Case Study: Cannon Air Force Base achieves rapid, cost-effective mission-ready parts with Markforged X7

Cannon Air Force Base - Customer Case Study

Cannon Air Force Base’s 27th Special Operations Wing (27 SOW) and its 27th Special Operations Support Squadron (27 SOSS) needed faster, more durable, and customizable parts to support more than 300 annual combat-training scenarios. Faced with constant wear-and-tear and long lead times for replacement components, the unit required equipment-grade, high-temperature, high-strength materials. To meet this need they turned to Markforged, initially deploying a Markforged X7™ industrial 3D printer (and later adding a Metal X™ system) to produce parts in Onyx™ and carbon-fiber composites on-site.

Using Markforged hardware and materials, the team began printing lightweight, durable tools and replacement components—most notably NVG mounts—at a fraction of the cost and time of commercial replacements. Markforged-enabled prints cost under $5 and took only a few hours versus $100+ and weeks for shipped aluminum mounts, and Colborn reports the printed parts are “just as strong” as off‑the‑shelf metal versions. The X7 also sped prototyping and reduced weight for airmen’s gear, delivering clear time and cost savings and improving training readiness; the unit continues to expand capability and training through Markforged University and a newly acquired Metal X system.

Cannon Air Force Base

Lejay Colborn

27th Special Operations Support Squadron Range Planning and Operations Specialist