America Makes launches two further defense-focused project calls totaling $25.6M
Funding targets additive metal qualification and in-process quality assurance for Department of War applications
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have opened two project calls with a combined $25.6 million in funding, both directed at advancing additive manufacturing capabilities within the US defense industrial base.
Validating AM materials for weapons systems
The first call, the Maturation Initiative for Additive Metals Interchangeability (MIAMI), carries $12.4 million in funding from the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Acquisition and Sustainment, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program.
The initiative seeks to confirm that metallic AM materials could reliably substitute traditional alloys in Department of War (DoW) weapon system components. Project teams will be required to identify candidate parts, define performance requirements, and produce shared, validated data showing that AM materials meet or exceed the mechanical properties of the legacy alloys they are intended to replace. Three awards are anticipated.
The program will be structured in two phases. Phase 0 requires teams to document viable AM material substitutions across a weapons system, develop process control specifications, and conduct preliminary qualification testing to verify that room-temperature mechanical properties meet established thresholds. A final phase will follow with comprehensive testing based on the Phase 0 test plan.
“Advancing material interchangeability through additive manufacturing is a strategic step toward strengthening the nation’s defense posture,” said John Martin, Additive Manufacturing Research Director at America Makes. “This effort delivers the analytical rigor and validated data needed to accelerate trusted AM adoption, directly supporting the Department of War’s priorities for a more resilient and responsive industrial base.”
Integrating in-situ monitoring with post-build inspection
The second call, the INtegrated System for In-situ Testing & Evaluation (INSITE), is valued at $13.2 million, and will be co-funded by IBAS and the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSW ManTech). One award is anticipated.
The project aims to build a unified AM quality-assurance system combining real-time in-process monitoring with post-build nondestructive evaluation (NDE), with a particular focus on large components, dense materials, and complex geometries that are difficult to assess through conventional inspection methods.
“As additive manufacturing scales to larger and more complex components, the ability to confidently verify part quality becomes mission critical,” said Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes.
“This project brings together advanced analytics, in-situ monitoring, and next-generation NDE into a unified strategy that strengthens our industrial base and accelerates the deployment of reliable AM capabilities across defense applications.”
The INSITE program will be organized around three decision gates, progressing from initial sensor integration through in-situ data collection to full correlation of monitoring data with NDE results.
