America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have selected 25 project teams for a $10.5 million program intended to expand the US defense industrial base for metal additive manufacturing.
The Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification Groups 2 and 3 project, or JAQS-SQ, will establish common training and audit requirements for suppliers using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED).
The project is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Manufacturing Technology Office. It is intended to accelerate the qualification of additive manufacturing suppliers and help non-traditional manufacturers meet defense acquisition and production requirements.
Selected organizations include established aerospace and industrial manufacturers, metal 3D printing specialists, materials companies and manufacturing service providers. America Makes says the expanded JAQS network now includes 31 suppliers.
“Congratulations to the 25 project teams chosen for this vital effort,” said Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes.
“This award signifies a pivotal moment for the Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment initiative and marks a major advancement for the defense industrial base. The JAQS network now includes 31 suppliers, forming one of the largest coordinated efforts to qualify and expand additive manufacturing in support of national defense readiness.”
Standardizing metal AM supplier qualification
The latest project focuses on creating unified requirements for training, process control and supplier audits. Its stated aim is to ensure participating manufacturers can repeatedly produce qualified components using LPBF or DED.
Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research will help develop the training curriculum. The program will be designed for production and engineering operations managers responsible for introducing qualification procedures into manufacturing facilities.
Training will cover the implementation of process control documents and additive manufacturing qualification principles and participating suppliers will then integrate the guidance into their operations.
An audit will assess whether each organization can operate as a qualified additive manufacturing supplier for the Department of War. This will include demonstrating the ability to conduct a performance qualification according to the requirements established in the curriculum.
The approach is intended to align suppliers with defense acquisition requirements while creating a more consistent process for adding manufacturers to the defense supply chain.
“This initiative accelerates supplier qualification and amplifies manufacturing capabilities nationwide,” added DiMarco. “The impact of this strategic investment will extend beyond these teams, shaping the future of additive manufacturing.”
Twenty-five organizations receive awards
America Makes had anticipated making up to 30 awards through the project call. A total of 25 organizations were ultimately selected.
The recipients are ADDiTEC, Hyperscale Manufacturing, AML3D USA, American Prime Technologies, Armadillo Additive, Baker Hughes Energy Transition, Collins Aerospace, Cumberland Additive, Eaton Corporation, Elementum 3D, EWI, FASTECH and FormAlloy Technologies.
GKN Aerospace GTC, Hadrian Automation, Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies, Innovative 3D Manufacturing, Laser Welding Solutions, Materials Sciences, Mimo Technik Print Metal, MRL Materials Resources, National Equipment Corporation, Nikon AM Synergy, Norsk Titanium US and Seurat Technologies were also selected.
The group covers multiple stages of the metal additive manufacturing supply chain. It includes machine developers, production service providers, aerospace manufacturers, materials suppliers and companies specializing in LPBF or DED.
Several recipients already supply components or manufacturing technologies to aerospace, energy and defense customers. Others represent smaller or non-traditional suppliers that the program is intended to help move into qualified defense production.
Awardees will report on their progress at America Makes Technical Review and Exchange events and other industry meetings during the project’s execution phase.
Expanding supplier-level qualification
Groups 2 and 3 expand the JAQS-SQ program beyond an initial cohort of six LPBF suppliers. That phase targeted limited AM training and audit programs. It also sought to reduce dependence on restrictive part-by-part qualification by focusing on whether suppliers could implement the documented process controls required for government production.
Qualification requirements can create a particular obstacle for smaller manufacturers. A separate common qualification template project led by ASTRO America brought together Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell and GE to develop shared installation and operational qualification requirements for metal AM. The project responded to suppliers having to provide different qualification data to individual manufacturers, even when using the same production process.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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Feature image shows the America Makes facility in Youngstown, Ohio. Photo via America Makes.
