The US Coast Guard faced a critical problem at the end of November: a missing component for the cabling system of its MH-60T helicopter fleet threatened its operational capability. Working with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Additive Manufacturing (AM) team, a quick solution was found to ensure uninterrupted flight operations.
When upgrading the MH-60T’s automatic asset tracking system (AATS), it became apparent that a special spacer was missing. “All the parts must be in the kit before the upgrade is pushed out to the fleet,” explained Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Armstrong, Surface Forces Logistics Center Industrial Operations Division National Industrial Enterprise, Organic Depot Maintenance branch chief and Surface Fleet Additive Manufacturing lead. “One unique wiring part, the AATS spacer mount, was unavailable via commercial means; the only approved fabrication method to meet this need is additive manufacturing (AM),” he said.
This is where NAVAIR came into play. Ted Gronda, AM Program Manager at NAVAIR, coordinated the manufacturing at a nearby manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach. “It’s an opportunity to strengthen relationships across organizations and create channels for future collaboration and exchange of information. We were more than willing to help,” he said.
Within 24 hours, 15 spacers were produced and delivered to the Coast Guard. Armstrong praised the collaboration as an outstanding example of the effectiveness of cross-organizational initiatives.
“This effort marked yet another extraordinarily successful example of a cross-organizational collaborative effort,” said NAVAIR AM Polymer Lead Dr. Kate Thorn. Knowing cases like this will continue to present themselves, she further noted, “We’re now documenting the process, so future needs can be expedited and standardized.”
“I appreciate the priority the Navy gave this effort,” Armstrong said. “Working together, across services, we improved the readiness of a critical asset and reduced the time required to do so.”
The collaboration demonstrates how additive manufacturing combined with flexible structures can overcome critical bottlenecks. Such approaches not only strengthen operational readiness, but also lay the foundations for more efficient collaboration between organizations.
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