Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace and Defense

A missing replacement part can keep an aircraft grounded or a ship out of service. For organizations sustaining aerospace and defense systems for decades, obsolete components and long supplier lead times can turn routine maintenance into extended downtime. Additive manufacturing offers another production route for suitable parts, alongside opportunities to reduce weight and consolidate components in new designs.

Producing an approved part requires teams to connect the design, manufacturing plan, and evidence needed for approval. Gaps in that information can lead to rework, additional reviews, and delays in getting parts into service. A digital thread helps teams maintain those connections as designs and production plans change.

Why additive manufacturing matters now

Recent Navy and aircraft sustainment initiatives illustrate how additive manufacturing can help address supply constraints.

In August 2026, the U.S. Navy announced new technical requirements to make it easier to replace conventionally manufactured submarine components with metal additive manufacturing alternatives. The Navy cited long lead times, supplier constraints, and obsolescence as reasons to expand adoption. Applicable safety and quality requirements remain in place, including for high-consequence applications.

In an April 2026 article, NAVAIR reported that Fleet Readiness Center East had delivered its first flight-certified, non-flight-critical metal additive manufactured aircraft parts. These included components for the AH-1Z Viper, V-22 Osprey, and C-130 Hercules. The depot delivered the parts in 2025 after developing and certifying its manufacturing processes.

For sustainment teams, the question is whether an alternative production method can make an approved replacement part available when maintenance needs it. Start with components whose shortages delay repairs, then assess whether additive manufacturing offers a practical way to improve availability.

Where additive manufacturing can create value

The priorities differ between developing a new product and sustaining one already in service.

Design flexibility. For new products, additive manufacturing can enable geometries that are difficult to produce with conventional methods. Engineers can explore lattice structures and combine components to address weight, performance, or assembly requirements. Designs still need to be evaluated against loads, material behavior, manufacturing constraints, and verification requirements.

Sustainment and obsolescence. For platforms already in service, the priority may be finding a suitable replacement when a supplier exits the market or a component becomes obsolete. Additive manufacturing may offer another production route if the part meets the requirements for its intended use. The Navy’s submarine initiative illustrates this opportunity for components affected by long lead times and obsolescence.

Prototyping and production preparation. Additive manufacturing can support design iteration, tooling, and selected end-use applications. Teams need to choose a process that fits the component’s requirements and assess the full production workflow.

In each case, measure the time and cost to deliver an approved, usable part. Include qualification, post-processing, and inspection alongside printing. A faster build has limited value if subsequent work erases the gain.

Design for the manufacturing process

For an aerospace or defense component, reproducing the geometry is only part of the task. Engineers also need to assess whether the material, manufacturing process, and inspection approach can meet the requirements for the intended use. These considerations should guide the design from the start.

Build orientation, support structures, material selection, and post-processing all influence design decisions. PTC’s Creo documentation identifies build direction as an early design consideration because it affects support structures, lattice orientation, and placement on the print tray.

Evaluating these tradeoffs early helps engineers assess whether a design is practical to produce. A lightweight lattice, for example, also needs a workable approach for removing supports, finishing the part, and inspecting it.

Creo supports lattice design and additive manufacturing preparation, including print tray setup. Metal support structure capabilities are also available, depending on the Creo configuration. Engineers can develop the geometry and prepare the build within the design workflow.

Designing for the manufacturing process also creates opportunities to improve part performance. Jacobs Engineering used Creo’s generative design capabilities to optimize structural components for NASA’s Exploration Portable Life Support System, an astronaut life-support backpack. The team explored combinations of materials and manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing. PTC’s case study reports mass reductions of up to 50% of parts, and an expected 20% reduction in design time, demonstrating how generative design can help engineers explore lighter aerospace components more efficiently.

Once a design is technically viable, the next challenge is controlling the product and process information required to reproduce and approve it.

Keep design and manufacturing information connected

As additive manufacturing expands across teams and suppliers, aerospace and defense organizations need clear answers to five questions:

• Which design revision is approved?
• What requirements and manufacturing instructions apply?
• Which changes require review?
• What evidence supports acceptance of the finished part?
• Which aircraft, ship, or equipment configuration is the part approved for?

A digital thread connects design intent, the released product definition, and manufacturing planning, helping teams maintain those relationships as information changes.

Consider a replacement bracket redesigned for an additive process. Manufacturing develops a production plan based on the released geometry, while teams confirm which aircraft or equipment configurations the revised part is approved for. If the design changes again, teams need to identify which manufacturing instructions, supporting records, and configuration approvals require review. Maintaining these connections helps teams identify the correct design revision and understand the configurations for which a part has been approved.

Windchill helps teams manage the released product definition and subsequent changes through product data, configuration, and change management. Its manufacturing process management capabilities connect engineering and manufacturing information, helping teams trace changes as designs and process plans evolve.

Qualification and acceptance still depend on the applicable engineering, material, process, and inspection requirements.

Start with a part that has a clear business case

Begin with a documented problem, such as a replacement part that repeatedly delays maintenance or is no longer available from its original source. Assess how the shortage affects operations, the expected demand for the part, and its technical suitability for additive manufacturing.

Establish the current lead time and total delivered cost. Compare them with an additive alternative that accounts for material and process requirements, qualification effort, post-processing, and inspection. Confirm which platform configurations the finished part would support.

Connect the design, manufacturing plan, and supporting records so teams can review changes together. Measure whether the approved part arrived sooner and whether its availability helped reduce maintenance delays or return equipment to service sooner.

Evaluate total delivered cost and repeat-build quality alongside those results.

Use those results to decide where to expand.

Connect design decisions to part availability

For aerospace and defense sustainment teams, additive manufacturing can provide another route to suitable replacement parts when conventional supply is constrained. To improve operational readiness, teams must consistently deliver approved parts when maintenance needs them.

Creo helps engineers design for the intended additive process. Windchill helps teams manage the product definition, configurations, changes, and manufacturing information needed for controlled production. Together, these capabilities help teams manage the design and product information required to move suitable additive-manufactured parts from engineering toward production.