United States Air Force
Operates on-site additive manufacturing labs for metal and polymer 3D printing to produce custom parts for legacy aircraft, reducing supply chain delays and improving fleet readiness.
- CEO / Founder
- General Kenneth S. Wilsbach
- Team Size
- 10000+
- Stage
- Active
Technology & Products
Key Products
Metal 3D printing for military aircraft, additively manufactured rocket engines, large-scale hybrid additive systems for parts and tooling.
Technological Advantage
Proprietary processes developed through AFRL research and partnerships (e.g., GE Additive, BotFactory) for qualified AM parts; defensible via military standards and contracts.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces lead times for hard-to-source legacy aircraft parts from months to weeks, cuts production costs by up to 80% for tooling and engine components, and enables on-demand spare parts to mitigate supply chain risks.
How They Differentiate
Focuses on in-house, on-demand AM for legacy aircraft sustainment vs. commercial vendors selling printers; achieves 80% faster production times for tooling and parts compared to traditional methods.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
U.S. Department of Defense, Air Force maintenance units
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Defense; Military
Competitors
US Army, US Navy (in terms of internal additive manufacturing development and application within the defense sector).
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Operates multiple AM labs across U.S. bases; projects like Pacer Edge and JAMA IV aim to qualify and scale AM parts production.
Major Milestones
Expansion of on-site AM at Robins AFB (2023); Partnership with GE Additive for metal 3D printing labs; Award of SBIR contracts for AM defect detection (e.g., Sentient Science $1.25M)
Notable Customers
3D Systems, JuggerBot 3D, Relativity Space (as contractors for Air Force AM initiatives).