为了确定3D打印在其未来供应链中的潜在作用，美国陆军正在将UH-60 Black Hawk直升机拆卸，以3D扫描其每个组件，其中20,00个。
Originally announced back in May，由研究人员领导的拆除项目Wichita State Universityis now well underway with a number of new developments. The idea is that the collection of scans can be used to create a digital twin of the Black Hawk, a sort of 3D printable catalog of all of its components. The Army can then reverse engineer and 3D print some of the older, more niche spare parts that may be experiencing supply chain difficulties. The armed forces have also revealed plans to extend the project to beyond just the Black Hawk.
陆军航空和导弹司令部指挥官托德·罗伊尔少将指出：“我们将评估每个部分，而不是每个部分都必须针对高级增材制造进行优化。但是，我们的目的是从UH-60开始，从字面上浏览我们的所有零件，因为这些零件是我们将拥有3D文件的第一个零件。”
Beyond the Black Hawk
While the full set of Black Hawk models should be complete within the next couple of months, the greater challenge is determining which of the parts are suitable for 3D printing and hard-hitting combat situations. The Army will have to test each part to ensure it meets not only the armed forces’ requirements, but also theFAA的在直升机的情况下。
Royar adds: “Once you have a 3D model, it’s relatively easy to print something. But ensuring it meets our qualification standards is hard. You have to take into consideration, for example, what the metal was made of and what alloy was used. And if I put it into a 3D printer, does that printer have the right tolerances? Is it repeatable every single time to get it within those tolerances?”
Following suit, a number of other Army divisions are conducting similar ‘inventory reviews’ to determine their levels of 3D printability. The Army Communications-Electronics Command has already evaluated around a third of its inventory, which is 98,000 strong, and identified 237 parts suitable for additive manufacturing. Similarly, the Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) is also in the process of identifying 3D printable candidates but has only identified one so far.
brig。Gen. Darren Werner, TACOM’s commander, adds: “We’re also looking at things that could be remanufactured or improved or repaired using our Mobile Welding and Shop Set (MWSS), which has a five-axle cutter as well as a polymer printer inside the container that can be forward deployed. So we’re looking at methods that can integrate the repair of parts as well.”
数字双胞胎项目的其他应用
Even if a part does not end up being 3D printable, the Army has contingency plans in place for a number of applications. First of all, a digital model can be extremely helpful in predictive maintenance, whereby computational simulations can be used to predict when a replacement may be due. The 3D models can also be used in VR training for soldiers, enabling them to assemble portions of weapon systems in a virtual environment.
Of course, a large database of sensitive weapons schematics does have its downsides, as it will probably be a hotspot for cyber attacks. The Army has stated that it intends to leverage a set of layered defenses to counteract this, with some models even being stored completely offline on local devices.
当然，这不是军队第一次转向3D打印技术。美国陆军航空医学研究实验室的研究人员以前已经使用3D打印来生产和测试为士兵定制的耳塞。可以部署陆军科学家对产生耳朵保护的新技术，以防止战场上的武装部队成员之间的听力损失。
在其他地方，军队以前曾discovered a method of预测3D打印零件的性能通过检测和监测通过传感器测量的Maraging Steel的磨损。与数字双胞胎项目一致，测量值可以帮助军事预测零件何时会降解或失败，从而使他们能够及时准备替换。
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Featured image shows an M1 Abrams tank under TACOM. Photo via US Army.
