US Marines use LulzBot 3D Printers to Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome

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Resultado de imagem para lulzbot logoIn an era where logistics have never been more complicated, 3D printing offers Marines the much-needed ability to travel lighter with a higher degree of adaptability. With LulzBot 3D Printers leading the charge toward fostering a culture of innovation, the Marine Corps is ready to incorporate additive manufacturing into every aspect of what they do. The Next Generation Logistics (NexLog) initiative, led in part by Col. Howard Marotto and Captain Matthew Friedell, was established in 2015 to accelerate the development and integration of emerging technologies like 3D printing within the Marine Corps.

We see it as being absolutely transformative,” Marotto said.

Marines and LulzBot 3D Printers
Pictured: Cpl. Christopher Bigham and Col.Farrell J. Sullivan. Photo Credit: Cpl. Jon Sosner

It’s not just about untethering yourself from the supply chain. It’s also about being able to rapidly innovate to the threat in the field.”

“Charlie Mike:” Marines Continue Mission with LulzBot 3D Printers

Initially, 3D printing appealed to the military because it presented a solution to the ongoing shortage of spare parts for aging equipment. “A lot of our older equipment in the Marine Corps, nobody wants to make those items or parts for,” Marotto said. “So we might have to become our own manufacturers on certain low-demand, obsolete type items because the industrial base won’t support us, because there’s no money in it.”

 

3D Printed Humvee Handle
Photo Credit: Lance Cpl. Andrew Huff

Designing and 3D printing replacement handle for the notoriously fragile standard handles on some of their Humvees is only one of the many ways Marines are relying on 3D printing to “Charlie Mike,” their term for “Continue Mission.” Friedell expressed his affinity for the LulzBot MOARstruder Tool Head, which is a popular choice for those seeking rapid prototyping capabilities and part strength.

I use a MOARstruder on the thing and it prints in an hour, and you can’t break that thing… that’s my favorite example of using a LulzBot and more specifically, the MOARstruder.”

3D-Printed Solutions in Expeditionary Environments

The Marine Corps has also begun intensive training in extremely cold environments, which puts a whole new set of demands on their gear. With LulzBot 3D Printers at the ready, the Marines now have a tool that enables them to continue charging ahead. “We have a snowshoe in our inventory and Marines keep breaking small retaining clips.,” Friedell said.

So we had Marines redesign them and we’re actually able to 3D print them and throw them on the snowshoes, and now we have snowshoes that don’t fall off our feet.”

Expounding on the advantages LulzBot 3D Printers provide for the Marine Corps, Friedell explained,

It’s stuff like buckles that you don’t think would be very valuable, but they’re huge in an expeditionary environment. If your buckle breaks that’s holding your weapon, your life is gonna suck for the next 10 miles or 3 weeks until you can get a new plastic buckle. So having that ability is huge.”

For those Marines stationed around the world in harsh environments, the ruggedness, reliability, and ease-of-use of LulzBot 3D Printers serve as mission-critical assets as well as personal lifesavers.

I’ve been a big proponent of LulzBot [3D Printers] because it’s just bulletproof, and that’s the reason we put it out there,”  Friedell said. “We literally load them up in [watertight]cases, unbox them…. they level themselves, and they’re printing in five minutes. So the durability of them, the flexibility of them, is awesome.”

Read part I of the US Marines series.

All multimedia content is considered public domain and has been cleared for release by the Department of Defense (DoD).

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Statements made here are the individuals’ own opinions and do not represent endorsement or concurrence from the DoD or USMC.

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The article was gently conceded by Aleph Objects.

3DPrint.com Lulzbot_LogoTM_CMYK For LulzBot  Aleph Objects Opens New LulzBot Fulfillment Center in Australia https://3dprint.com/119432/lulzbot-distribution-australia/, visited on Jun 6, 2018;

Lulzbot US Marines are Using LulzBot 3D Printers to Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome May 31, 2018, https://www.lulzbot.com/learn/case-studies/us-marines-are-using-lulzbot-3d-printers-improvise-adapt-and-overcome, visited on Jun 5, 2018;

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