American additive manufacturing accelerator America Makes has chosen the successful proposals for its Allied Additive Manufacturing Interoperability (AAMI) Program undertaking name, first launch in March 2025. The undertaking is backed by $1.1 million in funding from the Workplace of the Beneath Secretary of Warfare for Analysis and Engineering’s Manufacturing Expertise Workplace.
The AAMI undertaking has the objective of accelerating additive manufacturing equivalency and interoperability between america’s Division of Warfare (previously the Division of Protection) and the UK’s Ministry of Protection. The interoperable provide chain framework will probably be centered totally on utilizing laser powder mattress fusion (LPBF) for important half manufacturing in addition to on figuring out limitations to interoperability and establishing worldwide qualification methods.
Based mostly on this standards, two undertaking proposals have been chosen for AAMI funding underneath the subject “Demonstrating Additive Manufacturing (AM) Equivalency and Interoperability for Protection Sustainment and Provide Chain Resilience”. The primary successful proposal was submitted by Lockheed Martin (group lead) together with ASTM Worldwide and Additive Manufacturing Options, Ltd. The second awardee undertaking is led by energy administration firm Eaton Company with companions EOS North America, Siemens’ Supplies Options and 3Degrees.
Challenges to AM adoption have been confronted by each the US and UK, notably in terms of course of qualification, mental property rights, safe knowledge transmission, and provide chain integration. The AAMI undertaking is knowledgeable by these challenges and each successful undertaking proposals goal to deal with them by supporting the creation of a “globally related protection industrial base adaptable to complicated logistical calls for.” On a extra particular stage, the tasks will work to qualify LPBF additional for protection purposes.
“Protection sustainment nonetheless depends on legacy supplies and processes that fall wanting immediately’s operational calls for. This effort permits groups to suggest and display a qualification framework for metallic additive manufacturing suppliers in each the U.S and the U.Ok, guaranteeing constant elements throughout allied nations,” defined Ben DiMarco, Expertise Transition Director at America Makes. “We’re honored to work with main international specialists to show AM equivalency and interoperability. By advancing laser powder mattress fusion qualification and accelerating real-world adoption, we’re demonstrating how collaboration can overcome technical, regulatory, and provide chain hurdles to ship tangible outcomes to the warfighter and allied protection operations.”
America Makes has not disclosed how the $1.1 million in funding will probably be divided between the 2 successful tasks, nonetheless we anticipate progress updates on each efforts at upcoming America Makes Technical Evaluate and Alternate (TRX) occasions.