This week close to Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is holding its annual Members Assembly & Alternate (MMX), a member-centric occasion that engenders strategic dialogue and collaboration. The general public-private partnership for AM, which is pushed by the Nationwide Heart for Protection Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and celebrated its tenth anniversary final 12 months, works to speed up AM adoption, in addition to the nation’s world manufacturing competitiveness, by way of initiatives, coaching, requirements publication, and extra. On the occasion, which I’m at present attending, the group introduced its two newest Mission Calls, that are price almost $11.75 million and collectively make up its largest funding alternative but.
Expertise Director of America Makes, Brandon Ribic, provided additional clarification on the alloy growth and allowables era Mission Calls. The primary is Powder Alloy Growth for Additive Manufacturing (PADAM), whereas the second is Proliferation of AM Materials Datasets.
“These are a product of two to a few years of effort, from workshops and discussions and extra,” Ribic advised the group.
The Mission Calls are funded by the Workplace of the Below Secretary of Protection, Analysis and Engineering Manufacturing Expertise Workplace (OUSD (R&E)), and the Air Pressure Analysis Laboratory (AFRL). However earlier than we bought into the nitty gritty particulars of every name, Ribic made the necessary announcement that the submission course of has modified. America Makes will not be accepting submissions by way of e mail, which is a significant change. As a substitute, events want to go to the America Makes web site and discover Open Mission Calls below the “Our Work” tab, then choose the one you need. When you’ve submitted a proposal, you’ll obtain an automatic e mail response letting you already know that your submission was efficiently acquired.
Submissions are due by September twenty ninth, so it’s a fairly fast turnaround, as per common. People have to offer loads of info, together with why they’re submitting, and never simply from the technical aspect, but in addition the place the place is to your thought past the proposal, and inside your group. These two calls have very robust standards, and Ribic mentioned that compared to different alternatives from the previous couple of years, “making notice of when you want to have a totally executed NDA with us is necessary.”
“This isn’t to be carried out with out clear, clear intent,” he reiterated.
Every Mission Name has two areas of focus, and one award is anticipated for every matter space. For PADAM, funded by the AFRL, the overall quantity of federal funding out there is $6 million, and the utmost request for funding varies primarily based on the subject the proposal addresses, with $3.6 million allotted to Subject 1 and $2.4 million to Subject 2. The minimal value share, or share of the federal award quantity you’ll be able to request in a proposal, is 25%, and the utmost allowed Interval of Efficiency (PoP) is 24 months.
In keeping with an America Makes press launch, “PADAM mission name goals to speed up the maturation of AM high-temperature metals to show measurable enchancment in application-specific efficiency standards.”
The primary PADAM matter is targeted on Excessive-Temperature Refractory Alloys, which incorporates refractory excessive entropy alloys and refractory alloys with oxide dispersion strengthening, or one other secondary part that might inhibit cracking or result in grain refinement. Ribic defined that this isn’t about creating a brand new formulation, however relatively “taking your concepts and bringing them to the desk and beginning to scale them when it comes to course of growth and related geometric options.”
The second PADAM matter is for Excessive-Temperature Nickel-Based mostly Superalloys. Once more, this contains alloys containing oxide dispersion strengthening or a secondary part resulting in grain refinement or inhibiting cracking.
“Nickel-based alloys are available in loads of flavors, you want to clarify to us why this specific one is the way in which to go,” Ribic mentioned.
Ribic pulled up a number of necessities for PADAM proposals, noting that there are lots of extra he didn’t listing, which may be discovered on the RFP. As an illustration, every workforce will need to have at the least one feedstock provider that has demonstrated expertise in offering needed feedstock supplies, and proposals ought to construct towards addressing product-relevant qualification necessities. When it comes to eligibility, solely the lead proposer needs to be an America Makes member (by September 14th), however everybody will need to have a sound DD2345 to take part.
Ribic defined that there’s a main distinction between a profit, which is actually a chance, and impression, which is one thing that may be measured and you would present to your CEO.
“Take full benefit of the window for Q&A,” Ribic urged. “What you place forth should be sensible and achievable.”
The Proliferation of AM Materials Datasets Mission Name gives a complete of $5.75 million, with separate $2.875 million awards anticipated over the 2 subjects. The minimal value share is 50%, with a most allowed PoP of 24 months.
“This mission name goals to extend the quantity and kind of pedigreed, statistically primarily based, and industrially related AM materials datasets. The RFP additionally seems to encourage the proliferation of those learnings, practices, and knowledge to a extra expansive cross-section of the AM provide chain by requiring partnerships with small companies,” America Makes defined within the launch.”
The technical approaches will happen over two phases, the primary of which is able to show the profitable qualification of a candidate materials course of (QMP-A). On the finish of this course of, earlier than the manufacturing of fabric allowable take a look at coupons and execution of the fabric allowable take a look at program, a go/no-go determination might be made. Part two contains the take a look at coupon manufacturing, together with testing, knowledge evaluation, evaluating the info outliers, inspection, and fractography.
The primary matter is Aluminum Alloy Materials Datasets, together with however not restricted to readily printable and processable 6XXX and 7XXX collection aluminum alloys, together with ones with dispersion strengthening or secondary phases. The second matter is Excessive-Temperature Nickel-Based mostly Superalloys, together with however not restricted to Haynes 282, Haynes 230, and Inconel 939. Nonetheless, nickel alloys 718 and 625 don’t fall below the scope of this RFP. If a mature candidate materials course of is clearly demonstrated within the proposal, oxide dispersion strengthen variants might be thought-about.
Ribic shared a few of the many necessities for this Mission Name as effectively, together with outlining a particular goal market and related industrial relevance, impression, and advantages. As well as, each workforce that responds to the proposal has to have at the least one small enterprise contributing to the supply of the mission final result, not simply an observer or bystander. However, Ribic encourages these to incorporate a couple of small enterprise on the workforce.
For the minimal deliverables, reporting necessities, and different pertinent info for each of those new Mission Calls, try the RFPs on the America Makes web site.
Keep tuned for extra protection from MMX 2023! 3DPrint.com is a proud Media Sponsor of this occasion.
Subscribe to Our E mail Publication
Keep up-to-date on all the most recent information from the 3D printing trade and obtain info and gives from third occasion distributors.
