Advanced Manufacturing Competitive Advantage Pathfinder

Additive Manufacturing

Problem Statement: Modern maintenance needs fast, local part production, even in contested or disconnected areas, but current supply chains are slow, insecure, and hindered by IP limits. Without a trusted, secure way to share technical data across Services, industry, and allies, the force cannot repair or regenerate combat power quickly enough to maintain readiness.

Solution: The Digital Manufacturing Exchange (DMX)—led by Marine Depot Maintenance Command (MDMC) under the Advanced Manufacturing Competitive Advantage Pathfinder (AM/CAP)—is the Department’s only accredited digital backbone for transmitting TDPs and IP-protected manufacturing data to support maintenance and sustainment. DMX enables point-of-need production by livestreaming OEM-controlled design data directly to distributed 3D printers and other manufacturing assets, even when units operate without enterprise network connectivity. Its secure architecture protects IP through encryption and access control while incorporating a built-in remuneration model—similar to purchasing music online—so every OEM use is tracked and compensated. DMX integrates with existing Service repositories, creating a trusted ecosystem where industry, DoD, and allied partners can collaborate without sacrificing security or IP rights.

Maintenance Relevance: DMX speeds maintenance by enabling local, secure production of approved parts in hours instead of months, cutting downtime, repair cycles, and manpower needs. It ensures safe, configuration-controlled data use and extends advanced manufacturing to austere or contested areas, boosting readiness and resilience across all maintenance levels.

Contribution: DMX is first-of-its-kind in combining DoW accredited secure delivery, IP trust and compensation, and cross-domain interoperability between military, industry, and allied manufacturing networks. No other platform has achieved an Authority to Operate (ATO) while solving the dual challenge of protecting OEM data and incentivizing participation for digital sustainment.

Technical Maturity:

Phase 1 (Nov 2023 Complete) Prototype validated with USMC for disconnected ops.

Phase 2 (Apr 2025 Complete) Integrated with Army, Navy, Air Force, USMC, and industry, livestreamed parts globally with secure IP control.

Phase 3 (In Progress) Expanding to coalition partners and validating remuneration workflows.

DMX was the only system to digitally manufacture with allied partners during the Trident Warrior exercise, proving operational viability.

Cross-Service Applicability: DMX already integrates with Army, Navy, Air Force, and USMC systems and is expanding to coalition networks. Its joint-service demonstrations, secure ATO, and clear path to full remuneration and repository integration make transition to operational DoW use highly feasible and imminent

https://youtu.be/RDEpsoOoFyk