America Makes opens $11.7M project call

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes have announced a new directed project call funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD (R&E)), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) worth a total of $11.7 million.

The objective of the "Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis (IMPACT)" project call is to demonstrate productivity and yield benefits for casting and forging manufacturing via additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, execute techno-economic analysis for metal powder AM, and to bridge component sourcing gaps with AM parts for casting and forging applications. The project call is also seeking innovative solutions for robotic AM process planning for continuous fiber-reinforced composite structures.

AM is of significant interest to the U.S. manufacturing base as the technology enables shorter lead times, mass customization, energy reduction, complex shapes, and production of parts on demand providing benefits to both new acquisitions and legacy systems. "This project call addresses the needs of a broad cross-section of our nation's supply chain including the casting and forging supply chain," states America Makes Technology Director Brandon Ribic, Ph.D. "We are thrilled for the opportunity to deliver longer-term strategic investments to scaling AM technologies."

America Makes strives to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative, cost-effective, energy-efficient AM and 3D printed (3DP) technologies to meet defense and/or commercial needs. The proposed projects should be applicable to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-7 and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 4-7 at the onset of the proposed project.

The request for proposal (RFP) includes 10 topic areas of focus. The number of anticipated awards and maximum funding will vary depending on the topic area being addressed.

Project call timeline:

• Kickoff Webinar: Thursday, June 1, 11:30 a.m. ET (Virtual TRX/Registration Required).

• Eligibility: Deadline for lead proposer to complete fully executed membership agreement with America Makes:

• Submission Deadline:

• Anticipated Awards Announcement:

10 Topic Areas:Demonstrating Lead Time, Productivity, and Yield Improvements for Casting and Forging Manufacturing Operations Using Additive Manufacturing Technologies

Disseminating the Value Proposition of Bridging Component Sourcing Gaps with AM Parts for Critical Casting and Forging Production

Identifying and Disseminating the Impact of Strategic R&D to Scale Powder Bed AM Technology

Advancing AM Processing for Continuous Fiber Reinforced Composites

For full details and guidelines, resources, FAQs, and RFP to download, click HERE.