in all necessary drawings and instruc- tion files to carry out the method for manufacturing the part. The techni- cal data related to the AM part should include those items mentioned in Document ID DI-SESS-82465 , which pro- vides manufacturing criteria neces- sary to properly manufacture an item using an AM process and equipment. IT systems continuous support. Printers and software are critical for AM. In addition to computer-aided design (CAD) software and licenses, software updates will need to be made throughout the life cycle of the printer. Cybersecurity also is a criti- cally important measure for prevent- ing counterfeits and flaws. Even small defects could compromise the integ- rity of the AM item. Facilities and infrastructure. Pre- paring your facility for AM can help ensure that you efficiently manufac - ture a quality product and maintain safety. In planning and preparing, you must consider the size, temperature, and humidity factors of the facility, as well as the utilities needed. Some organizations now use 3D printing to construct buildings. Manpower and personnel. Plan- ning for the proper manpower and personnel is tied to each organiza- tion’s concept of operations with the skills and grades required to operate, maintain, and support AM systems over their lifetime. Some of the skilled areas needed in AM include CAD and
3D design knowledge, post-process- ing skills, and scanning/creating 3D model data. Support equipment. Support e- quipment can be 3D printed for weapon systems and also may be needed for AM printers. Test equip- ment for raw materials testing and analysis, as well as for finished prod - uct testing, may be needed to ensure quality and integrity of AM items. Fi- nal part quality requires analysis not only of the part’s end use but also the AM process used to produce the part. Tools may be required for post-pro- cessing such as a computer numeri- cal control mill, sand blaster, hand tools, etc. Training and training support. AM courses are available on funda- mentals, applications and business implications for design, manufac- turing technicians, and leadership. Courses may be foundational to pro- vide introduction to AM process cat- egories, design, reverse engineering, or the need for increased specialty based on a specific AM process or ma - terial. Some essential AM workforce skills include CAD, designing for AM, post-processing skills, safety, and scanning and creating 3D model data. AM could also be incorporated in areas of an LCSP setting performance benchmarks that affect sustainment such as reducing depot turnaround time; product support risk, issue, or opportunity management; and
operational, support, and disposal cost drivers. Call to Action Remember that each Product Support Strategy and Life Cycle Sus- tainment Plan is evolutionary and requires revisions as circumstances dictate. Today’s threats point to AM playing a pivotal role in Warfighter mission readiness by enhancing sup- ply chain resilience and reducing sustainment costs. O’CONNOR is the product support innova- tion learning director at the Warfighting Acquisition University (WarU). She serves on the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering’s Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group, including the Educational Workforce Development Coun- cil, and aids implementation of AM across the warfighting acquisition workforce. Prior to joining WarU, O’Connor served in the U.S. Air Force at the base, major command, and headquarters levels as a scientist, logistics readiness officer, instructor, and life cycle logistician. She also served on several Joint and subunified commands. O’Connor holds an M.A. in Military Science from the Air Uni- versity, and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Idaho. The author can be contacted at karla.oconnor@waru.edu . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
Related Resources
– (LOG 0390) Additive Manufacturing (AM) Overview (Online Training Course) – Additive Manufacturing for Product Support (EBook Playlist) – Additive and Advanced
Manufacturing (EBook Playlist)
34 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MARCH – APRIL 2026
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