Defense Additive Manufacturing: DOD Needs to Systematically Track Department-wide 3D Printing Efforts

Abstract

Additive manufacturing building products layer-by-layer in a process often referred to as three-dimensional (3D) printing has the potential to improve aspects of DOD s mission and operations. DOD and other organizations, such as America Makes, are determining how to address challenges to adopt this technology throughout the department. Senate Report 113-44 directed DOD to submit a briefing or report on additive manufacturing to the Senate Armed Services Committee that describes three elements. Senate Report 113-176 included a provision that GAO review DOD s use of additive manufacturing. This report addresses the extent to which (1) DOD s briefing to the Committee addresses the directed elements; (2) DOD has taken steps to implement additive manufacturing to improve performance, improve combat capability, and achieve cost savings; and (3) DOD uses mechanisms to coordinate and systematically track additive manufacturing efforts across the department. GAO reviewed and analyzed relevant DOD documents and interviewed DOD and academia officials.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA625492

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Community Of Practice
  • Congress
  • Detectors
  • Fabrication
  • Logistics
  • Management Personnel
  • Manufacturing
  • Materials
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Research
  • National Security
  • Supply Chain
  • Supply Chain Management
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science