Greetings from ASTRO! 👋
In this month’s issue:
- ASTRO Places Advanced Manufacturing Machinery at Maritech Machine to Support Joint InSPIRE Initiatives
- Breaking Down Barriers to AM: Maritech’s Corbin McCall on What InSPIRE Makes Possible
- Our New Look
- ICYMI: 2024 Annual Report
- Meet ASTRO in Detroit
- Coming Up
ASTRO Places Advanced Manufacturing Machinery at Maritech Machine to Support Joint InSPIRE Initiatives ⚙️
This month, ASTRO America unveiled its acquisition and placement of advanced metal additive manufacturing systems at Maritech Machine in Panama City in partnership with Florida State University’s InSPIRE initiative. This collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies among small manufacturers in Northwest Florida. Maritech Machine will serve as “the vanguard node” within InSPIRE, demonstrating the practical application of these technologies and offering precision machining services. This partnership underscores ASTRO America’s commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the growth of advanced manufacturing capabilities in the region.
Read more from FSU here.
Corbin McCall, Vice President of Operations, Maritech Machine, and Dr. Abdalla Nassar, Vice President, AM Forward, ASTRO America
Breaking Down Barriers to AM: Maritech’s Corbin McCall on What InSPIRE Makes Possible 🔧
We recently spoke with Corbin McCall, Vice President of Operations at Maritech, a leading precision machining and fabrication shop in Panama City, Florida, about the importance of expanding access to advanced manufacturing for small businesses and Maritech’s role as InSPIRE’s first innovation hub.
What does it mean for Maritech to be selected as the first innovation hub for InSPIRE?
We were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to be part of this grant and participate. It’s really taken off and it’s been a bit of a surprise. It’s a privilege to learn from people with deep technical expertise, all working together toward a common goal.
How did this opportunity come about?
Maritech has always prioritized working with the local community, whether it’s students, the military or local colleges. While the InSPIRE team was already assembled before we joined, a gap existed for a small business with the proper certifications. Through word of mouth and our existing community relationships, InSPIRE found us. Everything we were already doing aligned naturally with their mission.
How will these two state-of-the-art additive manufacturing (AM) systems benefit smaller manufacturers?
Additive manufacturing is more than just printing parts. The whole lifecycle of AM is complex, lengthy and costly. InSPIRE is helping small businesses through the entire AM lifecycle from teaching the complex systems, to the qualification process, and eventually, to production capability.
The challenge is that AM can be speculative. You need a significant R&D budget to even get started. Most small manufacturers, especially those with under $8 million in annual revenue, just can’t make that kind of investment. InSPIRE helps solve that problem. It’s like a teaching hospital for advanced manufacturing, where small companies can build expertise without fronting the full cost.
Why is a program like InSPIRE critical for broader adoption of AM by small businesses?
There are so many barriers to entry for additive manufacturing – lack of technical training, R&D costs, part qualification, supply chain integration, and workforce development. Even convincing customers to design for additive is a challenge. InSPIRE has created a model to help small businesses overcome these hurdles to adopt additive manufacturing technologies and systems.
What do you hope comes from this initiative?
Over the past 18 months, we’ve been learning the process, understanding the industry’s needs, and talking with universities to pinpoint common challenges. Now, as Phase 1 wraps up, we’re moving into Phase 2 where Maritech will begin producing parts. It’ll probably take another six months to a year before projects really materialize.
Long term, we hope to work with larger manufacturers to produce non-critical components — brackets, seat handles, things that aren’t critical to flight safety. The idea is to start small, learn the technology, and advance from there. That’s how we bring down costs and open the door to broader adoption.
Explore Our New Look! 🖥️
We’re excited to unveil ASTRO America’s newly updated website! With a fresh design, streamlined navigation, and enhanced content, it’s now easier than ever to explore our projects, stay informed, and learn the latest in advanced manufacturing.
ICYMI: ASTRO’s 2024 Annual Report 🗺️
Last year was transformative for our think tank and research institute, and we’re proud to continue featuring our accomplishments in our 2024 Annual Report. It includes detailed updates and summaries of impactful initiatives from the past year, including short commentary from President Neal Orringer about considerations for public private partnerships, as well as remembrance of the Honorable Rebecca Blank.
Click on the image to flip through the interactive report.
Meet ASTRO in Detroit 🚘
Join us during the RAPID + TCT Conference for the ASTRO America Social, featuring leaders of key national initiatives including AM Forward, InSPIRE, and more. We’ll share more about the InSPIRE initiative and the groundbreaking capabilities it offers, explore collaboration opportunities within the ASTRO Industry Alliance, plus, we’ll give you a sneak peek at upcoming events. Food and cocktails provided.
What: An Update on AM Forward & InSPIRE at the ASTRO Social Networking Event
When: 5-7pm, April 8, 2025
Where: Motor City Kitchen, Detroit, MI
For more information and to confirm your attendance, click here.
Coming Up 🗓️
- RAPID+TCT – (April 8-10, 2025 – Detroit, MI)
- AWS Welding Summit – (August 6-8, 2025 – The Woodlands, Texas)
- SFF Symposium – (August 10-13, 2025) – Austin, Texas)
- FABTECH – (September 8-11, 2025 – Chicago, IL)
- CAMX – (September 8-11, 2025 – Orlando, FL)
- IMTS – (September 15, 2025 – Chicago, IL)
- ICAM – (October 6-10, 2025 – Las Vegas, NV)