America Makes to Open Satellite Center in Texas
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute housed in on the Youngstown Business Incubator campus here, today announced it will open its first “satellite center” at The University of Texas at El Paso in conjunction with UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation.
Kevin Creehan, deputy director of technology transition for America Makes, told members of the institute about the second location during a presentation made April 14 at the spring review a meeting held at Youngstown State University, America Makes said in today’s announcement. The spring meeting of members was closed to reporters.
During his remarks, as provided to the press by America Makes, Creehan said, “With this new America Makes Satellite Center model, we are able to expand our current regional, industrial and technological footprint while further maximizing the reach and capabilities of the satellite through enhanced collaboration.”
To ensure the long-term success of an expansion, America Makes said it decided to roll out the strategy as a pilot program, similar to the Institute’s own founding as the pilot Institute for the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation infrastructure. A short list of potential members for consideration for satellite center was generated and compared to America Makes’ prerequisites and operational requirements. After internal and external vetting and an on-site evaluation, UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation was selected,” the institute said.
“This expansion strategy marks a new level of national reach for America Makes,” said Ralph Resnick, America Makes founding director and president of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, which oversees the institute. “It also capitalizes on the synergies between America Makes and UTEP’s Keck Center.”
The UTEP center is leading an America Makes member team that includes Youngstown State University, the University of New Mexico, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., rp+m, Inc. and Stratasys, Inc.. The team is funded by a $2.2 million grant designated to further 3-D printing technologies for rapid manufacturing of aerospace systems.
The Keck Center features a 13,000-square-foot facility with more than 50 additive manufacturing machines and 50 involved faculty, staff, students and researchers with multiple national and international collaborations. The lab focuses on fundamental research in 3-D printed electronics, airplanes and satellite components, human augmentation, biomedical implants and future energy systems, according to the announcement.
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