Increasing global manufacturing competitiveness through Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing technologies. This is the aim of Ohio-based America Makes (also known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute), which is a partnership among both public and private entities representing workforce development resources, academia, industry, government, and non-government agencies. America Makes includes five government agencies: NASA, the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Defense, and the National Science Foundation.
With its expansive reach across all sectors of the AM and 3D printing industries, America Makes holds an important position regarding the future of these technologies. In efforts to boost collaborative efforts across the Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry, America Makes is offering a new resource for its members. This is a Capabilities Database — a members-only searchable directory that details each member’s specific capabilities.
How will such a resource benefit the AM industry? Deputy Director of Technology Transition, Dr. Kevin Creehan, emphasizes open information and research exchange as a key mission of the new project: “One of the key tenants of America Makes is to foster a highly collaborative infrastructure for the open exchange of AM information and research. With the new Capabilities Database, we are enabling our membership community to even more rapidly forge productive partnerships that maximize resources and knowledge and yield real, game-changing innovations for the AM industry.”
America Makes also reports that over time the Capabilities Database will evolve to provide a sortable and searchable comprehensive view of the AM supply chain, including a direct link to the searchable Senvol® Database, which follows industrial AM machines and materials. In other words, eventually, the America Makes Capabilities Database will provide data about non-members, but remain a members-only privilege as well.
