America Makes announces winners of AM Rapid Innovation Call

America Makes, Youngstown, Ohio, USA, has announced the winners of the recent Rapid Innovation Call (RIC) for projects which further advance the maturation of Additive Manufacturing technologies. The call was worth $500,000 in total funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division.

“The America Makes membership community is truly working together to drive the direction we take to mature and advance AM technologies,” stated Brandon Ribic, Technology Director, America Makes. “We are excited to see our membership come forth with projects that will produce outcomes with real impacts addressing critical areas of need, helping to further advance additive technology.”

The six chosen topics for the RIC represent a concerted effort by the institute and its members to strategically prioritize investment in technical topics that will best help shape the industry’s direction.

1. Understanding build interruptions via AM monitoring methods Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio: Quantifying the effects of build interruptions through in-process monitoring and mechanical testing
2. AM part families for product Q&C ASTM International, headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Best Practices for Additive Manufacturing Part Families Relating to Product Qualification and Certification
3. Defect Detection and Mitigation via Hybrid AM Open Additive, Beavercreek, Ohio: Defect Detection and Mitigation via Selective Laser Ablation & Melting (SLAM)
4. Defect Detection and Mitigation via Hybrid AM: Pennsylvania State University, State College and College Township, Pennsylvania: Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Error Recognition and Resolution (HAMERR)
5. Advancing Lightweight Design for AM of Thin Walls and Struts Ohio State University: Metal Lattice Design, Testing, and Application Study

The winning projects are expected to be completed in May 2022 with project data made available to America Makes members.