Case Study: U.S. Air Force 27th Special Operations Wing achieves rapid, low-cost, durable mission-ready parts with Markforged 3D printing

U.S. Air Force - Customer Case Study

The U.S. Air Force 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base needed a faster, more durable way to produce replacement parts, tools and custom gear for intensive combat training scenarios. Faced with constant wear-and-tear, long lead times for commercial parts, and a requirement for high-temperature, high-strength materials, the unit turned to Markforged — deploying an X7 (and later a Metal X) and printing in Onyx and carbon-fiber-reinforced materials to meet mission-specific needs on site.

Markforged’s X7 enabled the squadron to 3D print field tools, prototypes and NVG mounts that are as strong as commercial aluminum parts but far cheaper and faster to produce: replacement NVG mounts now cost under $5 and are made in hours instead of waiting weeks for a $100–$300+ shipped part. The on-site Markforged systems have reduced cost and downtime, cut carried load weight with lighter printed tools, accelerated prototyping cycles, and measurably improved training readiness.

U.S. Air Force

Lejay Colborn

Planning and Operations Specialist