America Makes Announces Winners of Delta Qual Project Call

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes announce the winners of the Demonstration of Novel Methods for Effective AM Process Qualification/Re-Qualification - Delta Qualification directed project call worth $3.2M. The effort is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). 

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers the U.S. Air Force and commercial manufacturing sectors opportunities to quickly produce lightweight designs, according to America Makes. Yet there are challenges due to the time and cost associated with AM material and machine development and the significant data through testing and analysis needed for qualification/re-qualification. So the agility of AM processes is hindered, making it challenging to respond to technological advancements and shifts in the supply chain without undergoing re-qualification to ensure all rigorous standards for quality and safety continue to be met. 

The chosen Delta Qual project teams will tackle these challenges by creating a qualified AM process that offers rapid flexibility in crucial processes, post-processing and material feedstock variables, while validating a qualified AM material through statistical analysis, America Makes explains.

“We are excited to announce and celebrate the winners of this project call,” says Dr. Brandon Ribic, America Makes technology director. “These cutting-edge industry leaders, researchers, and developers are revolutionizing additive technology and propelling it forward as the future of manufacturing.” 

Below is the list of award winners and related topics/projects:

Topic 1: Major Delta Qualification Demonstration 

• Project 1: Applying Machining Learning to Enable Effective Additive Manufacturing Process Qualification/Re-Qualification
  Team Lead: Senvol 
  Project Team: 3Degrees, AoZora Additive, ATI, Battelle, Boeing, Element Materials Technologies, National Institute of Aviation Research and Pilgrim Consulting 
• Project 2: Model Enabled Delta-Qual (MEDEL-QUAL)
  Team Lead: RTX (Raytheon)
  Project Team: Collins Aerospace Applied Research & Technology, Colorado School of Mines, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, and Sentient Science Corp. 
• Project 3: Rapid Qualification Pathway for Metal Additive Manufacturing using Laser Powder Bed Fusion for Critical Applications
  Team Lead: EOS 
  Project Team: 3Degrees, AddiGuru, NSL Analytical, and The Ohio State University 

 Topic 2: Minor Delta Qualification

• Project 1: Fatigue Allowable Curves and Effects of Texture and Thickness (FACETT)
  Team Lead: RTX Technology Research Center 
  Project Team: Collins Aerospace Applied Research & Technology, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Sentient Science Corporation 
• Project 2: Demonstration of Novel Methods for Effective AM Process Qualification/Re-qualification
  Team Lead: Honeywell Aerospace 
  Project Team: Macy Consulting

Topic 3: Red Team 

• Project 1: Thorough Evaluation of AM with Rigorous Expertise and Data
  Team Lead: The Barnes Global Advisors 
  Project Team: Blue Forge Alliance, Carnegie Mellon University, NASA, and SAE International 

The projects are expected to be completed in September 2025 with data available to America Makes members. Additionally, project teams will report out at TRX and other industry events during the execution phase of the program.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

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