ASTRO America December 2024 Newsletter

Dec 17, 2024

In this month’s issue:

  • Upcoming Workshops for Virginia-Based Metal Manufacturers
  • GAMMA Guam Student Update
  • ASTRO in the News 
  • Coming Up

Reconfigure Virginia’s Manufacturers for Modernization Program Holds Upcoming Workshops for Virginia-Based Metal Manufacturers

ASTRO America is pleased to be supporting Virginia Tech’s work with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)  to build a common understanding on the benefits and requirements of Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM). The Reconfigure Virginia’s Manufacturers for Modernization (Re-VAMMP) program aims to increase the adoption of metal additive manufacturing of Virginia’s defense industrial base, particularly in small and medium size independent machine shops.

Together with Virginia’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Genedge, ASTRO is providing assistance in organizing a series of transformative workshops to shed light on this important topic. The defense industrial base faces a number of modernization challenges. Reliance on legacy aircraft, vehicles, and other weapon systems, in conjunction with supply-chain bottlenecks, has delayed investment and innovation in advanced production tools. Consequently, a critical need exists to adopt and implement digital manufacturing technologies, to reduce cost, improve reliability, and implement new capabilities. Department of Defense (DoD) end-users (including prime contractors and program offices) rely heavily on independent machine shops for parts. In essence, they form the backbone of the defense manufacturing supply-chain but, in general, do not always have the expertise and capabilities to produce parts with critical high-tech processes, such as AM. 

To explore these dynamics and find potential solutions, ASTRO is proud to be joining four upcoming workshops across Virginia Tech’s campuses. While originally planned for late fall, the workshops will now occur early next year. 

For more information, click here:

Feel free to share with Virginia-based metal manufacturers. Workshop registration below:

  • January 28, 2025, 9:30a-5p, The Slover, 235 East Plume Street Norfolk, VA 23510
  • January 30, 2025, 9:30a-5p, Virginia Tech Richmond Center, 2810 North Parham Road #STE 300 Richmond, VA 23294
  • February 18, 2025, 9:30a-5p, Blue Ridge Community College – Plecker Center, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, VA 24486
  • February 20, 2025, 9:30a-5p, Roanoke Higher Education Center, 108 N Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24016

GAMMA Guam Student Update

ASTRO America is partnered with the Government of Guam, BlueForge Alliance, and the U.S. Navy to develop a Guam Additive Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator (GAMMA) center. This effort advances U.S. national security by enabling parts on-demand to forward-deployed Navy forces. But it will also help support economic development, with a new mechanical engineering education center, advanced production facility, and testing/evaluation capabilities.

As part of this effort, ASTRO has helped bring five Guam residents to Virginia where they enrolled in the U.S. Navy’s advanced manufacturing program within the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM). Through this program, the students received hands-on technician-level training, and following their coursework, they were immersed in a research environment to learn about manufacturing and industrial part inspection laboratories at US-based universities and centers. Our hope is that these students will represent the new generation of manufacturers who will help lead Guam’s additive manufacturing revolution.

Each month, we’re proud to feature one of the students who shares what it means to be a part of this historic effort to bring AM capabilities to Guam:

While Cody Smithburg originally intended to pursue a path in a related field, he knew he could not let pass by an opportunity to help facilitate Guam’s additive manufacturing future. He is taking full advantage of this unique opportunity, soaking up as much information as possible, and is hopeful the experience will open doors for him down the road. Cody was born in Texas (where his father’s family is from, but  grew up in Guam (where his mother’s family resides). He knows how crucial this work will be for people on-island, and is so excited to support Guam’s ability to manufacture key equipment and parts that would normally have to be shipped to the island. 

Cody attributes his familiarity with computers to be the biggest asset to participating in this program, as those technical skills are key for getting up to speed quickly in this industry. During his free time, Cody likes to play games, spend time with friends, and swim. His love of learning propels him forward in this field, and he’s thrilled to build on his current knowledge of the industry, make contacts, and visit new places through this program.

ASTRO in the News

For the past several weeks, coverage has been all about InSPIRE, ASTRO America’s partnership with Florida State University that will establish a major center for aerospace and defense manufacturing research and education in Northwest Florida, which will serve as the hub for Additive Manufacturing (AM) Forward. Coverage has included pieces from TCT Magazine, Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, VoxelMatters, 3Dprint.com, and local coverage in the Panhandle, which was picked up by MSN and Yahoo. 🏗️⚙️🌴☀️  

ASTRO’s President Neal Orringer was interviewed by WMBB News 13’s Grace Velez on the project.  🖥️

Lastly on InSPIRE, ASTRO’s Executive Director Jason Gorey was also interviewed by Panama City’s local ABC station about the partnership, specifically on the construction of an aeronautical aviation center at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. (Picked up by MSN and Yahoo). ✈️

Coming Up