PRESS RELEASE Raleigh, NC, September 9, 2020 – AFWERX, the catalyst for fostering innovation within the U.S. Air Force, announced Revware Inc. as one of the top 92 participating teams selected from across the globe competing to build the Base of the Future Challenge.
The AFWERX Challenge is centered around six topics – Base Security, Installation Resilience, Leveraging Technology for Operational Effectiveness, Reverse Engineering, Culture of Innovation, and Airman and Family Wellbeing. The proposals selected to advance represent innovative solutions ranging from new base security technology and VR training modules to virtual assistants and apps designed for wellness and leadership development.
Located in Raleigh, NC, Revware is competing in the Enabling Technologies for Reverse Engineering and Agile Manufacturing Challenge alongside a diverse group of teams – originating from the vast regions of North America, Europe, Australia, and other allied countries – that represent entrepreneurial startups, small businesses, large enterprises, academic institutions, and research labs all vying to build the Base of the Future and modernize the Department of Defense.
“The AFWERX Base of the Future Challenge is critical to our mission of increasing collaboration between large businesses and entrepreneurs to accelerate solutions for the Air Force,” stated Mark Rowland of AFWERX. “On behalf of AFWERX and the Department of Defense, we congratulate the teams advancing to the next phase. Their contributions are invaluable and have the potential to create game-changing results across the Air Force enterprise.”
The Enabling Technologies for Reverse Engineering and Agile Manufacturing Challenge seeks to gather solutions on how to reverse engineer obsolete legacy parts and turn them into 3D models using the latest technologies in additive and agile manufacturing. The Challenge focuses on ways we bring ideas into the real world by converting 2D designs into 3D models in a universally compatible way. Exploring concepts to improve and define the best design practices to create a standard 3D package for agile and additive manufacturing. If the Air Force can build a new digital database of 3D designs, it will be critical to mission effectiveness and help the U.S. Air Force avoid grounding aircraft.
Revware’s proposal included using its dynamic MicroScribe technology to assist the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in reproducing legacy components that are no longer being manufactured. The MicroScribe provides a unique desktop digitizing solution in the form of an aluminum and carbon fiber arm with a contact probe, making one-handed collection of point-by-point 3D data to a high degree of accuracy possible. With accompanying RevWorks software, this solution allows for quick prototyping and reverse-engineering for many applications, including legacy part reproduction.
Tom Welsh, Revware president, states “Our multi-decade focus on creating cost-effective, easy to use reverse engineering systems will immediately provide scalable benefit to the Air Force in the form of a highly productive, portable, and teachable solution to the need of maintaining legacy systems.”
The AFWERX Fusion 2020 Showcase recently featured 370 of the participating teams selected from a record-breaking 1,500+ submissions received for the Base of the Future Challenge. Throughout the event, teams pitched their solutions to a panel of subject matter experts from the relevant sectors of the Air Force. The top 92 selections were identified and invited to further engage with the Air Force during the week of August 31 with the hope of obtaining contracts. For a complete list of participating teams visit fusion.afwerxshowcase.com/.
The Base of the Future theme was inspired by Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, which was decimated by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that occurred in 2018. For decades, Tyndall had been home to many generations of Airmen and their families. In the storm’s aftermath, nearly 500 buildings were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Fortunately, Congress approved a $3 billion military construction rebuild program, sparking hope that Tyndall would re-emerge stronger than ever before. The aspirational initiative seeks to create a robust installation that will become a universal symbol of innovation and excellence that can scale across the U.S. Air Force. To learn more about the Base of the Future Challenges, click here.
ABOUT REVWARE
As manufacturing moves towards 3D printing and additive manufacturing, Revware is proud to be on the forefront of industry efforts to increase design, development, and production efficiency. Since its founding in 1992 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Revware has designed and manufactured CAD and 3D measurement solutions, including the MicroScribe® portable CMM and related support software, and RevWorks® for SOLIDWORKS®. Revware products are sold globally through a network of resellers, OEMs, and direct sales, with more than 10,000 MicroScribe portable articulated arms sold worldwide to a wide array of industries and institutions as a preferred tool for collecting 3D data.
Learn more at www.revware.net.
ABOUT AFWERX
Established in 2017, AFWERX is a product of the U.S. Air Force, directly envisioned by former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. Her vision of AFWERX — to solve some of the toughest challenges that the Air Force faces through innovation and collaboration amongst our nation’s top subject matter experts. AFWERX serves as a catalyst to unleash new approaches for the warfighter through a growing ecosystem of innovators. AFWERX and the U.S. Air Force are committed to exploring viable solutions and partnerships to further strengthen the Air Force, which could lead to additional prototyping, R&D, and follow-on production contracts.
Copyright© 2021 Revware Inc. All rights reserved. Reuse and reprint allowed only with permission by Revware Inc., and with appropriate acknowledgments.
About Revware
Revware provides high, quality, simple to use, innovative, cost-effective modeling solutions to solve your design, metrology, and engineering problems.