The US Air Force has used robotic manufacturing to produce a replacement part for a C-17 Globemaster III that Boeing could no longer source, giving the service a new way to keep aging aircraft in operation.
The Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) solved the parts problem using Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF), a robotic process that shapes metal sheets directly into components.
Unlike conventional manufacturing, ISF does not require dedicated tooling, allowing the air force to produce unique or low-volume parts faster and without the need for specialized production lines.
Read the full story on NextGen Defense: US Air Force Uses Robots to Make a C-17 Part Boeing Couldn’t Source