President Biden and his Administration have launched Additive Manufacturing Forward.

Part of the Bipartisan Innovation Act, AM Forward is expected to improve the competitiveness of America’s small and medium enterprise (SME) manufacturers; creating and sustaining high-paying manufacturing jobs; and improving supply chain resilience through adoption of additive manufacturing.

Several large, iconic American manufacturers have made a voluntary pact to support their U.S.-based SME suppliers’ adoption of AM.

There are many ways to create metals in shapes needed for different purposes. However, these processes affect the sizes and shapes of the tiny crystalline grains that make up the bulk metal. A new Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study determines what happens as these crystal grains form during an extreme deformation process, down to a few nanometers across at the tiniest scales.

NASA, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has developed an all-new metal 3D printing alloy specially designed for use in high-performance aerospace systems. Combining strength and durability, GRX-810 is an example of an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy: a metal containing nanoscale oxide particles. The material can reportedly withstand temperatures of over 1090°C (2000°F), all while being more malleable than existing aerospace alloys.

A turbine engine combustor 3D printed at NASA Glenn using GRX-810. Photo via NASA.

The HIP’22 – International Conference on Hot Isostatic Pressing Call for Papers deadline has been extended to May 25. This triennial event, to be held September 11-14, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio, was rescheduled from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. HIP’22 is the only international conference dedicated to hot isostatic pressing. All aspects of HIP are expected to be covered, and the conference is a great platform to present ideas, developments, and provide historical perspective. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit HIP2022.com.

Photo courtesy of the Indian Institute of Science.

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)  has identified an alternative process to produce metal powders. Led by Department of Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Koushik Viswanathan, the researchers state that abrasion produced metal powders are excellent candidates for high-performance applications such as in aircraft engines and biomedical implants.