General Atomics to lead 7075-equivalent aluminium PBF-LB material qualification project
![A topology-optimised node from a unitised small UAS airframe structure at GA-ASI, previously featured in Metal AM’s article “General Atomics Aeronautical on metal Additive Manufacturing’s place at the centre of the digital manufacturing revolution” (Courtesy GA-ASI) [https://www.metal-am.com/articles/general-atomics-aeronautical-on-metal-additive-manufacturings-place-at-the-centre-of-the-digital-manufacturing-revolution/]](http://www.metal-am.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/08/General-Atomics.png)
America Makes, Youngstown, Ohio, and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have named General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Poway, California, as the winner of a $5.5 million project call for Generation Of Technical-data for High-strength Aluminum Alloy Material (GOTHAAM).
GOTHAAM is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech). The project aims to develop material allowables for a high-strength, 7075-T73-equivalent aluminium alloy across three classes of Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines, supporting scalable production on small-, medium- and large-format AM machines.
The project is intended to deliver data for a corrosion-resistant, aerospace-grade alloy with defence and commercial applications. America Makes stated that GOTHAAM will also develop approaches intended to generate a strong return on investment for original equipment manufacturers and the organic industrial base as the alloy moves into qualified production.
“Qualifying advanced AM materials to deliver robust material data supporting durable, corrosion-resistant components for critical defence applications directly strengthens the defence industrial base,” stated John Martin, Additive Manufacturing Research Director at America Makes. “By delivering validated data and maturing LPBF capability, we’re giving US manufacturers what they need to produce reliable components for critical defence systems.”
Project team partners include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Airbus Space & Defense + APWorks, MIMO Technik, Quadrus Corporation, Hadrian Additive, Nikon AM, EOS America, Valimet, Toyal America, Equispheres, AMG Aluminum, Rio Tinto, Sunrise Metals, Nio Corp, Dyndrite and Scot Forge.
![A topology-optimised node from a unitised small UAS airframe structure at GA-ASI, previously featured in Metal AM’s article “General Atomics Aeronautical on metal Additive Manufacturing’s place at the centre of the digital manufacturing revolution” (Courtesy GA-ASI) [https://www.metal-am.com/articles/general-atomics-aeronautical-on-metal-additive-manufacturings-place-at-the-centre-of-the-digital-manufacturing-revolution/]](https://www.metal-am.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/08/General-Atomics.png)
