America Makes has introduced a brand new funding alternative to strengthen the U.S. protection provide chain by additive manufacturing (AM). Backed by $1.7 million from the Division of Protection (DoD), the brand new venture known as Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Provider Qualification (JAQS-SQ). Its aim is to qualify new AM suppliers and improve coaching packages to align with authorities manufacturing requirements.
The venture is designed to deal with two key points holding again wider adoption of AM in protection: the shortage of robust coaching and audit packages, and the sluggish, part-by-part qualification course of that limits manufacturing effectivity. By supporting as much as 5 awards, JAQS-SQ seeks to hurry up the trail for non-traditional suppliers to enter the protection market.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Mission Name was launched on the primary day of MMX 2025, America Makes’ annual member assembly in Youngstown, Ohio that’s targeted on advancing AM throughout the U.S. provide chain; 3DPrint.com was a media sponsor for the occasion. On the finish of the second day, Expertise Transition Director Ben DiMarco supplied attendees with extra particulars about JAQS-SQ, and defined why it’s so essential. In his personal phrases, DiMarco is usually a “jolly” particular person, however he was lifeless severe on the microphone.
“JAQS-SQ is to organize the availability base. This name is about transition, it’s about components, it’s about {qualifications}. It’s an issue,” he mentioned. “We have to get the phrase out about this.”
Ben DiMarco closed out MMX 2025 with an outline of the newly introduced $1.7M venture name JAQS-SQ. Picture: Sarah Saunders.
Whereas AM has change into extra widespread in lots of industries, together with aerospace and medical units, its broader use in protection continues to be considerably restricted. One of many largest challenges for small and mid-sized AM suppliers is assembly the federal government’s strict qualification necessities. Many simply don’t have the time, assets, or know-how to get their processes as much as navy requirements. That’s precisely the hole JAQS-SQ goals to shut.
DiMarco defined that identical to sports activities groups have coaching camps and the navy has boot camps, AM contract producers additionally want coaching to interrupt into protection functions.
“You practice to win.”
This system will practice suppliers to comply with key course of pointers and use clear audits to point out they’re assembly requirements. An enormous a part of this program is about constructing belief throughout the protection provide chain.
“You’ll get paid to coach and make components, and present that you could make them,” DiMarco defined. “There are plane which are grounded as a result of they’re lacking components. We’d like extra suppliers to promote components to our authorities, and half by half qualification won’t reduce it anymore.”
America Makes is main this system in partnership with the Nationwide Heart for Protection Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). Funding comes from the Workplace of the Below Secretary of Protection, Manufacturing Expertise Workplace (OSD ManTech), a gaggle that has lengthy backed 3D printing as a strategy to enhance innovation and modernize U.S. protection manufacturing.
What’s extra, the hope is that it’ll enhance how AM is certified and adopted at scale, whereas lowering prices and delays tied to current qualification bottlenecks.
JAQS-SQ is a part of a extra basic effort by the federal government to rebuild and strengthen the U.S. protection provide chain. By making it simpler for non-traditional suppliers to get certified, this system desires to broaden the pool of trusted companions and add new capabilities to a system that’s continually being examined. Any suppliers that cross may have certified standing inside the DoD.
Firms chosen for the primary JAQS-SQ cohort, or Group 1, will deal with laser powder mattress fusion (LPBF), and there shall be future cohorts targeted on completely different AM applied sciences. Wichita State College’s Nationwide Institute for Aviation Analysis (WSU-NIAR) will develop the transition data and curriculum for contributors, and they’re going to additionally ship the coaching, implementing Course of Management Doc (PCD) and Efficiency Qualification (PQ) steerage into the AM suppliers’ operations.
WSU-NIAR can even audit the suppliers over a 12-month interval, with the aim of creating an accredited U.S. provide case. After Group 1 is efficiently educated and audited, the curriculum and audit shall be up to date as wanted, based mostly on DoD Advisory Board suggestions and configuration administration, in addition to suggestions from the business.
DiMarco reiterated that proposals don’t want to incorporate NIAR within the venture funding part; as a result of they’re getting ready the coaching, they’ve a separate contract.
“Proposers ought to embody a self-assessment, and be trustworthy. Don’t bloat your MRL,” he cautioned.
The venture will final 15 months—12 months for execution, and the remainder for reporting, “so now we have time to organize the outcomes for the following group,” DiMarco defined. Every proposal has a required minimal 25% price share.
Analysis standards is as follows:
- Technical Strategy and Methodology: 20%
- Information Administration Plan: 10%
- Expertise Dissemination to America Makes Members and Affect to DoD: 50%
- Program Administration Strategy: 20%
- Value: not scored, however thought-about a part of the general worth proposition
“An enormous proportion is placed on the proposal’s influence to the DoD,” DiMarco highlighted. “What did you be taught, the place did you stub your toe, how can it assist the DoD?”
Picture: Sarah Saunders
At MMX, Keith DeVries, Director of DoD ManTech, urged that anybody taken with “throwing their hat within the ring” ought to try the guidebook for the DoD’s MRL evaluation to “assist with the validity of your submission.” Mission proposals are due by October 2 right here. To be eligible, candidates should be part of America Makes by September 18. Questions concerning the Mission Name’s scope or method are due August thirteenth, which is subsequent week. You may ship inquiries to projectcall@americamakes.us, and they are going to be posted to the America Makes web site; solutions will come later this month.
DiMarco took some preliminary questions throughout the presentation; these can even be posted to the web site, together with the solutions. Somebody from Lockheed Martin requested if primes (prime contractors which have a direct contractual relationship with a authorities entity) may take part, and DiMarco mentioned that regardless of in case you’re a provider, a small enterprise, and so on., “in case you assume you can also make an influence, in case you can ship components on the finish and improve capability, I view you as eligible.”
One other query pivoted in a unique path. The attendee reminded us all what we’d discovered throughout the occasion: whereas a whole bunch of components are being 3D printed for U.S. protection, China is printing hundreds of thousands. Then he requested if we thought that China was nonetheless working this a lot on qualification actions. DiMarco didn’t try to reply that, noting that “these are the instruments now we have now.”
“I need to keep targeted on the mission, which is provider qualification.”
To that finish, another person requested if firms had been required to take part in this system, or if they might pay their very own strategy to attend trainings in the event that they’re not chosen. The America Makes workforce didn’t have a solution, however mentioned they’d discover out.
The awards are anticipated to be introduced on November 10. Full particulars, together with proposal pointers and submission necessities, may be discovered within the official RFP, which inspires candidates to behave rapidly to make sure eligibility and participation.
Breaking into protection manufacturing will not be straightforward, however packages like JAQS-SQ may give newer AM suppliers an actual shot at qualifying for severe contracts.
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