The U.S. Coast Guard and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) recently collaborated to solve a critical parts shortage for the Coast Guard’s MH-60T helicopter fleet using additive manufacturing. The shortage involved AATS spacer mounts, which were needed for an upgrade to the helicopters’ Automatic Asset Tracking System wiring system. The parts were unavailable through traditional commercial suppliers.
The Coast Guard’s initial attempt to produce the parts internally was hampered by a shortage of Black Ultem, the required polyetherimide material. The service then reached out to NAVAIR for assistance, transferring the technical data package through the Joint Technical Data Integration website.
NAVAIR coordinated production at Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Detachment Oceana in Virginia Beach. The required Black Ultem material was located at Patuxent River’s Polymers Research Branch, with a team member driving four hours to deliver it to the production facility. Aviation Electronics Technician Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Oneal completed the production of 15 spacer mounts within 24 hours.
“Working together, across services, we improved the readiness of a critical asset and reduced the time required to do so,” said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Armstrong, Surface Forces Logistics Center Industrial Operations Division branch chief. The successful collaboration has led to documentation of the process to streamline future similar requests.
The additively manufactured spacer mounts are now being installed across the entire Coast Guard MH-60T helicopter fleet. This inter-agency effort demonstrates how additive manufacturing can address supply chain gaps while maintaining operational readiness.
Source: southernmarylandchronicle.com
