There is a lot that human beings can do well, and yet there is little we do better than growing on a consistent basis. This progressive approach, on our part, has already got us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology emerging as quite a major member of the stated group. The reason why we hold technology in such a high regard is, by and large, centered upon its skill-set, which realized all the possibilities for us that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look beyond the surface for a second, it will become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component, in fact, did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence and start what was a full-blown tech revolution. Of course, this revolution then went on to scale up the human experience through various unique avenues, but even after achieving a feat so notable, technology will somehow keep on delivering the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident over the recent past, and assuming a newly-announced project pans out just like we envision, it will only transform that trend into much bigger of a deal moving forward.

America Makes, a Youngstown, Ohio-based company that focuses on additive manufacturing, has officially announced a new directed projected call, which is designed to enhance the value of methods for AM Cross-Platform Consistency (AM-CPC). According to certain reports, this project will be carried out through collaboration between National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and America Makes, a collaboration where all the partners will look to improve measurement science research for the reproducibility of additive manufacturing (AM) processes. By upgrading that holistic level of the stated measurement science research, these organizations are expected to scale up the quality associated with its granular elements, such as different test methods, measurement tools and data, physics-based models, the technical basis for standards for characterizing and improving feedstock materials, process variables, system performance, mechanical properties, part quality, and system integration for the digital thread. A detail worth noting here is how the project requires all AM-CPC proposals to lay out a rather neutral manufacturing plan. This, in turn, should realize an optimal understanding of consistency for multiple metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines, thus allowing a meaningful comparison between them. The idea behind such a comparison is to accelerate AM process qualification and deliver a measurement method specification, which can be useful during the in-depth analysis of LPBF equipment.

“The continued engagement and participation in project calls by the America Makes membership remains critical to fostering a greater understanding of AM and its development into a prevalent and accepted manufacturing technology,” stated Brandon Ribic, technology director at America Makes. “Through our collaboration with NIST and AFRL, we look forward to demonstrating the potential to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, as well as the development and deployment of reproducible and reliable AM technologies to meet defense and commercial needs.”

Founded in 2012 as Department of Defense’s national manufacturing innovation institute for AM and first of the Manufacturing USA network, America Makes has successfully managed to make additive manufacturing a mainstream concept. While the organization already boasts significant results in upgrading the technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation related to the discipline, it is still actively working alongside members from academia, government, workforce and economic development space, and others, to step up AM’s adoption. Interestingly, with the launch of a new project, the prospects of this journey are now looking better than ever before.