DLA’s Product Test Center Cuts Testing Times with 3D Printing Capability

• The Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support Product Test Center in Columbus, Ohio has integrated additive manufacturing into its quality assurance operations, reducing fixture production times from months to hours and freeing up staff capacity in the process. The facility tests around 3,000 items per year across its electronics and mechanical labs, with a 30-day window…

The Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support Product Test Center in Columbus, Ohio has integrated additive manufacturing into its quality assurance operations, reducing fixture production times from months to hours and freeing up staff capacity in the process. The facility tests around 3,000 items per year across its electronics and mechanical labs, with a 30-day window to clear each item. Custom fixtures are required for virtually every component that comes through, and until September 2024, those were produced through a process that could take several weeks to several months depending on geometry and material complexity. To address the fixture bottleneck, the PTC approached DLA Research and Development, which responded by launching the Tools for Testing initiative, a programme designed