July 6, 2023

Beloved former AFRL director honored posthumously for defense manufacturing advocacy

Former Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Director and Vice Commander Dr. David “Dave” E. Walker was honored posthumously by the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel, or JDMTP, at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Tampa, Florida, in December 2022. The late Walker, a beloved former director of AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and passionate advocate for DOD-sponsored manufacturing technology programs, was named as a recipient of the JDMTP’s 2022 Defense Manufacturing Champion Award. Walker died unexpectedly in January 2020 at the age of 61, following a storied career spent in service to the nation’s defense.

Nov. 24, 2021

Air Force Research Lab working to develop future workforce

Ensuring a steady supply of technical and scientific expertise for American industry and innovation has been a national priority since about 1957 when the Soviet Union launched its first Sputnik. Today, however, with the increasingly rapid pace of high technology, the need to attract young people to the field of advanced technical manufacturing has become even more critical. To meet that need, the Air Force Research Lab recently tasked NextFlex with finding ways to attract students who might not otherwise consider such a career path.

June 11, 2020

Department of Defense and NextFlex sign new cooperative agreement

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory and NextFlex recently settled on a seven-year funding agreement worth up to $154 million that includes funding from the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Manufacturing Technology program.The agreement focuses on defense manufacturing requirements to sustain NextFlex’s

May 10, 2018

AFRL demos advanced robotics for aerospace manufacturing

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio –  Engineers from the Manufacturing Technologies Division, Air Force Research Laboratory, held a recent successful demonstration of the advanced capabilities of the Advanced Automation for Agile Aerospace Applications (A5) Robotic System at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The 22,000 pound A5

Feb. 2, 2018

AFRL, NextFlex leverage open-source community to create flexible circuit system

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio –  Lightweight, low-cost and flexible electronic systems are the key to next-generation smart technologies for military as well as consumer and commercial applications. An Air Force Research Laboratory-led project in conjunction with NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Institute, has resulted in the

Jan. 6, 2017

Embracing opportunity: additive technology for manufacturing

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – It’s a materials scientist’s dream, but as some experts say, an engineer’s nightmare. For scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, can be a powerful tool for rapid innovation.Ultimately, it’s a