Aug. 2, 2024

AFRL Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems Laboratory officially opens

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate celebrated the opening of the Manufacturing, Industrial Technologies and Energy Division’s Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems, or CAMS, Laboratory during a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 23, 2024. The facility will support the research efforts of its Digital Manufacturing Research Team, or DMRT. DVIDS Link: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/477623/afrl-collaborative-automation-manufacturing-systems-laboratory-officially-opens

July 10, 2023

America Makes Announces Open Project Call Worth $6.4M in Funding

YOUNGSTOWN, OH — The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes have announced a new open project call funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD (R&E)), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) worth a total of $6.4M. The number of anticipated awards and maximum funding will vary depending on the topic area being addressed.

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.

April 26, 2021

AFRL Materials scientist receives NextFlex 2021 Fellow Award

Dr. Jeremy Ward, a scientist at Wright-Patterson’s Air Force Research Laboratory, has received a 2021 Fellow Award from NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Institute. Ward was one of four recipients.

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

June 26, 2019

AFRL and partners reclaim obsolete aircraft parts using advanced manufacturing technology

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — Logistics In Action: Article originally appeared on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base website — The average age of Air Force aircraft is over 28 years according to Assessment of Military Power, 2018. This creates a constant requirement for components needing repair or replacement. Parts can be difficult to acquire when original suppliers are no longer in existence and new suppliers have no desire to produce low volume quantities.

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

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

July 29, 2016

Air Force researching advanced manufacturing techniques for aircraft parts replacement

This will be the first project under a new five-year cooperative agreement between the Air Force Research Laboratory and America Makes, which was created to help advance the U.S. 3D printing industry, also known as additive manufacturing. In order to deal with challenges related to the sustainment of its fleet of aircraft and aircraft support vehicles and machinery, this project will focus on additive manufacturing and related advanced manufacturing techniques such as reverse engineering tools, 3D scanners, CAD software and non-destructive evaluation systems. The America Makes Public-Private Partnership model provides unique opportunities to leverage current member investments and to better align the internal research and development activities of industrial, academic, and government partners to a national additive technology roadmap.