Additive manufacturing is also gaining importance in military training environments. Several US Navy organizations jointly developed a helmet visor for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System that is produced entirely using 3D printing. The aim is to reduce bottlenecks in safety-relevant equipment for training flight crews while simultaneously lowering costs and procurement lead times.
Organizations involved in the project include the Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office (PMA-205), the Naval Education and Training Command, and the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training. At the center of the effort was a visor for the helmet-mounted display system that had previously been manufactured conventionally, with unit costs of around USD 870 and lead times extending over several years. For training operations with an annual demand of around 40 units, this increasingly became a problem.
“This effort is a prime example of how collaboration and innovation across commands can deliver real results for the fleet,” said Capt. Jonathan Schiffelbein, PMA-205 program manager. “By leveraging additive manufacturing, our teams not only met critical training requirements but also advanced readiness and cut lifecycle costs, directly supporting our Sailors and the mission.”
“This initiative represents more than just a cost reduction,” said Schiffelbein. “It is a proactive investment in agility, instructional fidelity and long-term readiness.”
The teams involved therefore opted for an additively manufactured version made from ABS plastic. According to those responsible for the project, the component meets the relevant requirements in terms of dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and integration into the existing Helmet Display Unit. At the same time, the material behavior during trimming and fitting for training purposes remains comparable to that of the previous component. By switching to 3D printing, costs were reduced by around 65 percent and delivery times shortened to just a few weeks.
CNATT commander, Capt. Michael Polito, lauded the team’s collective performance focused on delivering to the Warfighter. “This project is the epitome of what happens when we collaborate to provide aviation technical training solutions that will ultimately lead to positive outcomes in the fleet,” Polito said.
The project demonstrates how 3D printing can contribute to stabilizing supply chains and supporting safety-critical training processes in clearly defined applications.
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