ABSTRACT
Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) is a critical and high-risk mission within the military. There are many unique challenges to training and operations that involve low-production, high-cost equipment and high weight requirements during dismounted operations. This leads to a prime application for additive manufacturing (AM), commonly called 3D printing. The resulting prints were compared with currently available equipment and training items of the same type in order to determine the effectiveness of AM for United States Air Force EOD applications. The research team employed Google SketchUp for this portion of the research as a proof-of-concept for any EOD personnel to download the software and model a design. As part of the design verification process of the Vee design model, the research team brought the print to the 788 EOD Flight and received valuable feedback to improve and refine the design. The EOD shop found the J-hook and wall attachment to be the most useful.
