YOUNGSTOWN, OH — America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced a new open project call funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (OSD ManTech) worth a total of $6.6M. The project call, Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 2.0 (IMPACT 2.0), consists of two areas of focus and aims to demonstrate lead time, productivity, and yield improvements for casting and forging (C&F) manufacturing operations using additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. Seven awards are anticipated with the maximum request for funding varying depending upon the specific topic area.
The IMPACT 2.0 request for proposal (RFP) is separated into two documents, Part A and Part B.
Part A – Topics 1-4 ($5.1M)
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- Topic 1 ($2.0M): Mature and Promote Methods to Add Functional Surfaces and Complex Geometric Features to Forgings
- Topic 2 ($1.5M): Disseminate Leading Practices and Promote the Adoption of 3D-printed Sand Molds/Cores
- Topic 3 ($1.1M): Techno-Economic Analysis Tool for Selection of Metal Part Manufacturing Processes
- Topic 4 ($500K): Ensure Operational Recovery of Industrial Production
Part B – Rapid Casting Demonstration Challenge – Two Step ($1.5M)
“Over the last two decades, the U.S. casting and forging industry has faced challenges related to capability and capacity,” stated John Martin, AM Research Director at America Makes. “This poses a significant obstacle in acquiring essential components for critical weapons and support platforms, making it of vital importance to defense and economic stability.”
“Many AM technologies that can be used to augment casting operations are mature and have been demonstrated successfully in many areas throughout the supply chain. However, these capabilities not only need to be disseminated and further scaled but also challenged in a real-life demand scenario. For this reason, the IMPACT 2.0 project call offers two parts to help identify strengths and weaknesses within these integrated manufacturing approaches,” Martin explained. “This call to action will ultimately enable our members and project teams to research, develop, and implement advanced solutions in the C&F sector and mitigate risks to the supply chain that impact defense and the economy.”
Project call timeline:
- Launch: April 11, 2024
- Kickoff Webinar: April 11 at TRX (Registration Required)
- Questions Due from Proposers about Scope or Approach: April 22
- Membership Eligibility Deadline:
- May 29 for Part A/Topics 1-4
- June 12 for Part B/Step 1 and Step 2
- Submission Deadline by 5 p.m., ET:
- June 14 for Part A/Topics 1-4
- May 10 for Part B/Step 1; June 28 for Part B/Step 2
- Anticipated Awards Announcement:
- July 24
Proposers for the project call are advised to reference the RFP for full details and guidelines for Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 2.0 (IMPACT 2.0) HERE.