![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/Lockheed-Martin-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Simply looking at the advantages from the material savings shows the value that AM can bring to Lockheed Martin, but another benefit to consider is the ability to use it as a rapid prototyping tool. In traditional manufacturing the time to set up small production runs and make minor changes to a prototype can add up throughout the process. Using AM prototyping, changes to the product can be made on the spot without having to modify a mold, which means the time to produce different iterations of a part is significantly decreased [4]. Potentially more valuable to Lockheed Martin is the application for larger run manufacturing, which would allow for the ability to iterate quickly and address any issues with the design that may come up after production has started, which otherwise would be a costly and time-consuming process. The ease by which changes to a design can be made with AM is also useful to adapt to varying demand. Since the same machine can be used to produce almost all parts, limited mostly by size [5], future tooling and changeover costs can be eliminated almost completely.<\/p>\n
Lockheed Martin is already producing parts using AM today, such as the dome that caps a high-pressure fuel tank shown in Figure 1 <\/strong>[6]. In the short term, Lockheed Martin is making strides to incorporate AM into other current production processes where feasible with the goal of producing its products in as little as half the amount of time and at a significantly lower cost. To accomplish this in the near term, Lockheed Martin has invested a large amount of money in a facility with the main objective of bridging the gap between material science and manufacturing relative to AM [7]. This play also ties into the medium-term plan, since the larger benefit of the research taking place at the new facility will not be realized until at least five years from now. These findings will allow the company to further utilize AM in the long term as they shift from a traditional manufacturing process with small amounts of additive to production based heavy on AM.<\/p>\n Lockheed Martin should take two main steps now to ensure future success within AM. The first step would be to begin investing in research to better understand the limitations of materials used with AM. Materials used in aerospace experience some of the most extreme conditions when compared to any other application, so any material chosen for this must have a high degree of confidence that it will not fail [8]. If Lockheed Martin wants to use AM going forward, which seems likely with the long list of benefits, they should be working to ensure that the material has as high of a confidence rating as the current alternatives offered today. The second thing that Lockheed Martin should consider as it moves further into AM is the current limitation of the process, which is mostly driven by size. While AM has made a lot of progress relative to size, going from printing a product that fits within a 15 cm cube to one that fits within a one-meter cube ten years later [9], there are still strides that need to be made before the larger components of spacecraft can be produced. Lockheed Martin should take this into consideration when researching new materials and consider performing research in parallel on how to scale the printable size to meet their future needs.<\/p>\n Is Lockheed Martin correct in attempting to be an industry leader and therefore should continue its path of innovation? Or should they instead utilize the technology that is currently available, applying it where possible, and adapt as AM continues to innovate on its own?<\/p>\n (777 words)<\/p>\n Footnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n [1] Werner, Debra. \u201cLockheed Martin extends additive manufacturing to key spacecraft components,\u201d SpaceNews, November 1, 2018, https:\/\/spacenews.com\/lockheed-martin-extends-additive-manufacturing-to-key-spacecraft-components\/<\/a>, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [2] Wee Joel Lim, Choon, et el. \u201cAn Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries,\u201d IEEE Potentials<\/em> 35, no. 4 (2016): 18-22. IEEE Xplore Digital Library, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [3] Pappalardo, Joe. \u201cLockheed Martin Is 3D-Printing Giant Titanium Space Parts,\u201d July 12, 2018, https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/satellites\/a22129376\/lockheed-martin-3d-printing-titanium-fuel-tanks\/<\/a>, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [4] https:\/\/ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/document\/7517429<\/a><\/p>\n [5] Werner, Debra. \u201cLockheed Martin extends additive manufacturing to key spacecraft components,\u201d SpaceNews, November 1, 2018, https:\/\/spacenews.com\/lockheed-martin-extends-additive-manufacturing-to-key-spacecraft-components\/<\/a>, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [6] Ibid.<\/p>\n [7] \u201cLockheed Martin first to be certified for Additive Manufacturing safety by UL,\u201d October 29, 2018, Metal AM, https:\/\/www.metal-am.com\/lockheed-martin-first-to-be-certified-for-additive-manufacturing-safety-by-ul\/<\/a>, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [8] Wee Joel Lim, Choon, et el. \u201cAn Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries,\u201d IEEE Potentials<\/em> 35, no. 4 (2016): 18-22. IEEE Xplore Digital Library, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n [9] Werner, Debra. \u201cLockheed Martin extends additive manufacturing to key spacecraft components,\u201d SpaceNews, November 1, 2018, https:\/\/spacenews.com\/lockheed-martin-extends-additive-manufacturing-to-key-spacecraft-components\/<\/a>, accessed November 2018.<\/p>\n