America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) are proud to announce a new open project call funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) worth a total of $5M. The project call, Quality Test and Inspection Methods Expediency (QTIME), focuses on the use of non-destructive inspection (NDI) techniques for additive manufacturing (AM) processes, specifically laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED), and aims to explore both in-situ and ex-situ NDI applications for inspecting large and complex parts. Up to five awards are anticipated.
AM continues to face challenges in reliably determining the quality of large and complex parts. Rapid, cost-effective methods for inspection and qualification are critical to overcoming this barrier. By leveraging advanced analytics and automated inspection hardware and software, manufacturers can reduce production costs, shorten lead times, and boost confidence in part performance. Through this project call, America Makes is seeking the most mature, near-commercial NDI technologies ready for real-world implementation.
“Industry and government stakeholders have clearly identified the need for trusted, efficient inspection techniques to support additive manufacturing growth,” said Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes. “The QTIME project call is an important first step, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders and innovators to address both in-situ and ex-situ monitoring and inspection challenges inherent to AM. QTIME focuses not just on developing new methods, but validating and transitioning mature technologies that agencies like the DoD, FAA, and NASA can trust—driving widespread adoption across the U.S. supply base.”