President Biden has announced the launch of the Additive Manufacturing Forward (AM Forward) programme, whereby large manufacturers will support their smaller US-based suppliers in adopting 3D printing technology.
AM Forward has been set up to help build more resilient supply chains by investing in small and medium companies; overcome coordination challenges that limit the adoption of new technologies like additive manufacturing; and invest in regional manufacturing ecosystems to promote manufacturing in America. GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy are the initial participants in AM Forward, but the programme is open to any OEM to participate, provided they make public commitments to support their suppliers’ adoption of additive capabilities.
Though the US Government suggests there has been an increase in manufacturing moving back to America since the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden believes ‘not enough American companies are using 3D printing of other high-performance production technologies’. To address that, the US Government has aligned with the aforementioned five manufacturers to support their US-based suppliers’ adoption of new additive capabilities. This commitment includes the purchasing of additively produced parts from smaller US-based suppliers, as well as a pledge to train the workers of their suppliers on new additive technologies, provide detailed technical assistance to support their suppliers’ adoption, and engage in common standards development and certification for additive products. The programme will be supported by Applied Science & Technology Research Organization.
Among other public commitments:
- GE Aviation will target small/medium sized suppliers to compete on 50% of the requests for quotes that are sent out on products made using additive or related technologies; and will target 30% of its total external sourcing of additively manufactured parts from US-based SME suppliers.
- Raytheon will seek SME manufacturers involvement in over 50% of its requests for quotes on products manufactured using additive technologies; the company will also seek to simplify and accelerate the procurement process of AM parts.
- Siemens Energy will target to purchase 20-40% of total externally sourced AM parts and services from U.S.-based suppliers and partners. It will engage 10-20 US SME suppliers to help improve their AM capability. And it will also train 10-20 SME suppliers on inspection and post-processing best practices.
- Lockheed Martin will work with its SME suppliers to conduct research to improve the performance of additive manufacturing AM techniques specifically focused on the use of 3D printing as an alternative to castings and forgings; and it will further participate in university and technical college programmes for additive workforce development, including coursework and apprenticeship.
- Honeywell will target US-based SME suppliers to compete on request for quote packages sent out for products, machinery, manufacturing tooling, and/or manufacturing process development utilising additive or related technologies. It will also offer technical assistance in part design, data generation, machine operation, post-processing, part inspection / quality management to its SME suppliers.
To support AM Forward, the Biden Administration has identified a range of federal programmes that American SME manufactures can use to support their adoption of additive capabilities and increase their competitiveness. They include:
- Providing access to capital to our SME manufacturers: Providing affordable financing to small manufacturers will support the installation of additive equipment by reducing its cost. To address this issue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make its Business and Industry program available to rural manufacturers to support the purchase of new additive machines, and the training necessary to upskill their workforce. The Export-Import Bank will highlight its new domestic lending program that can help SME manufacturers upgrade their existing production equipment. And the Small Business Administration will work with the participants of AM Forward on how its 504 Loan Program and Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program can support the widespread deployment of new additive capabilities across U.S. industry.
- Delivering technical assistance from the federal government and OEMs to our SME manufacturers: SME manufacturers have noted the need for technical assistance to utilise new production technologies like 3D printers to their fullest extent. To support AM Forward, the Department of Energy will make its Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory available to SME manufacturers to test new additive techniques. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership will provide enhanced technical assistance; and the Department of Defense (DOD) will use its Mentor Protégé Program to reimburse the cost to the large OEM participants in AM Forward for providing technical assistance to their smaller U.S.-based suppliers owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. DOD’s Manufacturing Technology Program Office will work with America Makes, a DOD-sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and AM Forward members on a pilot standardisation project.
- Investing in the additive manufacturing workforce: To fully benefit from the use of additive capabilities, SME manufacturers must train their workforce differently to successfully deploy additive capabilities, including upskilling workers. America Makes will thus develop curriculum for workforce training with AM Forward participants; and, along with the U.S. Department of Labor, will assist manufacturers in launching apprenticeship programs in additive manufacturing.
- Setting industry standards: Finally, since 3D printing requires different standards and process certifications, the US Department of Commerce – through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – will conduct measurement science research to overcome key barriers to widespread use of metals-based additive manufacturing, develop the technical basis for new high-priority standards, and disseminate these results to AM Forward participants through leadership of standards development within ASTM International, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and other standards bodies.
A statement distributed by the White House read: “AM Forward will help lower costs for American families by improving the competitiveness of America’s small-and-medium manufacturers, creating and sustaining high-paying manufacturing jobs, and improving supply chain resilience through adoption of additive manufacturing.”
President Biden has also encouraged congress to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act, “which established a Supply Chain Office at the Department of Commerce, supports foundational technologies such as additive manufacturing, and invests in regional tech hubs as well as increasing funding for Manufacturing USA Institutes and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.”
