Reverse Engineering and First Article Testing

When a unit requests a 3D printed part, the Army must first determine whether it has the necessary technical data package (TDP) to produce the part. If the TDP is available, the part can be loaded into the hub and produced using 3D printing technology.

However, if the TDP is not available, the Army must use reverse engineering techniques to recreate the part. This involves analyzing the part's design and materials to identify the necessary data for 3D printing.

Once the data is obtained, it is loaded into the hub and used to produce the first article of the part. The first article is a prototype or a production part that is used to test the part's performance and quality.