Manufacturing Technology Program

Mission— 3D Tech Data Modernization / Model Based Enterprise

The three-dimensional (3D) Technical Data Modernization (TDM) / Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) includes efforts to improve and facilitate the exchange of engineering and logistics information among DLA, the Military Services, industry partners, and customers. This LOE includes the Military Unique Sustainment Technology (MUST), the Defense Logistics Information Research (DLIR), and the Emerging Requirements (EMR) portfolios. A primary focus of this LOE is to capitalize on the emerging “Model Based Enterprise” paradigm and the semantic web as an enabler to a logistics system that is smart and connected up and down the supply chain and across all DLA Customers and suppliers. A major focus is to transform DoD engineering data from two-dimensional paper-based products to three-dimensional computer-based models, and to develop processes to move from “electronic paper” (i.e. PDF files) to technical data files that can interface directly with industries’ engineering systems. The benefits include shorter product introduction cycles, lower set up-costs for parts production and more economical small batch production. Objectives for this LOE includes: 1. Transform technical data into modern, machine-usable, neutral formats: support DoD’s digital modernization efforts and provide significant readiness improvements. 2. Create a model-enabled knowledge base shared among DLA, the Military Services and industry: streamline the delivery of accurate requirements and high-quality material and end-items throughout the supply chain. 3. Quickly develop emergent and breakthrough technologies into military significant capabilities. The Military Unique Sustainment Technology (MUST) program addresses GAO Report 12-707 recommendations for DoD to establish a “knowledge-based approach” to define, communicate, and collaborate on military unique Combat Uniforms and Individual Equipment (CUIE) requirements. DLA has the responsibility to manage and maintain the technical requirements among the Services and the Defense Industrial Base. Currently there is no common environment for collaborating on new requirements among the stakeholders. The strategic objective of the DLA MUST program is to identify, develop, and adopt technologies that can significantly improve the joint process from transitioning new item development to DLA sustainment and operations. The Program focuses on technologies that will transform the military CUIE supply chain from an “electronic paper” (i.e. PDF/MS Word) based manual environment, into a knowledge-based model driven environment. This approach will result in seamlessly communicating military unique technical requirements throughout the end-to-end supply chain, leading toward a Model Based Enterprise. The Defense Logistics Information Research (DLIR) program utilizes digital technologies to enhance the quality, security, and interoperability of logistics data, transforming DLA's business processes and supporting the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). A key focus of DLIR is assisting Micro, Small, and Midsize Manufacturers (MSMMs) in adopting Industry 4.0 practices and developing the workforce within the DIB.

