America Makes announces $1.7M Project Call for AM defence supplier qualification
America Makes, Youngstown, Ohio, and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have announced a new open project call worth a total of $1.7 million. The call is focused on accelerating the integration of Additive Manufacturing in the defence industrial base (DIB) by supporting and training manufacturers on the process control documents (PCDs) required for qualified AM.
According to the organisations, the lack of robust training and auditing programmes that adhere to established Additive Manufacturing standards, coupled with a restrictive part-by-part qualification process that limits capacity and efficiency, reduces government confidence in the technology.
Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification (JAQS-SQ) – Group 1 represents an opportunity to enhance the AM supply chain by improving alignment with government acquisition requirements. By developing comprehensive training and audit programmes, the JAQS-SQ efforts will work to ensure AM contract manufacturers implement essential process controls, supporting efficient and qualified production for government needs.
“Additive Manufacturing is at a turning point. The time for talking is over – we need to drive standardisation and qualification now to unlock real growth, especially for the Department of Defense,” said Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes. “As an Institute, we are taking action through efforts like the JAQS-SQ programme – rallying industry leaders to accelerate supplier qualification, strengthen supply chain trust, and ensure the defence industrial base is mission-ready.”
“JAQS-SQ moves us significantly closer to rapidly scaling the defence industrial base by aligning joint expertise in performance quality standards with hands-on training and audit-backed assurance,” stated Elisa Peters, Senior Program Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Integration OSD ManTech. “Through this programme, we’re poised to dramatically boost Additive Manufacturing readiness and production capacity, aiming for a tenfold increase by 2027.”
The submission deadline is October 2. Up to five awards are anticipated.
