The use of 3D printing has been at Aviano Air Base since 2019. The innovative advancements seen since then have garnered many units’ interest, one of them being the 31st Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight.

In the summer of 2024, the 31st MXS fabrication flight received the Stratasys F900 3D printer and computer software adding a new capability and bringing the 31st Fighter Wing further into the future. The polymer 3D printing technology can create prototype part molds.

“This new capability allows us to use the 3D printer as an additive manufacturing tool to make prototypes before we make a subtractive part for the aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Zachary Espinosa, 31st MXS aircraft metals technician craftsman.

Additive manufacturing processes build objects by adding material layer by layer, while subtractive manufacturing removes material to create parts. This is helpful for Airmen working in the metals shop because fabricating an aircraft part is long and tedious with no room for error. If a part was not precise, they would have to repeat the process and start over from the beginning.

“This new technology will reduce material waste which will result in saving man hours and money,” said Espinosa. “This is because we won’t have to repeat the process multiple times.”

The 31st MXS fabrication flight produces about 63 local manufactured tools per year, and over 350 minor aircraft components per year and with the potential man hour and material savings by this new technology, those numbers could increase significantly by 2025.

While the Wyvern Spark Lab has been leading the way for innovation at the 31st FW, their 3D printer is only capable to build parts up to 25.6 by 25.6 cm while the Stratasys F900 3D printer at the metals shop can produce a part as large as 91 by 91 cm.

“It opens a new and wide range of possibilities in the future,” Senior Airman Abram Reyes, 31st MXS aircraft metals technician journeyman. “Although it’s new here, other bases have been using this technology for several years now and we are very excited to have this capability here.”

After receiving the machine and computer software, Mr. John Bultman, University of Dayton Research Institute additive manufacturing engineer, visited the shop and taught Espinosa and Reyes how to use the new technology.

During the weeklong training, they learned how to maintain, program, troubleshoot, and operate the 3D printer.

“The U.S. Air Force has acknowledged that additive manufacturing is the future,” said Espinosa. “It is really cool to be one of the first Airmen trained on this 3D printer here and I look forward to seeing the process improvements firsthand.”