I’ve written that the military is researching alternative fuels. (Here and here, for starters.) Primarily because the logistics of getting fuel to the front is problematic- not only is the journey often difficult, but troops are put at risk defending that transport. Well, that’s also why the military is examining the use of 3-D printing- so that critical components can be at the front. Not only can they be made available quickly- the need to inventory various parts is moot, since they can be printed on demand. Unfortunately, the CAD (computer-aided design) software and CNC (computer numerical control) machining technologies are still complex- so we won’t be seeing this technology on every forward base just yet.
Continue reading 3D printing coming to the military
