The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) highlighted its programs and partnerships at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition held Aug. 7 - 9, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
 
This three-day event brought together representatives from government, industry, and academia to promote the adoption of new defense technologies aimed at securing supply chains and supporting the warfighter.
 
“ManTech plays a crucial role in strengthening our organic industrial base, ensuring that our defense manufacturing capabilities are resilient and advanced,” said Tracy Frost, director, Technology Industrial Innovation Base, acting director DoD ManTech Program. “By providing a sea of opportunity we can ensure these critical technologies cross the so-called manufacturing ‘valley of death’ and can deliver the most promising technologies to those who need it most, our warfighter.”
Participating in both breakout sessions and the exhibit hall, ManTech showcased initiatives from the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs), Manufacturing Science and Technology Program, and the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel.
 
Frost led the session, “OSD ManTech: Powering the Transition of Critical and Emerging Technologies,”  alongside panelists Berardino Baratta, CEO of Manufacturing Times Digital (MxD); Ira Moskowitz, CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute; Dr. Greg Hudas, Government Program Manager for the ARM Institute and Steve Luckowski, Program Director of DoD ManTech MIIs.
 
Baratta and Moskowitz shared success stories from ARM and MxD and ways conference attendees can leverage the MII ecosystem. They provided insights into successful technology transitions and the strategic importance of ManTech portfolios in defense manufacturing.
 
Barratta  provided   details of the success of the MxD project, Enabling Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility Through Predictive Analytics, in which the project team developed, validated, and scaled an open-source predictive analytics-based supply chain visibility tool that yielded significant improvements with respect to all the four key performance indicators.
 
Moskowitz discussed the ongoing success of the ARM Institute Uniform Work Robotic Sanding project, which tackled the optical requirements of combat aircraft canopies. Conventional sanding poses challenges that cause significant rework and worker fatigue. The team demonstrated its approach at GKN Aerospace on the F-35 canopy by employing advanced path planning and digital inspection. The projected benefits of the project include making products right the first time 80 percent more often, eliminating percent of polishing mistakes and rework, cutting production time by 30 percent and reducing waste in half. 
 
At the ManTech expo booth, attendees engaged with team members and explored technologies driving advanced manufacturing and rapid delivery of disruptive technology to support the Joint Force.  The booth showcased several innovative displays, including thermoplastic composite welded assemblies from Navy Manufacturing Technology Program, Biocement from BioMade, the bioindustrial MII, and a metallic component demonstrating the Incremental Robotic Forging project from the ARM institute.
 
The conference  provided a platform for the ManTech program to demonstrate its efforts in advancing defense technology and manufacturing capabilities, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and collaboration.
 
The ManTech’s Program’s mission is to reduce the acquisition and support costs of defense weapon systems and improve manufacturing and repair timelines throughout the lifecycles of these systems. The enterprise strives to leverage advanced manufacturing to ensure a more potent force, reinforce alliances and public-private partnership and accelerate adoption for enhanced performance and affordability. For more information about ManTech, visit dodmantech.mil or follow us on LinkedIn.
 

The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) highlighted its programs and partnerships at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition held Aug. 7 - 9, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
 
This three-day event brought together representatives from government, industry, and academia to promote the adoption of new defense technologies aimed at securing supply chains and supporting the warfighter.
 
“ManTech plays a crucial role in strengthening our organic industrial base, ensuring that our defense manufacturing capabilities are resilient and advanced,” said Tracy Frost, director, Technology Industrial Innovation Base, acting director DoD ManTech Program. “By providing a sea of opportunity we can ensure these critical technologies cross the so-called manufacturing ‘valley of death’ and can deliver the most promising technologies to those who need it most, our warfighter.”
Participating in both breakout sessions and the exhibit hall, ManTech showcased initiatives from the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs), Manufacturing Science and Technology Program, and the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel.
 
Frost led the session, “OSD ManTech: Powering the Transition of Critical and Emerging Technologies,”  alongside panelists Berardino Baratta, CEO of Manufacturing Times Digital (MxD); Ira Moskowitz, CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute; Dr. Greg Hudas, Government Program Manager for the ARM Institute and Steve Luckowski, Program Director of DoD ManTech MIIs.
 
Baratta and Moskowitz shared success stories from ARM and MxD and ways conference attendees can leverage the MII ecosystem. They provided insights into successful technology transitions and the strategic importance of ManTech portfolios in defense manufacturing.
 
Barratta  provided   details of the success of the MxD project, Enabling Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility Through Predictive Analytics, in which the project team developed, validated, and scaled an open-source predictive analytics-based supply chain visibility tool that yielded significant improvements with respect to all the four key performance indicators.
 
Moskowitz discussed the ongoing success of the ARM Institute Uniform Work Robotic Sanding project, which tackled the optical requirements of combat aircraft canopies. Conventional sanding poses challenges that cause significant rework and worker fatigue. The team demonstrated its approach at GKN Aerospace on the F-35 canopy by employing advanced path planning and digital inspection. The projected benefits of the project include making products right the first time 80 percent more often, eliminating percent of polishing mistakes and rework, cutting production time by 30 percent and reducing waste in half. 
 
At the ManTech expo booth, attendees engaged with team members and explored technologies driving advanced manufacturing and rapid delivery of disruptive technology to support the Joint Force.  The booth showcased several innovative displays, including thermoplastic composite welded assemblies from Navy Manufacturing Technology Program, Biocement from BioMade, the bioindustrial MII, and a metallic component demonstrating the Incremental Robotic Forging project from the ARM institute.
 
The conference  provided a platform for the ManTech program to demonstrate its efforts in advancing defense technology and manufacturing capabilities, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and collaboration.
 
The ManTech’s Program’s mission is to reduce the acquisition and support costs of defense weapon systems and improve manufacturing and repair timelines throughout the lifecycles of these systems. The enterprise strives to leverage advanced manufacturing to ensure a more potent force, reinforce alliances and public-private partnership and accelerate adoption for enhanced performance and affordability. For more information about ManTech, visit dodmantech.mil or follow us on LinkedIn.