Mission— Industrial Base & Aging Weapon System Support

Industrial Base and Aging Weapon System Support (IBA) Line of Effort seeks to implement innovative and proactive technology solutions to ensure a robust, reliable industrial base that provides affordable and previously hard-to-procure critical parts for DOD weapon systems through the following objectives: 1. Viable and Responsive Industrial Base: maximize Defense Industrial Base capability and capacity and improve availability, quality, and affordability to support the Warfighter. 2. Obsolescence Solutions: establish a trusted manufacturing capability for qualified microcircuits to support DOD weapon system lifecycles. 3. Advanced Manufacturing: leverage advanced manufacturing capabilities to introduce and integrate additive and advanced manufacturing concepts into the DOD supply chain. The portfolios within the IBA LOE include food-service supply chain solutions (Subsistence Network), Castings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Advanced Casting Technology), Forgings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Forging Advanced System Technology), Batteries (Battery Network), Additive Manufacturing (AM), Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME) and Strategic Materials (SM). The Subsistence Network (SUBNET) program focuses on developing and promoting manufacturing solutions in the subsistence supply chain for the Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency. The program's expanded areas of interest include combat rations, food equipment, field and garrison feeding solutions, supply chain infrastructure and footprint, food innovations, food safety and food defense, nutrition and health, storage and packing solutions, surge and sustainment support, and water security. SUBNET forms a community of practice with the Military Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, Industry, Academia, and other federal partners to conduct RDT&E in the Subsistence Supply Chain. The SUBNET goals are to advance and innovate logistics processes and capitalize on industrial base’s latest technological capabilities and capacity through RDT&E. The desired outcomes include reduced costs, increased efficiency and transparency, modernized processes, enhanced quality and safety, and greater ability to meet customer and operational surge demands. The Casting (CAST) program works to ensure a stable, reliable, and competitive domestic casting industrial base supporting the weapon system needs of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the DLA. The casting program works with industry, universities, and the Casting Industry Associations to identify projects that improve the materials, processes and business practices of the nation’s foundry industry. The program aligns projects with strategic issues and identified focus areas within the DLA and DOD. Guidance for these projects comes from the DLA Strategic Plan and input from the casting industry. Weapon system spare parts managed by DLA that contain castings are responsible for a disproportionate share of DLA’s backorders or unfilled orders (UFOs). Cast parts are about two percent of National Stock Numbered Class IX parts but represent about five percent of all backorders, and when only the oldest backorders are considered, up to 10 percent are castings. This program includes tasks that focus on developing new capabilities in the areas of inspection, materials, processes, modeling, and design. Once developed, these capabilities will support the foundry industry, where the technologies will be tested and implemented, most often in conjunction with the casting industry associations. These advancements improve the metal casting supply chains for the DOD and the DLA to better support the warfighter. We will invest in projects aimed at reducing lead-times, reducing costs, and improving quality of castings critical to DOD weapon systems. The Forging (FORGE) program works to ensure a stable, reliable, and competitive domestic forging industrial base for the weapon system needs of the DOD and the DLA. Working with industry, universities, and the Forging Industry Association to identify projects that improve the materials, processes and business practices of the nation’s forging industry. The program aligns its projects with strategic issues and focus areas identified within the DLA and DOD. Guidance for these projects comes from the DLA Strategic Plan and input from the forging industry. Weapon system spare parts managed by DLA that contain Forgings are responsible for a disproportionate share of DLA’s backorders or UFOs. Forged parts are about two percent of National Stock Number (NSN) Class IX parts but represent about five percent of all backorders, and when only the oldest backorders are considered, up to 10 percent are forgings. This program includes tasks to develop new capabilities in the areas of inspection, materials, processes, modeling, and design. Once developed these capabilities will support the forging industry, where these technologies will be tested and implemented in conjunction with the forging industry associations. These advancements improve the forging supply chains for the DOD and the DLA to better support the warfighter. We will invest in projects aimed at reducing lead-time, reducing cost, and improving quality of forgings critical to DOD weapon systems. The Battery Network (BATTNET) program objective is to develop the next generation of battery manufacturing technologies for cost and price efficiency, longer shelf life, and lighter batteries with higher energy. BATTNET conducts R&D initiatives to address sustainment gaps and bridge technical solutions into higher a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) for specific groups of batteries. BATTNET also focuses on projects to develop the production capability for advanced lithium-based non- rechargeable and rechargeable batteries to ensure the prompt and sustained availability, quality, and affordability of Service approved batteries. Desired outcomes include: streamlined inventory and associated cost reductions through standardization and improved distribution practices; resolved obsolescence issues; addressed surge and sustainment issues; enhanced security of supply chain; increased competition and manufacturing base; reduced per unit battery cost; and leveraged Service- level (Army, Navy, Air Force) and other governmental (DOE, DOT, NASA) R&D efforts to insert new technology and practices into the existing DLA battery inventory. The Additive Manufacturing (AM) program objective is to streamline AM methods, materials, manpower, metrics and machines to provide the Warfighter an alternate source of supply for designated requirements. This effort responds to DLA's role called out in DOD Instruction 5000.93. Use of AM in DOD is to integrate AM products into the supply chain. R&D is leading the developmental effort for effective AM joint procurement processes of items in the DoD enterprise. The AM effort explores innovative technologies and emerging industry trends which could include advanced manufacturing applications. The program pursues alternative means of supply from traditional manufacturing to additive manufacturing. Items that are otherwise non-procurable or susceptible to supply chain issues. The AM program includes collaborative efforts with the Military Services to develop analytical tools to further the adoption, advancement, and acceleration of AM, while considering logistics planning factors. The AM effort requires effective management of the digital thread composed of authoritative 3D digital technical data, manufacturing, and testing data exchanged among designers, engineers, logisticians, procurement managers and the vendor base to enable technical quality assurance acceptability. Potential AM benefits include products that can address an unfulfilled Warfighter readiness need by reducing production lead times, production costs, materials costs, storage costs, transportation costs and in some cases fuel consumption due to lighter design and material options. DLA R&D will leverage these efforts with Industry, Academia and ongoing Military Service-level agreements (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force). Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME) program objective is to maintain a reliable and trusted domestic source for “non-procurable” linear and digital microcircuits. Microcircuit emulation allows the Services to save significant costs by using form, fit and functionally equivalent spare parts rather than redesigning the next-higher- assembly. Without the technologies planned on the AME Roadmap, DLA will not be able to support DoD’s requirements for high quality spare parts for critical electronic systems and subsystems, resulting in decreased warfighter readiness and significant cost for weapons system or component redesign. Strategic Materials (SM) program objectives focus will be on emerging and rapidly expanding requirements to restore and stabilize strategic and critical materials supply chains that have been compromised by decreased or abandoned domestic production activities or lack of domestic reserves within the United States. Most of these requirements are in the form of research of materials and alloys and development of solutions including cost-efficient production, substitution, domestic qualification, and/ or recycling.

