A request for information (RFI) has been issued from the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes to support the mission of promoting and accelerating the development and deployment of innovative, cost-effective, energy-efficient additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to meet defense and/or commercial needs. This RFI aims to better understand the current state of the AM supply chain and the opportunities, needs, and priorities which will substantiate AM sustainability, robust AM controls, and operational qualification in line with the interests of the domestic AM supply chain. Inputs may be used for developing technical scoping requirements for future project calls, workshops, event themes, etc.

NASA has announced that Carnegie Mellon University and Johns Hopkins University will co-lead the Institute for Model-based Qualification & Certification of Additive Manufacturing (IMQCAM). The institute will improve computer models of metal AM parts and expand their advantage in spaceflight applications. Such parts could be utilized in rocket engines providing more flexibility to create new parts when designs change or possibly in a space station, where delivering prefabricated parts would be expensive and limiting. Certification and use of such parts requires high-accuracy predictions of their characteristics.

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CTC President and CEO Ed Sheehan (left) and CTC Executive VP and COO George Appley (right) congratulate the team on this successful patent. Shawn Rhodes (center) attended the recognition ceremony along with the rest of the team, who joined via video conference.

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been awarded two patents for “Shell case design utilizing metal injection molding.” These patents detail the invention of a single-piece, high-strength metallic cartridge case that is stronger, stiffer, and lighter than traditional brass. The revolutionary new design is a joint development between CTC and the U.S. Army to improve warfighter effectiveness through increased lethality, improved accuracy, and reduced ammunition weight.

The 2023 International Conference on Injection Molding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides, sponsored by MPIF and APMI, was held as a live/virtual hybrid event February 27-March 1 at the Hilton Orange County, Costa Mesa, California. The conference was preceded by a tutorial on Powder Injection Molding given by Matthew Bulger, ATPM Consulting, as well as a reception at the ARBURG Technology Center. A tabletop exhibition and networking reception were also included in the program. Attendance was over 130 representing twelve countries. The conference was an outstanding event and would have been an “eye-opener” for anyone who had not attended the annual MIM conference for a few years. The MIM industry has embraced additive manufacturing as an adjunct technology that can assist in the design of mold tooling for injection molding as well as sharing common process steps such as debinding and sintering as well as materials. The MIM conferences have moved on to include a number of novel 3-D printing technologies that offer new application opportunities.