Finalists announced for Additive Manufacturing in-situ monitoring challenge
The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America), Bethesda, Maryland, USA, in collaboration with ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) and Florida State University’s Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research, & Education (InSPIRE), has announced the five finalists chosen to participate in the Actionable In-Situ Awareness Challenge. The inaugural technology challenge aims to identify promising sensors and monitoring capabilities to provide unique quality tracking in advanced aerospace and defence part manufacturing.
Five companies – Jentek Sensors, Additive Assurance, Phase3D, Applied Optimization, and Addiguru – will participate in a three-month challenge to demonstrate commercially viable ‘in-situ monitoring and data analytics solutions’ for metal Additive Manufacturing.
During the challenge, each company will install and test their monitoring systems on ASTRO America’s industrial-scale metal AM machines at Maritech Machine in Panama City, Florida, USA. Their task is to collect meaningful in-process data and demonstrate how their solution delivers quantifiable value to end users across defence and aerospace sectors.
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“Despite a long-standing understanding of the importance of monitoring and data analytics in Additive Manufacturing, users still lack clarity on which solutions offer genuine value,” stated Dr Abdalla Nassar, Vice President, ASTRO America. “This challenge is designed to help separate effective solutions from less impactful ones.”
In metal Additive Manufacturing, quality control is still largely post-process, meaning that defects are often discovered after a lengthy and expensive build is complete. Many companies have developed their own sensor packages and ‘autocorrect’ systems, but widespread adoption has been inhibited.
All five finalists will participate in a demonstration week over the coming weeks, during which they will capture data, including time-lapse imagery and performance logs, as part of their installation. A videography team will also document the process for promotional and judging materials.
Final results will be presented during a public showcase event taking place August 26-27, 2025, in Panama City. Attendees will include representatives from sponsors ASTRO, ASTM, FSU Inspire, as well as from guest evaluators from GE Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and FSU.