Mission— Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech)

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program funds the advanced technology development needed to achieve a responsive and efficient domestic industrial base that meets the warfighters' needs in an affordable and timely manner. The ManTech program works with DLA’s diverse supply chains to improve manufacturing capability throughout a product's life cycle. It provides the crucial link between invention and application by maturing, scaling up, and validating advanced manufacturing technology in “real world” environments. ManTech developments provide a path to low-risk technology implementation for many small businesses and defense unique suppliers as well as depots and shipyards that are critical to DLA. By anticipating and addressing production and sustainment problems before they occur, readiness levels increase, and sustainment costs are decreased. The ManTech R&D Program Element executes from two Lines of Effort (LOEs): Industrial Base and Aging Weapon System Support (IBA), and 3D Technical Data Modernization / Model-Based Enterprise (TDM). These LOEs are closely aligned to documented and tracked priorities specified in the most current DLA Strategic Plan, that calls for Digital Business Transformation as one of three critical capabilities to achieve DLA’s business goals of enhancing performance, reducing costs, and becoming more predictive and data-driven. This critical capability also seeks to transform systems and processes to improve data transparency, reliability, and security for our employees, customers, and suppliers. DLA’s initiatives within this critical capability align with the National Security Strategy (NSS) by emphasizing the importance of harnessing rapid emerging technologies that will transform how we do business. - In addition to alignment with DLA’s top strategic priorities, under Section 2521 of Title 10, US Code, DLA ManTech efforts are collaborated across DOD Military Services and Agencies. As a Principal member of the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel, DLA’s efforts are integrated within the Joint Defense Priorities. -The IBA LOE seeks to implement innovative and proactive technology solutions to ensure a robust, reliable industrial base that provides affordable and previously hard-to-procure critical parts for DOD weapon systems. This LOE is comprised the following portfolios: DOD Subsistence Supply Chain (Subsistence Network), Castings (Procurement Readiness Optimization Advanced Casting Technology), Forgings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Forging Advanced System Technology), Batteries (Battery Network), Additive Manufacturing (AM), Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME), and Strategic Materials program. -The TDM LOE integrates three-dimensional technical data and knowledge-based tools to transform and streamline supply system responsiveness for DLA-managed commodities. Efforts seek to improve and facilitate the exchange of engineering and logistics information among DLA, the Military Services, DLA industry partners and DLA customers. The benefits include shorter product introduction cycles, lower set up-costs for parts production and more economical small batch production. This LOE is comprised of the following portfolios for DOD soldier and individual equipment (Military Unique Sustainment Technology ((MUST)) and Defense Logistics Information Research (DLIR), as well as out of budget cycle or Emerging Requirements (EMR). DLA’s focus for this budget cycle highlights advanced capabilities in digital and technical data modernization, data management and analytics to fulfill the DLA role in the DOD Digital Engineering Strategy and improve sharing of data with the industrial base and supported organizations. Investment explores technologies to lower the Agency’s material acquisition and operation costs and improve weapons systems support. This effort spans across both DLA R&D Program Elements and R&D LOEs, impacting across the DOD Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel and DLA Enterprise logistics processes.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)