US Department of Defense releases guidelines for AM ahead of expansion
July 30, 2021
The US Department of Defense (DoD), in line with its increasing use of Additive Manufacturing following the publication of its AM strategy in January 2021, has published DoD Instruction 5000.93, Use of Additive Manufacturing in the DoD. This instruction establishes overarching AM guidance, including roles and responsibilities across the department.
“What we’re trying to do with this highly flexible technology is to align activities across our enterprise, so that there is a sense of harmony and so that our processes work together and we can exchange lessons learned,” stated Robert Gold, director of the Technology and Manufacturing Industrial Base Office in the Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Engineering.
Following on from this, the DoD is reportedly working with the military services and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) agencies to develop further implementation plans and detailed technical guidance; a joint steering committee has already been formed to support the publication of an AM guidebook in 2022.
Gold added, “As with any other guidance or policy document, we will continue to mature it as technology itself matures, and DoD will continue to expand the use of this knowledge in conjunction with our industry partners. And we’ll continue to work with the services and collaborative bodies to close gaps, minimise risks in technology adoption and accelerate Additive Manufacturing use across the department.”
