Navy Uses Stratasys F-900 to 3D Print F/A-18 Jet’s Button Plug

October 28, 2024

On the left, the blueprint injection-molded button plug, and on the right, the 3D-printed version created using the Stratasys F-900. The additively manufactured part demonstrates how FRCSW is leveraging advanced technology to rapidly produce mission-critical components, ensuring fleet readiness despite supply chain delays. (Image: Nicholas Candrella, Senior Aerospace Engineer)

The U.S. Navy's Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) is leveraging advanced 3D printing technology to address supply chain delays and improve fleet readiness. The Stratasys F-900 3D printer, an industrial-grade system capable of producing high-performance thermoplastics, recently played a key role in manufacturing a critical F/A-18 button plug, traditionally supplied via injection molding.

“The F-900 here at FRCSW enabled us to test print a repair part that could be fabricated at FRCMA (Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic),” explained FRCSW Senior Aerospace Engineer Nick Candrella. The button plug, a non-structural component, had been backordered for months with no solid delivery date. By using the F-900 to produce the part with a qualified aerospace material, FRCSW and the F/A-18 Maintenance Readiness Team (MRT) quickly provided a stop-gap solution while waiting for the supply system to catch up.

John Schneider, FRCSW Senior Materials Engineer, highlighted the coordination between FRCSW, FRCMA and NAVAIR’s Additive Manufacturing Integrated Product Team (IPT). “Coordination was reliant upon the relationships between the teams at all three sites,” Schneider said. “The turnaround time for this first repair was 14 days, but we anticipate future parts would take one to four days.” This saves the command time and money while allowing the repairs to move forward at a pace that will meet mission requirements.

Before sending the build file to FRCMA to physically produce the final product, FRCSW conducted a fit check that ensured the part met specifications. Schneider explained, “The fit check process is a normal validation to ensure the part physically interfaces with the item it is intended to be installed upon.”

With printers like the F-900 deployed at various sites across the Navy, teams can send digital build files directly to squadrons, reducing turnaround time and shipping costs. “Having a qualified item completed at FRCMA means we know the machine is certified to produce aviation-grade material,” said Candrella.

This project is part of a broader effort to integrate additive manufacturing into naval aviation. FRCSW is developing several other repairs using the F-900 and working to certify additional polymer machines for future projects.

As Candrella put it, “These advanced manufacturing technologies are maturing, and they will become an integral part of how we support the mission going forward.”

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