2. Air Force Metals Technology Office MFR.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE GEORGIA

23 July 2019

MEMORANDUM FOR AIR FORCE CONTRACTING ORGANIZATIONS

FROM: AIR FORCE METALS TECHNOLOGY OFFICE / EZPT-MTO

SUBJECT: Sole Source Justification for Fortus 450mc and Fortus F900 Additive Manufacturing Systems

1. The following are criteria/justification that must be met in order to justify a Sole Source:

a. The Fortus 450mc and Fortus F900, manufactured by Stratasys, are exceptional assets in additive manufacturing (AM) for the United States Air Force (USAF) community. It is the sole equipment that meets the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) requirements (toxicity, flammability, smoke and tensile test requirements) for the manufacture of specific plastic parts used on any USAF weapons system. References:

- Airworthiness Circular (AC)-18-04, Additively Manufactured ULTEMTM 9085 Components for

Aircraft Interior Applications, dated 16 Nov 2018

- Air Force Drawing 201879200, Polymers Additive Manufacturing, General Procedures and

Process Controls

- Developmental Guidance Notifications 19-004, Additive Manufacturing Equipment Purchases

- Developmental Guidance Notifications 19-005, Process for Printing Qualified AM Parts

b. Stratasys, or any approved/qualified Stratasys vendor, is the only provider for the Fortus 450mc and Fortus F900, with suitable material for three dimensional polymer manufacturing. No other company delivers the required specifications – or equivalent – for FAA approved additive manufacturing technology that is compatible with the mandatory material, UltemTM 9085 resin.

Stratasys also provides the necessary support to properly utilize the equipment to manufacture successful products.

(1) USAF Maintenance Groups require adequate technical support to facilitate the implementation of the AM system.

(2) Aircraft Metals Technology Sections, or other Fabrication Elements, require the installation of the equipment and training for conducting various maintenance actions.

(3) Stratasys, or an approved/qualified Stratasys vendor, will ensure the delivery, installation, training, and 12 month warranty as part of the Fortus 450mc and Fortus F900 package. In the event of the equipment requiring repair or servicing, sourcing parts and/or services needed to maintain the machine will be provided locally, reducing potential downtime.

c. The Product Support Engineering Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, and the Metals Technology

Office, Robins AFB, have conducted research and reviewed literature from various companies in order to source other additive manufacturing systems but have not been successful.

(1) Down selection rationale:

i. The Stratasys was down selected based on UltemTM 9085 being a high performance grade polymer and has great strength and chemical resistant characteristics. It is the only AM polymer material approved for aerospace applications meeting flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) ratings required by FAA/USAF. Certified spools of UltemTM 9085 must be obtained for aerospace part production; only Stratasys or their approved/qualified vendors can support this requirement. UltemTM 9085 is only compatible with Fortus 450mc and Fortus F900 equipment.

ii. UltemTM 9085 - High Performance Package (HPP) or Certified Grade (CG) availability:

The HPP or CG is only available for UltemTM 9085 printed on Fortus F900 printers. This package is to be used for parts with “airworthy requirements.

d. The strict technical requirements inhibit the ability to find additional options without incurring substantial delay in services (5-10 years) and a substantial cost burden (new development, $10-30M) to the United States Air Force. This delay WILL affect aircraft availability and downtime, due to our aging fleet and lack of availability to quickly produce unique, low-volume parts. The equipment’s manufacturing process must be compatible with ULTEMTM 9085 resin in order for the parts produced to be legally installed on any Air Force weapons system.

2. At this time, Stratasys, or an approved/qualified Stratasys vendor, is the only suitable source capable of providing aviation-unique equipment and services required to pursue AM in the USAF in accordance with AC-18-04 or USAF Drawing 201879200.

3. The USAF has not sourced or been able to qualify any additional AM machines that will meet the specific criteria authorized by the FAA or USAF for weapons system usage.

JASON G. McDUFFIE, P.E., NH-04, USAF Chief, Air Force Metals Technology Office