A 3D printer invention, developed by a team of Sailors assigned to Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman's (CVN 75) Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, will be sent for production aboard the International Space Station, June 21.

The TruClip design will be transmitted to the ISS as part of the Capitol Hill Maker Faire, celebrating the White House-sponsored National Week of Making, which runs June 17-23.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Lt. Casey Staidl, Truman's IM-4 division officer. "This recognition isn't something you'd expect when you start searching for a simple solution to a common problem on board. It's a surprise, but a good one."

The TruClip was originally designed as a cost-effective replacement part for the ship's handheld radio system, that could be created with a 3-D printer, and has resulted in the Navy saving more than $42,000 in the few months since its conception.

"The use of a 3-D printer has given us the ability to extend the life of our equipment when supplies are limited," said Staidl. "We're able to come up with our own solutions for shipboard issues."

Additive manufacturing projects, such as the TruClip, represent a new resource for the Navy to produce replacement parts and find creative solutions for challenges faced while at sea. Truman's 3-D printing lab has also designed pieces for hoses used by the on board anesthesiologist, new oil funnels, deck drains, and switch covers, and provides immediate on board solutions to everyday issues.

Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman, visit http://www.navy.mil/.