America Makes Awards $4.5 Million Funding to Advance Additive Manufacturing

America Makes, in partnership with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), has announced the winners of its $4.5 million IMPACT 3.0 project call. Officially titled Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 3.0, the program was funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech). Released in April 2025, the call focused on two areas of research, with three awards anticipated. Its purpose is to demonstrate improvements in lead time, productivity, and yield for casting and forging operations using additive manufacturing technologies.

Additive manufacturing is considered vital for the Defense Industrial Base and broader industry because it enables greater design flexibility and on-demand production of parts. These capabilities apply both to new acquisitions and to the sustainment of legacy systems. The projects selected under IMPACT 3.0 are expected to validate how such methods can streamline production processes, shorten delivery times, and generate cost savings.

The America Makes facility in Youngstown, Ohio. Photo via America Makes.

“At America Makes, we are privileged to mobilize our membership in addressing the nation’s most complex manufacturing challenges with urgency and rigor through the IMPACT 3.0 project call,” said John Martin, AM Research Director at America Makes. “We congratulate the awardees and look forward to partnering with them to strengthen sustainment strategies and accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing across industry and defense sectors.”

Under the topic AM in the Digital Foundry, Pennsylvania State University will serve as team lead. Project partners include Donsco, Inc.; 3D Systems, Inc.; Skuld, LLC; Element Materials Technology; Tethon 3D; foundries participating in Penn State’s Cast Metals Industrial Advisory Committee; Marotta Controls, Inc.; and Parker-Hannifin Corporation.

Two additional awards were made under the topic Wire Arc Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Process Sensing and Control. One project will be led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, joined by GE Aerospace Research and Wason Technology, LLC. The second project will be directed by RTX Technology Research Center in collaboration with FasTech, LLC.

Award recipients will report progress at America Makes’ Technical Review and Exchange (TRX) and at other industry events during the program’s execution. These updates will provide data on the integration of additive manufacturing within casting and forging and measure its impact on efficiency and sustainment.

U.S. Military Expands Additive Manufacturing Programs

3D Systems, a U.S. 3D printer manufacturer, was awarded a $7.65 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to advance its Large-format Metal 3D Printer Advanced Technology Demonstrator (GEN-IIDMP-1000). The two-year program builds on earlier collaborations that began in 2019 and focuses on developing AM capabilities for large, high-temperature metal structures suited to high-speed flight. Work will be carried out at 3D Systems’ facilities in San Diego, California, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, with completion expected by September 2027. Additional Air Force contracts in 2024 supported composite material development through Continuous Composites and advanced metal processes through Elementum 3D.

In parallel, Synergy Additive Manufacturing, a U.S.-based laser processing company, received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The project aims to develop Extremely High-Speed Laser Cladding (EHLA) methods for extending the service life of titanium cylinder bores in helicopter components. Under the award, Synergy will optimize materials for precision cladding, enabling rapid, defect-free coatings that reduce distortion and waste while enhancing durability. The contract forms part of the U.S. Navy’s wider initiative to lower costs and minimize maintenance downtime for mission-critical aerospace parts.