SPEE3D It has announced that the winner of this year’s Office of Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology (OSD ManTech) “Point of Need Challenge” for solutions to support forward-deployed forces in austere environments. The program will invest around 2.5 million USD according to SPEE3D, with industry partners contributing another 700,000 USD in cost share.
SPEE3D will be taking part in a live showcase at the US Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire. The team’s Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Technology (CSAM), and its ability to 3D-print metal parts in subfreezing environments, will be demonstrated.
The program received applications from more than 60 organisations. 11 of them made the final cut. Each of the final 11 took part in a live presentation at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (ARM Institute) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event featured technologies from members of the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.
A panel of 13 judges, including representatives from Military Services, Defense Logistics Agency, OSD ManTech, Defense Innovation Unit, and Joint Staff, evaluated the invited finalists.
CEO of SPEE3D Byron Kennedy said: “Given our proven track record of working with the military in very hot and dry environments, we look forward to demonstrating our expeditionary manufacturing and repair capabilities in sub-freezing conditions. We are honoured to work with the OSD to showcase our patented Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing technology.”
Six projects selected from the five MIIs have been approved. Three challenges were addressed: the Warfighter Medical, Nutrition, and Health Challenge, the Staying in the Fight Challenge, and the Cyber Challenge.
SPEE3D participated in the Staying in the Fight Challenge, and LIFT was its contracted MII. LIFT, a DoD MII registered in Detroit and overseen by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Research and Engineering is headquartered there.