Implication of Additive Manufacturing on United States Air Force Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Supply Chain

Additive manufacturing is mandated as a technology for the Department of Defense to consider to implement. Previous efforts have shown positive potential for additive manufacturing (AM) for United States Air Force Civil Engineering but do not explore the economic impact. This research examines implementation by investigating a specific Explosive Ordnance Disposal repair part supply chain in the current combat theater of operations. A framework to capture the basic financial savings AM could realize was developed to aid AM decision making. This research established a Scenario Planning and Monte Carlo simulation based framework to produce an estimated annual cost for a system with various configurations and machine capabilities under varied machine life lengths. The model informs the baseline value of AM replacement and what this represents for an associated machine cost. Further, the research presents potential roadblocks and additional cost areas that would impact an AM decision. The overall results take the next step to understand AMs implementation for the United States Air Force and Civil Engineer Squadrons