DOD believes blockchain can boost 3-D printing at the front
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An encrypted and distributed ledger system could help solve intellectual property concerns that complicate efforts to produce parts on the fly.
The U.S. military has long seen the potential of additive manufacturing -- the industrial cousin of 3-D printing that can enable the services to produce mil-spec parts in the field. And now the Department of Defense believes this disruptive technology can be paired with another -- blockchain -- to address intellectual property concerns.
At a May 12 event hosted by Washington Technology, John Bergin, the business technology officer in DOD's Office of the CIO, pointed to the Navy's aircraft carriers as a prime use case.
What happens, Bergin asked, when an F-18 on that carrier breaks a pin in its landing gear? "They need a part, but they don’t have the part on the aircraft carrier," he said. "How do I use additive manufacturing to get there, while still respecting Boeing’s intellectual property rights for that pin?
Blockchain -- the encrypted and distributed ledger system that makes the Bitcoin cryptocurrency possible -- could be the answer, he suggested.
If DOD's "ecosystem of parts management" can properly incorporate blockchain ledgers, Bergin said, the 3D printers on a carrier could securely log every pin that's produced at sea. "You can print it, I can pay Boeing for it, and [the Navy] has planes that fly," he said. "How do I support the warfighter abroad, respecting the intellectual property of the vendors, and do it as a team? Blockchain is part of that story."
Such a system would also streamline supply chains by allowing the Navy, in this example, to get only the pin it needs, rather than ordering a full landing gear assembly. This would help both the military and its industry partners, he argued: "Let’s stop buying the assembly, and let’s start making the parts where we need them. It reduces your inventory that’s idle, and increases our operational capability at the front."
There are security and quality assurance challenges in addition to the intellectual property concerns, Bergin said, but he urged contractors work with DOD on those problems.
"This is the opportunity we see for blockchain," he said. "It’s not about cryptocurrency -- it’s about protecting your IP and enabling the warfighter. We are very excited about this approach, and we think it’s part of the acquisition front we’re trying to get to."