Case Study: Sheppard Air Force Base achieves rapid, low‑cost trainer production and multimillion‑dollar savings with Stratasys FDM

FDM Direct Digital Manufacturing Saves $800,000 and Three Years Development Time Over a Four-Year Period

Sheppard Air Force Base’s Trainer Development Flight (TDF) designs and manufactures trainers and training aids for the Air Force and other DoD branches. Facing long lead times and high costs for one‑of‑a‑kind and low‑volume parts produced by conventional machining and tooling, TDF adopted Stratasys FDM additive fabrication (deploying four FDM machines in a centralized workflow) to meet its needs.

Using Stratasys FDM, TDF produced UAV replicas and components (antennas, cowlings, propellers, etc.) far faster and cheaper—one large antenna took two days and 15–20 minutes of labor versus up to 20 days outsourced and returned an ROI of over $12,000. Over four years Stratasys FDM delivered about $800,000 in cost avoidance and more than three years of time savings in some areas; machine purchases paid back in 18 and 9 months, and the program has saved the government over $3.8 million to date with projected 10–15‑year savings exceeding $15 million.

Sheppard Air Force Base

Mitchell Weatherly

Chief, Trainer Development Flight