NCDMM and Partners Named Multi-Award Winner for Second Consecutive Year

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announces that for the second consecutive year, NCDMM and its program partners were named the winner of multiple Manufacturing Leadership Awards for outstanding manufacturing excellence by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). NAM winners will be officially recognized at the virtual Manufacturing Leadership Award Gala on May 19, 2021.

“For NCDMM and our partners to receive commendations from the NAM two consecutive years is a tremendous honor, particularly among such a competitive field of nominees,” says Gary Fleegle, NCDMM president and CEO. “These commendations are testament to the innovated manufacturing solutions that NCDMM and its strategic partners provide to the defense industry and its supply chain. We humbly thank the NAM for once again recognizing our work to support the warfighter.”

The NAM recognized the NCDMM and its partners in three award categories for the following programs:

Artificial Intelligence & Advanced Analytics Leadership

Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange (JAMMEX): NCDMM through its America Makes program, Quotient, Inc. and Identify3D, Inc., with funding from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), collaborated to bridge existing gaps within the Department of Defense (DoD) and supply chain due to the proliferation of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to manufacture components. The program team leveraged an existing government cloud-based digital asset management application, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 3D Print Exchange, to create the JAMMEX API and 3D printable parts repository.

Engineering & Production Technology Leadership

Conformal Fan Duct Heat Exchanger for Engine Thermal Management Systems: NCDMM through its America Makes program, Raytheon Technologies Research Center (formerly United Technologies Research Center), Collins Aerospace (formerly United Technologies Aerospace eSystems), Pratt & Whitney, Stratonics, Inc., and Ansys, Inc. (formerly 3DSIM), with funding from AFRL, collaborated to rapidly advance the use of laser power bed fusion (L-PBF) AM process and materials in the fabrication of a conformal heat exchanger (HEX) for next-generation aerospace propulsion applications. The program successfully established baseline AM capability and demonstrated a prescriptive methodology for selecting build parameters for the repeatable and reliable AM HEX fabrication.

Operational Excellence Leadership

Manufacturing Technology for Complex Missile Seekers—Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) Program: NCDMM, the Joint Attack Munition Systems (JAMS) Project Office at Redstone Arsenal, and Parker Hannifin Composite Sealing Systems (CSS) Division, with funding from the U.S. Army’s Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, collaborated to advance the Army’s JAGM Program by developing more reliable and affordable manufacturing solutions for complex missile seeker components used on a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aerial platforms. The program enabled significant improvements to the production of the key material, MetGraf, including the transition from a pilot, low-yield operation to full-rate production environment to meet the Army’s projected demand.

The Manufacturing Leadership Council developed the Manufacturing Leadership Awards to honor manufacturing companies and leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. Founded in 2004, the Manufacturing Leadership Awards have honored hundreds of innovative manufacturing companies from around the world.

The Manufacturing Leadership Awards consist of 11 categories that align with the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s member-driven Critical Issues Agenda. Nine of the categories are for companies that undertake successful, high-impact projects. Three categories are for individuals whose achievements advance their companies or the manufacturing industry.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.