In today’s issue:
- ASTRO Hosts GAMMA Technology Requirements Workshop with Key U.S. Navy and Shipbuilding Leaders including PEO SSBN, NAVSEA 05T, NSWC Carderock Division, NUSC Keyport, and Newport News Shipbuilding and AUSTAL USA
- GAMMA Guam Student Update
- CAM-QT Government Advisory Board Convening
- ASTRO in the News
- Coming Up!
_____
ASTRO America Holds GAMMA Technology Requirements Workshop in Washington, D.C.
In July, ASTRO delivered an implementation plan to build the Guam Additive Materials & Manufacturing Accelerator, “GAMMA,” based on three pillars: workforce development and education; component testing and evaluation; and manufacturing business incubation/support on-island. The project plan establishes GAMMA as a proponent of the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN), which is responsible for U.S. strategic submarines’ lifecycle management as well as supporting submarine industrial base resilience.
In addition to developing enhanced part replacement capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, GAMMA will address the needs of U.S. forces as well as potentially those of Allied nations, sustaining a technological edge in submarine-construction.
The August ASTRO GAMMA workshop aimed to solicit input from key military officials on the appropriate technology and configuration for the GAMMA facility. Discussions involved a broad range of U.S. Navy stakeholders, including subject matter experts from Naval Sea Systems Command’s surface warfare centers, undersea warfare centers, and centers of excellence, as well as from major U.S. shipbuilders. Some highlights include–
- A keynote by Matt Sermon, Executive Director of PEO SSBN which centered on the importance of the GAMMA project to the maritime industrial base and overall U.S. national security.
- A discussion with Navy personnel based in Guam on addressing needs for timely requisitioning of ship components and appropriate NAVSEA-compliant part-acceptance.
- Forward deployed additive manufacturing technology development presented by PEO SSBN’ Technology Development Lead Jesse Geisbert, Technology Development Lead
- Navy requirements for accepting AM-built submarine components (qualification processes),explained by Justin Rettaliata, Technical Warrant Holder – Additive Mfg for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA 05T)
- A discussion of conditions on Guam and constraints for manufacturing with Matthew Herrmann, former Chief of Staff to Guam’s Delegate to the U.S. Congress and current Principal for The Roosevelt Group
- A session on utilizing forward deployed AM capability for: spares, repairs, and unique applications, jointly led by John Ralls, Principal Engineer. – HII – Newport News Shipbuilding and Scott Kasen, Director, Advanced Technologies – AUSTAL USA
_____
GAMMA Guam Student Update
The cornerstone of GAMMA is a satellite campus of a mainland U.S. university in Guam, based on the grounds of the University of Guam. ASTRO is helping the University of Guam (UOG) and Guam Community College (GCC) enter an agreement with another academic institution renowned for its leadership in manufacturing education and technical research. This partnership will support conferring of joint certifications as well as associates, bachelors, and masters degrees for students on-island from UOG, GCC, and the mainland U.S institution.
Meanwhile, ASTRO has helped bring five Guam residents to the continental U.S. where they are now enrolled as in the U.S. Navy’s twenty-two week advanced manufacturing program within the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM). Through this program, these students receive hands-on technician-level training. Following this coursework, ASTRO will then immerse the students in a research environment to learn about manufacturing and industrial part inspection laboratories at US-based universities and centers.
Each month, we will feature one of the aforementioned students being sponsored by ASTRO and the U.S. Navy. These segments will explain what it means to be a part of this historic effort to bring additive manufacturing capabilities to Guam.
Rickie Jemiah Casupanan holds an Associate of Science in Pre-architectural Drafting and an Associate of Science in Civil Engineering from Guam Community College with plans to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Guam. Her solid foundation in both architectural concepts and civil engineering principles helped prepare her for advanced studies and a future career in the engineering field.
Why additive manufacturing? In Rickie’s eyes, 3D printing’s capability to create complex, custom designs efficiently is fascinating. “Additive manufacturing is transforming construction and architecture by allowing complex and custom designs to be made quickly. It can print building parts on-site, speeding up construction and cutting costs, while enabling unique designs that are hard to achieve with traditional methods.”
While studying in the U.S.-based training program, Rickie noted that the U.S. has amazing technology in everything from smart cities to modern infrastructure, and tools and machines are more advanced than those in Guam. This realization inspires her to work harder and absorb as much as possible. “‘Never stop learning’ is what I always tell myself,” she said. “Engaging in ongoing education, such as certifications in print reading, or specialized courses, will help deepen my expertise.”
Above all else, Rickie is excited to take all that she learns here in the U.S. and apply it in Guam, in an historic first for the region as it develops additive manufacturing capabilities. “I’m excited to help bring additive manufacturing to Guam. This technology can boost local industries, create new jobs, and drive economic growth. By joining this effort, I aim to contribute to Guam’s progress and innovation.”
_____
CAM-QT Government Advisory Board Convening
ASTRO America has made tremendous progress in developing an interactive, common template for suppliers of three major jet engine producers as part of the effort to solve the largest barrier to AM adoption — qualification.
The ASTRO team has been working to develop a common qualification template for Installation Qualification (IQ) and Operational Qualification (OQ). On August 19th, the Government Advisory Board (GAB) for our Common Additive Manufacturing Qualification Template (CAM-QT) project being sponsored by America Makes recommended proceeding to the next phase focused on performance qualification (PQ) and supplier adoption. The GAB brings a broad additive manufacturing perspective to the project representing the Navy, Air Force, FAA, NASA, NAVAIR, NIST, and the AFRL.
Earlier in January of this year, the GAB endorsed moving ahead to the IQ/OQ template creation phase, with enthusiasm about the potential impact on suppliers and supply chain resilience.
_____
ASTRO in the News!
ASTRO America’s GAMMA accelerator continues to make news, as the organization plans to manage the staging and deployment of 3D Printing Technology and a Workforce Education Center on Guam to diversify the island’s economy and support Indo-Pacific submarine industrial base needs
“Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and her administration commissioned a study by ASTRO America, a manufacturing policy think tank, to evaluate the feasibility of bringing such technology to Guam. A strong advocate for modernizing submarine production and addressing material readiness challenges through advanced technology, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Scott Pappano, program executive officer, Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN), and his team are partnering to help implement and scale innovative solutions to modernize America’s submarine industrial base.
The center will be based on three pillars — workforce development and education; component testing and evaluation; and manufacturing business incubation/support on-island.”
The full article can be found here.
_____
Coming Up
- Quad Cities Business Journal Manufacturing Conference (September 5 Moline)
- IMTS 2024 (September 9-14 Chicago)
- ASTM International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing 2024 (Oct 28-Nov 1 Atlanta)
- Defense Manufacturing Conference (December 2-5 Austin)
- AMGTA Annual Member Summit (June 24 Los Angeles)
- RAPID+TCT (June 25-27 Los Angeles)