HAMR to build new AM production facility at Neighborhood 91
HAMR Industries LLC, State College, Pennsylvania, USA, a developer of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for components functioning in harsh and extreme environments, has signed an agreement with The Buncher Company for the build-out of a new Additive Manufacturing focused R&D and production facility at Pittsburgh International Airport’s Neighborhood 91 campus.
“The advantages of Neighborhood 91 are clear, and HAMR is excited to join the Neighborhood,” stated Dr Michael P Schmitt, CEO & Senior Research Scientist at HAMR Industries. “HAMR has acquired new AM equipment that will allow us to rapidly expand and mature our technologies, and N91 provides the perfect ecosystem to foster innovation.”
Neighborhood 91, said to be the world’s first end-to-end Additive Manufacturing production campus provides all the elements of advanced manufacturing on one campus. Located on airport property, adjacent to four runways, it has the potential for rapid part deployment for customers around the world. Pittsburgh is also home to a strong workforce and academic resources and recruiting opportunities from universities focused on machine learning, Additive Manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, including the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.
“We are pleased to welcome HAMR to our growing Neighborhood 91 community,” commented Vince Gastgeb, senior vice president of Corporate and Government Relations, Pittsburgh International Airport. “The work they are doing in materials development will shape the future of advanced manufacturing, and we are excited it will be happening at the Neighborhood 91 campus.”
HAMR Industries began in State College, Pennsylvania, by Dr Michael Schmitt and Dr Jeremy Schreiber to transition materials-driven technologies out of laboratory settings and into commercial use. The company expands its internal capabilities by working extensively with collaborating institutions and partners, such as the US Department of Defense, US Department of Energy, NASA, and Pennsylvania State University. These collaborations provide access to additional fabrication equipment, test and analysis facilities, and leading experts in a variety of fields. HAMR builds its reputation on four stated pillars: ‘specialists in materials development’; ‘experts in novel processing’; ‘solutions providers’; and ‘a team that will go the extra mile to get things done quickly and correctly’.
Recently, the company announced the acquisition of a large format WarpSPEE3D cold spray Additive Manufacturing unit from SPEE3D Inc., which is expected to facilitate the transition of cold spray repair and AM technology to commercial and government partners by providing the capability to produce large-format parts rapidly and affordably. The system can be used for applications ranging from R&D and space access to DoD sustainment and industrial implementation. Combined with HAMR’s expertise in modelling and materials-driven development, the new unit enables the exploration of innovative and novel solutions not previously feasible.
“In a brief three years, Neighborhood 91 went from concept to reality as a result of partnership with the community and innovative companies that believe in N91’s overall mission of condensing and accelerating the AM supply chain process,” said Brian Goetz, executive vice president of The Buncher Company, the master developer of Neighborhood 91.
Learn more about Neighborhood 91 in our article ‘Neighborhood 91: The bridge to Additive Manufacturing production’ featured in the Autumn 2020 issue of Metal AM magazine.
