cost-effective way to obtain necessary items on-demand at the frontlines of global conflicts--whether on land or at sea.

Increasing the utilization of 3D printing is a vital way to improve force security amidst contested logistics, especially given the recent unpredictability of supply chains.

Additionally, industry is using additive manufacturing to improve production cost and efficiency.

The military is currently taking advantage of this resource, as it provides timely manufacturing that is not hindered by supply chain challenges. 3D printing can produce spare parts for ships, vehicles, aircraft and other platforms; the tools used to provide repairs; prototypes for new equipment; and...