America Makes Spotlights Innovation: CATACS Winners Announced, PADAM 2.0 Deadline Extended

America Makes Spotlights Innovation: CATACS Winners Announced, PADAM 2.0 Deadline Extended

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By America Makes Press

April 4, 2024

America Makes, the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM), continues to spearhead advancements in the industry. The organization recently announced the winners of a significant project call focused on tackling corrosion challenges in additive manufacturing. In parallel, it has extended the deadline for another crucial funding opportunity, reinforcing its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration across the AM ecosystem.

CATACS Project Call Unveils Solutions for Corrosion in AM

The "Corrosion of Additive – Tested At Component Scale" (CATACS) Project Call, a substantial $1.3 million initiative funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office, has revealed its leading innovators. This vital project aims to tackle the complex issue of corrosion in additively manufactured components, a critical factor for their long-term performance and reliability in diverse applications, especially within defense and aerospace.

Topic 1: Corrosion of AM Components at Elevated Temperatures

For Topic 1, focusing on "Corrosion of AM Components at Elevated Temperatures," the prestigious award goes to the RTX Technology Research Center. Their work will delve into understanding and mitigating corrosion in AM parts subjected to high-temperature environments, an area of significant importance for sectors requiring materials to maintain integrity under extreme thermal conditions.

Topic 2: Corrosion of AM Components for Thermal Management

Addressing "Corrosion of AM Components for Thermal Management," the collaborative efforts led by the Colorado School of Mines have been recognized. Their team includes notable partners such as Conflux Technology, Elementum 3D, NIST, ORNL, and other key players in the additive manufacturing and materials science communities. This topic is crucial for developing robust AM solutions for heat exchangers and other thermal management systems where corrosion can severely impact efficiency and lifespan, particularly in high-performance computing, aerospace, and defense applications.

PADAM 2.0 Proposal Deadline Extended

In other news, America Makes, in conjunction with NCDMM, has announced an extension for the submission deadline of the $6 million "Post-Process Additive Manufacturing (PADAM) 2.0" project call. Funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, this significant opportunity now invites proposals until April 8th. The PADAM 2.0 initiative seeks to advance post-processing techniques for additive manufacturing, an area critical for improving the surface finish, mechanical properties, and overall quality of AM parts, making them suitable for high-performance applications across various industries, including defense.

These initiatives highlight America Makes' ongoing role in orchestrating collaborative efforts to push the boundaries of additive manufacturing, addressing key challenges and accelerating the transition of innovative AM technologies from research to real-world deployment across both commercial and defense sectors.

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