America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) are proud to announce a new open project call funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) worth a total of $4.5M. The project call, Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 3.0 (IMPACT 3.0), consists of two topic 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. Three awards are anticipated.
AM is of significant interest to the Defense Industrial Base and broader industry as the technology increases productivity and design flexibility, enabling on-demand part production to both new acquisitions and legacy systems. The objective of the IMPACT 3.0 project is to further advance the integration of AM technologies into the C&F domain, as well as to reduce lead time and increase cost savings.
“Additive and advanced manufacturing technologies are crucial for the castings and forgings industry and the Defense Industrial Base to overcome current national supply chain challenges,” stated John Martin, AM Research Director at America Makes. “In partnership with our members, we invest in strategic initiatives to ensure warfighter readiness for essential military platforms, ultimately strengthening the Department of Defense’s supply chain and enhancing national defense resilience.”
America Makes strives to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative, cost-effective, energy-efficient AM and 3D printed technologies to meet defense and/or commercial needs. The proposed projects should apply to Technology Readiness Level 4-7 and Manufacturing Readiness Level 4-7 at the onset of the proposed project.
The IMPACT 3.0 request for proposal (RFP) is separated into two topic areas.
A. Topic 1 – AM in the Digital Foundry: Incorporate sensors and automation to boost production speed and capacity, facilitating agile manufacturing and allowing for rapid adjustments in serial production and efficient handling of low-volume, intermittent orders.
B. Topic 2 – Wire Arc DED Process Sensing and Control: Verify and establish tools to monitor and control the deposition process to enhance confidence in wire arc DED for Department of Defense cognizant technical authorities.
Project call timeline:
• Launch: April 2, 2025
• Kickoff Webinar: April 8, 2025, at TRX (Registration Required)
• Questions Due from Proposers about Scope or Approach: April 16, 2025
• Membership Eligibility Deadline: May 20, 2025
• Submission Deadline by 5 p.m. ET: June 2, 2025
• Anticipated Awards Announcement: June 27, 2025
Proposers for the project call are advised to reference the RFP for full details and guidelines HERE.