WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Sailors from Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) showcased the Navy's first Mobile Fabrication Lab (FAB LAB) during the National Maker Faire at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. June 18-19.
This showcase is part of the White House's third annual Week of Making and hopes to demonstrate the fruits of the deckplate innovation.
"So the idea behind a FAB LAB is innovation for the Sailors," said Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) 1st Class Rebecca Zickuhr, senior facilitator for the MARMAC FAB LAB. "It's to take the technology that we have and put it in their hands so that they can come up with more cost-effective solutions for the problems that they see every day on the ship and in the fleet."
Sailors from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) used their onboard 3-D printing lab to develop Tru Clip, a 3-D printed device to fix broken hand held radios used on the ship. The design for this device will be sent to the International Space Station June 21, 2016 to be printed as part of the National Week of Making.
"We are actually going to be demonstrating the ability to take file, a print design made here on earth, and send it to a remote location, in this case the International Space Station and actually manufacture that file, manufacture that piece on the ISS using the additive manufacturing printer that operates on the ISS," said Andrew Rush, president and CEO of Made In Space.
For more news from Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, visit http://www.navy.mil/
To learn more about Made in Space, visit http://www.madeinspace.us