America Makes Calls for Projects Worth $500,000 in Funding

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — During its annual Technical Review and Exchange event Tuesday, America Makes announced a Rapid Innovation Call for projects totaling $500,000 in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Based Technology Division.

The call focuses on further advancing the maturation of additive manufacturing technologies, according to a press release.

The Rapid Innovation Call, or RIC, represents a concerted effort by the organization’s membership at all levels, including the Roadmap Advisory Group and Executive Committee “to strategically prioritize out investment in the RIC technical topics to what will best benefit our industry the most next,” Brandon Ribic, American Makes technology director, said in the release.

“The America Makes membership community is truly working together to drive the direction we take to mature and advance AM technologies,” Ribic said. “We anticipate the outcomes of this RIC to make a significant impact in addressing critical areas of need.”

The RIC will address the needs of membership in six topic domains, including:

• Understanding build interruptions via additive manufacturing monitoring methods.
• Additive manufacturing part families for product qualification and certification.
• Defect detection and mitigation via hybrid additive manufacturing.
• Characterization of transient phenomena impacting in-situ molten pool temperature measurement for additive manufacturing of reactive metals.
• Advancing lightweight design for additive manufacturing of thin walls and struts.
• Internet of Things technologies to enhance additive manufacturing product performance.

All RIC participants, including lead and sub-proposers, must be America Makes members. The deadline to submit is Sept. 2 before 5 p.m., EDT.

America Makes expects to announce the awarding of the funding on Sept. 20. At least five awards are anticipated with an associated maximum federal funding available for each award of $100,000.

For more information, visit AmericaMakes.us/project-calls.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.