NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD: The United States Marine Corps Light Attack Helicopter Programs Office (PMA-276) made history with the first Suitable Substitute Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) in partnership with Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Additive Manufacturing (AM) Integrated Product Team (IPT). Often plagued with material shortages, obsolete parts, or long lead times, the Department of the Navy is working to find rapid solutions for the fleet to avoid the often long and tedious ECP process. NAVAIR’s AM IPT is taking new steps to reduce the traditional Class I/II ECP approval and production time with the Suitable Substitute ECP. Development of the AM IPT The AM IPT was formed in 2016 as a command initiative. Twenty people support the IPT, including nine employees with the Naval Air Warfare Center-Aviation Division’s Modeling and Design Branch. AM is a change in the strategic approach to how NAVAIR can provide a robust process to handle part replacements. Instead of manufacturing a large quantity of components in centralized production facilities, it allows for the manufacturing of smaller quantities as the parts are needed. In the past, this process was not feasible given the lead time needed for the configuration management process and […]
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