Additive manufacturing in military using
Additive manufacturing in military using

Summary/Abstract: MThe paper presents the current potential of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the production of devices, replaceable parts, construction infrastructure, medical materials, etc. As part of the presentation of the potential of AM, the currently available technologies and materials used in the implementation of 3D printing were discussed, with particular emphasis on printing technology in metal. The authors revie- wed and analyzed the development trends in the use of additive manufacturing in technologically leading armies. The analysis of the available information shows that AM in military applications is mainly used in the production of spare parts for „aged” military equipment and for military equipment operated in condi- tions far away from the sources of supply with „original” technical material means. Available information indicates a dynamic development of the use of 3D printing both in industrial and military applications. The aim of the article is to identify the level of development and application of AM technology in the military domain. The research problem was defined as follows: does the current level and scale of the use of AM technology both in industry and in the military domain justify the implementation of this technology to the logistic support of the Polish armed forces. The paper presents a review of selected literature from the last 10 years. Based on this analysis, AM technology is presented in two areas: industrial and military. The article is an attempt to review the current state of knowledge about additive technologies. It also presents research perspectives that should be undertaken within the disciplines: construction and operation of machines and production engineering, especially due to the perspective of implementing this technology in the Polish Armed Forces. The paper concludes with the thesis that the introduction of AM technology to the logistic support of the Polish Armed Forces will increase its effectiveness, efficiency and resilience of the logistics supply chain, especially in the field of technical combat service support.

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