America Makes Announces Winners of Project Totaling $1.2M

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing on Monday announced the winners of the $1.2M Environmental Additive Research for Tomorrow’s Habitat Project.

The project was funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology Office and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The recipients of the project awards will assume a crucial role in identifying and validating additive manufacturing designs and materials that consistently meet the necessary qualifications and performance standards for end users, a news release states.

“There is the need to acknowledge the potential environmental impact of AM innovations within the manufacturing industry, even as it invests resources in research and development,” said Brandon Ribic, technology director at America Makes. “We applaud the efforts of the awardees in exploring sustainable approaches for reusing and recycling AM materials and designs. Their initiatives are expected to make a substantial contribution to reducing waste, conserving energy and mitigating carbon emissions. The forward-thinking of our industry partners demonstrates a commitment to understanding sustainable AM practices, which will influence future adoption of the technology in a variety of sectors.” 

The winners and related topic areas are:

Topic: Analysis of AM Sustainability and Environmental Benefits

Project 1: Accelerating Additive in Department of Defense Applications of High-Performance Recycled Polymers.

• Team Lead: IC3D Inc.
• Project Team: 3Degrees, Harrisburg University, The Ohio State University.

Project 2: Powder and Process Optimization for Sustainable Additive Manufacturing.

• Team Lead: RTX Technology Research Center.
• Project Team: 6K Additive, The University of Arizona.

Project teams will report on their progress at the America Makes Technical Review and Exchange and other industry events during the execution phase of the program.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.