October_AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 2 2 MATERIALS SCIENCE AND CORONAVIRUS SERIES USING DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTED MANUFACTURING TO ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS America Makes has mobilized the additive manufacturing community to work together to address the nation’s medical equipment shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. John Wilczynski, Alexander Steeb, Brandon Ribic,* Andrew Resnick, Mark Cotteleer, and Corinne Charlton* America Makes, Youngstown, Ohio I magine a world in which crisis re- sponse is automatic. Where a sys- tem exists to “surge” critical supplies into a crisis zone—local, regional, na- tional, or global—regardless of what those supplies are, or who has histori- cally produced them. Such is the work in which America Makes—The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation In- stitute—is currently engaged. America Makes is leading the cre- ation of the “Advanced Manufacturing Crisis Production Response” (AMCPR), a digitally distributed manufacturing platform and network, to address cri- designed with low cost in mind, result- ing in productive capacity that could be geographically removed from end us- ers. When the new coronavirus struck, U.S. attempts to obtain and stockpile personal protective equipment (PPE), medical devices, and diagnostic test- ing equipment were too often hin- dered by local and global disruptions to supply chains. This inspired engi- neers, researchers, and designers to use resources already at their dispos- al and create products to address dis- crete needs—revealing tremendous latent capacity in the U.S. economy. *Member of ASM International tical needs using additive and other ad- vanced manufacturing (AM) technolo- gies. By revolutionizing the domestic supply chain, and reconsidering the na- tion’s stockpiling strategy, it aspires to accelerate the manufacture of products and to leave behind an enduring infra- structure to serve in the future. In build- ing this capacity, America Makes is also raising awareness of the ways in which AM can add value at a national scale. ADDRESSING PPE SHORTAGES Traditionally, many U.S. man- ufacturing supply chains have been Fig. 1 — America Makes, driven by The National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM), is well-positioned as a public-private partnership to collect end-user needs, coordinate supply, catalyze designers from the private sector, and communicate policy and regulatory guidance from government bodies.