The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published its first advanced manufacturing strategy with additive manufacturing as its central focus.
The document, published on Friday, emphasises how industrial 3D printing technologies can be used to boost supply chain resilience through decentralised manufacturing, increase speed of response, shorten lead times, and combat part obsolescence. While sitting under the ‘advanced manufacturing’ umbrella, this first strategy document focuses solely on additive manufacturing.
What is the MOD advanced manufacturing strategy?
The strategy is threefold: Incentivise industry to invest further in adopting AM technology, unlock the constraints by adapting support, financial and commercial policies, and build networks for AM to be brought into the supply chain.
The backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising hostilities in the Middle East are said to have heightened the defence sector’s urgency to increase supply chain resilience and flexibility, while reductions in the size of the Armed Forces, Civil Service and fleet sizes, and aging equipment are contributing to supply and efficacy challenges.
The MOD set out its vision for AM adoption back in 2022, stating ‘Additive manufacturing boosts supply chain resilience and provides a step change in platform and equipment availability and readiness.’ The vision is made up of four pillars: design, whereby parts are created specifically for AM or reverse engineered for AM with the same assurances as their traditional counterparts; digital thread, which enables the secure transmission of information required to manufacture said part; fully certified production capabilities, both UK-based and via a global network of providers who are qualified against international standards; and mobile production capabilities which enable the production of parts closer to the point of need. Each of these manufacturing capabilities is said to be underpinned by a circular materials economy where materials can be recycled and re-used.
In a foreword from Vice Admiral Andy Kyte CB FCLIT, Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, Kyte said “the evidence to exploit AM is compelling” and pointed to the success of its AM accelerator program Project TAMPA, which recently entered its next phase, as evidence of AM’s capabilities within defence supply chains.
Kyte said: “This strategy outlines our intent to embrace AM in new designs, to help resolve obsolescence and to increase our competitive edge through development of expeditious battle damage repair techniques. This exciting technology has been in existence for some time, and defence must now realise the latent benefits it offers, in terms of operational availability, improved supply chain resilience and efficiency.”
Kyte caveats that the pace of adoption will correlate directly with how quickly the sector can benefit and calls for the industry to work together in alignment with international partners and Allies to ensure its success, adding: “We must be bold in our decisions and proportional in our risk appetite.”
What are the benefits of using AM in defence?
For the MOD, the adoption of AM is said to be focused on addressing the immediate shortfalls in the supply of inventory items, with obsolescence identified in a 2021 report as the number one supply issue. According to the strategy document, the MOD has an inventory that exceeds 1.3 million items and while AM won’t necessarily lend itself to every one of those parts, the MOD believes the opportunity for the technology is huge. According to a report commissioned using Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) funding, the MOD stands to benefit over £110 million net over the next 15 years (with a net value per year thereafter of £35.5 million) if just 15% of the defence inventory was manufactured through additive.
In addition to Project TAMPA, which was established to progress the use of AM and increase material availability across defence, the document outlines other programmes which are planning to deploy AM including the Submarine Delivery Agency’s In Service Submarines (ISS), which is using AM in support of component/system enhancement to improve submarine availability.
To strategy notes that in order for AM to be successful, the MOD needs more agile routes to and from market and to understand the capabilities within the UK AM market. There is a need for appropriate preparation of defence contracts up front, alongside amendments to existing contracts and processes to enable the agility permitted by AM, or the creation of separate supply chains for AM parts. It also stresses that there is ‘no ‘customer clamour’ or demand signal emanating from the MOD to encourage further or longer-term investment’, meaning clear policy must be created to improve operational outcomes and acceptance. It also cites the same challenges identified at this year’s TCT UK User Group around repeatability, standards, through-life support provision, and training. It suggests commoditisation for training, equipment supply and support, and strategic partnering for shared learning as potential solutions to those challenges. It also highlights how the perceived high cost of AM parts needs a rethink, as like-for-like cost comparisons to traditional parts made some years ago do not necessarily consider factors such such as costs of loss of availability against the cost of a part, where AM could potentially step in and add value.
