Case Study: U.S. Air Force improves F-16 clamp performance and production speed with Stratasys Origin One

U.S. Air Force doubles F-16 clamp strength with Stratasys in 2 weeks

The U.S. Air Force faced sustainment challenges for aging F-16 aircraft, including frequent failures of hydraulic line clamps made with traditional manufacturing. They sought a new solution to overcome issues with cost, speed, and supply chain agility. Partnering with Stratasys, they utilized the Stratasys Origin One 3D printer and its P3 technology to address this.

The Stratasys solution involved 3D printing a redesigned clamp using Henkel's LOCTITE 3955 material and a flexible tether. This new clamp doubled the strength of the original part while weighing less. The Stratasys Origin One dramatically increased production speed, capable of printing 54 clamp halves in 24 minutes and over 1,200 in a single day, with post-processing taking only 20 minutes per batch.

U.S. Air Force