This week close to Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is holding its annual Members Assembly & Change (MMX), a member-centric occasion that engenders strategic dialogue and collaboration. The general public-private partnership for AM, which is pushed by the Nationwide Middle 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 international manufacturing competitiveness, by means of tasks, coaching, requirements publication, and extra. On the occasion, which I’m at present attending, the group introduced its two newest Challenge Calls, that are value practically $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 improvement and allowables technology Challenge Calls. The primary is Powder Alloy Improvement 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 informed the gang.

The Challenge Calls are funded by the Workplace of the Underneath Secretary of Protection, Analysis and Engineering Manufacturing Expertise Workplace (OUSD (R&E)), and the Air Power Analysis Laboratory (AFRL). However earlier than we obtained 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 through e-mail, which is a serious change. As an alternative, events want to go to the America Makes web site and discover Open Challenge 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 understand that your submission was efficiently obtained.

Submissions are due by September twenty ninth, so it’s a reasonably fast turnaround, as per ordinary. People have to supply a whole lot of data, together with why they’re submitting, and never simply from the technical aspect, but in addition the place the place is on your concept past the proposal, and inside your group. These two calls have very robust standards, and Ribic stated that compared to different alternatives from the previous couple of years, “making notice of when you could have a completely executed NDA with us is necessary.”

“This isn’t to be carried out with out clear, clear intent,” he reiterated.

Every Challenge Name has two areas of focus, and one award is anticipated for every matter space. For PADAM, funded by the AFRL, the whole quantity of federal funding obtainable is $6 million, and the utmost request for funding varies based mostly on the subject the proposal addresses, with $3.6 million allotted to Matter 1 and $2.4 million to Matter 2. The minimal value share, or proportion of the federal award quantity you possibly can request in a proposal, is 25%, and the utmost allowed Interval of Efficiency (PoP) is 24 months.

In accordance with an America Makes press launch, “PADAM challenge name goals to speed up the maturation of AM high-temperature metals to exhibit 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 section that would inhibit cracking or result in grain refinement. Ribic defined that this isn’t about creating a brand new formulation, however fairly “taking your concepts and bringing them to the desk and beginning to scale them by way of course of improvement and related geometric options.”

The second PADAM matter is for Excessive-Temperature Nickel-Primarily based Superalloys. Once more, this consists of alloys containing oxide dispersion strengthening or a secondary section resulting in grain refinement or inhibiting cracking.

“Nickel-based alloys are available in a whole lot of flavors, you could clarify to us why this explicit one is the way in which to go,” Ribic stated.

Ribic pulled up a number of necessities for PADAM proposals, noting that there are a lot of extra he didn’t record, which will be discovered on the RFP. As an illustration, every workforce will need to have a minimum of one feedstock provider that has demonstrated expertise in offering vital feedstock supplies, and proposals ought to construct towards addressing product-relevant qualification necessities. By way of eligibility, solely the lead proposer needs to be an America Makes member (by September 14th), however everybody will need to have a legitimate DD2345 to take part.

Ribic defined that there’s a main distinction between a profit, which is basically a chance, and impression, which is one thing that may be measured and you possibly can present to your CEO.

“Take full benefit of the window for Q&A,” Ribic urged. “What you place forth have to be sensible and achievable.”

The Proliferation of AM Materials Datasets Challenge 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 challenge name goals to extend the quantity and kind of pedigreed, statistically based mostly, and industrially related AM materials datasets. The RFP additionally appears to be like to encourage the proliferation of those learnings, practices, and information 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 exhibit 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 resolution will likely be made. Section two consists of the take a look at coupon manufacturing, together with testing, information 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 sequence aluminum alloys, together with ones with dispersion strengthening or secondary phases. The second matter is Excessive-Temperature Nickel-Primarily based Superalloys, together with however not restricted to Haynes 282, Haynes 230, and Inconel 939. Nevertheless, 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 will likely be thought-about.

Ribic shared a few of the many necessities for this Challenge Name as properly, 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 a minimum of one small enterprise contributing to the supply of the challenge end result, not simply an observer or bystander. However, Ribic encourages these to incorporate multiple small enterprise on the workforce.

For the minimal deliverables, reporting necessities, and different pertinent data for each of those new Challenge Calls, take a look at 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.