Phillips Federal and EOS Bring Manufacturing to the Point of Need for the U.S. Marine Corps
ADVANCED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING HELPS ACCELERATE MISSION READINESS DURING I MEF FIELD EXERCISE AT CAMP PENDLETON.
Challenge
Military readiness depends on fast access to replacement parts, repair components, and mission-critical equipment. Yet many defense organizations continue to face significant supply chain challenges, including long procurement lead times, part obsolescence, and limited access to manufacturing capabilities in operational environments.
During a recent field exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) sought to evaluate whether advanced manufacturing technologies could help reduce dependency on traditional supply chains and provide on-demand production capabilities directly in the field. The goal was to improve sustainment, maintenance, and operational readiness while supporting real-world military requirements.
“The exercise was designed to move beyond technology demonstrations and prove real-world applications for additive manufacturing in deployed environments. The mission focused on redefining how warfighters are equipped, supported, and sustained.”
Patrick Tucker, Strategic Business Development Manager at Phillips Federal and retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel
Solution
To support the exercise, Phillips Federal and EOS deployed an additive manufacturing (AM) ecosystem featuring the EOS M 290 metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) system and the EOS P 396 polymer SLS system directly to Camp Pendleton. The systems were used alongside other advanced manufacturing technologies to evaluate their ability to produce mission-critical components at the point of need.
The EOS systems enabled Marines to manufacture both metal and polymer components on site, supporting maintenance operations, equipment sustainment, and readiness objectives. The exercise also explored future applications such as expeditionary manufacturing and rapid drone production capabilities for deployed forces.
The field test demonstrated that AM technology can successfully operate in military environments and support production requirements that many previously believed would be difficult to achieve outside traditional manufacturing facilities. The exercise produced more than 200 components in a single build and demonstrated the flexibility to manufacture both one-off replacement parts and larger production quantities.
Results
The exercise delivered measurable improvements in production speed, readiness, and supply chain responsiveness.
Producing Critical Parts in Hours Instead of Months
The EOS P 396 produced more than 400 anti-reflective "killflash" devices for weapon optics in just two days. Previously, replacement lead times approached 59 days. The effort generated over $28,000 in cost savings for the Marine Corps.
Additional polymer applications included:
- 34 antenna subassemblies produced in 12 hours versus 184 days through traditional procurement channels. https://www.phillipscorp.com/federal/phillips-federal-and-eos-accelerate-mission-readiness-during-i-mef-field-exercise-at-camp-pendleton/
- Generator handles produced in 10 hours at approximately $3 per part. https://www.phillipscorp.com/federal/phillips-federal-and-eos-accelerate-mission-readiness-during-i-mef-field-exercise-at-camp-pendleton/
- Replacement truck handles produced in 9 hours instead of waiting 19 days.
Supporting Critical Defense Platforms
The EOS M 290 produced metal components for defense systems that were experiencing severe supply chain delays.
Results included:
- 36 M4 swivel mounts produced in 10 hours rather than waiting 68 days.
- TPS-80 G/ATOR radar carrier plates manufactured in less than 24 hours compared to lead times of up to 27 months.
- PAWL compression latch camshafts produced in 10 hours instead of waiting up to 27 months.
The team also addressed backorders affecting key readiness components, with some parts that had experienced lead times of up to two years being produced in less than 24 hours.
Enabling Mass Production at the Point of Need
The field exercise demonstrated that additive manufacturing can move beyond prototyping and support operational production requirements in deployed military environments. Marines successfully manufactured large batches of components, supported critical weapon systems, and explored future drone-production capabilities – all from a field-based manufacturing ecosystem.
"We went after real-world mass production at the point of need. The agility to produce numerous different components, or large quantities of a single component close to where they are needed, is the game changer."
Patrick Tucker, Strategic Business Development Manager at Phillips Federal and retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel
Key Benefits
- Accelerated Readiness: Mission-critical parts produced in hours or days instead of weeks, months, or years.
- Supply Chain Resilience: Reduced dependence on traditional logistics networks and long procurement cycles.
- Point-of-Need Manufacturing: Production capabilities deployed directly alongside operational forces.
Scalable Defense Applications: Support for equipment sustainment, maintenance operations, weapon systems, and future drone production initiatives.
Customer Perspective
"This exercise enabled EOS laser powder bed fusion to show what it could do to enhance readiness across a wide scope of need. It targeted items with high backorder counts and printed the entire quantity in just two days." – Patrick Tucker, Colonel U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), Strategic Business Development Manager, Phillips Federal
About the Technology
EOS M 290 Industrial metal additive manufacturing platform used to produce production-grade metal components for critical defense applications.
EOS P 396 Industrial polymer additive manufacturing platform used to rapidly manufacture durable nylon components for sustainment and operational readiness applications.
