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The potential cost and capability benefits are enormous. Better understanding of the link between printer developments and new capabilities will allow the Navy to focus research resources to achieve them. One of the biggest tasks for the Navy will be to evaluate each new breakthrough's impact on the shifting economic calculus of consigning any one of the thousands of shipboard parts to print-on-demand status. But they will not stop the development and evolving opportunities afforded by 3D printers. It will take years, likely decades, to overcome all these challenges.

There will be new security challenges and the Navy will need to secure them against cyber threats as well. Since 3D printing brings to America's competitors the same opportunities it brings to the Navy. In addition, 'the Navy will also need to determine who verifies that a printed copy meets military specifications, and how.'

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The professional 3D printers and the materials are still very expensive, and printers can't yet build with every material.

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Along the way there are many challenges for industry and the Navy to overcome to take full advantage of additive manufacturing.' they write. 'Most of these ideas are visions of the future, in some cases quite far off, should they ever really come to pass. And special medical 3D printers can be used for printing medical tools. 3D printing will move the factory closer to the sailor: 3D printers could use shipboard recycled waste as material, and the Navy can even develop 'concept of biomining - harvesting resources from the surrounding seas or ashore-perhaps with purpose-built 3D-printed vehicles.' The ship design could also be changed that 3D printers will be integrated into it with supporting systems. The two writers envision that in the future shipboard additive manufacturing will be more than just printing repair parts. Further, since the materials will be in liquid or powder form, they can be stored in configurations that reduce excess void space from oddly shaped finished pieces and the packaging that protects them.įurthermore all the data can be stored in the computer and upgraded when needed. Of course fill material will be required, but the Navy can experiment to determine the optimal amount and mix to carry on board to minimize weight. The ship will only need to carry the necessary material for 3D printing, which saves a lot of space and weight. Intead of tracking down a repair part or seldom-used consumable, engineers could just scan the discarded part and send the schematics to the nearest 3D printer. It will not be necessary to carry large stocks of pre-manufactured parts. 'The production lines and shipyards of the future could be, in effect, enormous 3-D printers that would maximize the economies derived from the additive manufacturing process.' they write.

The development of 3D printers could change the way Navy build ships. Navy lieutenants Scott Cheney-Peters and Matthew Hipple think that 3D printing will impact the Navy on designing and building everything, ranging from ships, submarines, aircraft to everything carried on board. The 3D printing revolution will radically change naval construction and logistics, writes two junior Navy officers in Proceedings, the influential journal of the U.S.