Sciaky, Inc., a provider of additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, is teaming up with the Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University to advance direct digital manufacturing (DDM) technology via funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Under terms of the agreement, a 6,000 square foot Center for Innovative Metal Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) will be established within the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State to serve as a world-class Manufacturing Demonstration Facility under DARPA's Open Manufacturing initiative.
The mission of the Center as a Manufacturing Demonstration Facility will be to advance and deploy DDM technology for highly engineered and critical metallic systems to the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. industry.
Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, will support this initiative with its Direct Manufacturing (DM) process, which combines additive manufacturing principles, computer-aided design and electron beam welding technology.
An important aspect of the proposed Center will be the development and use of design and simulation tools that enable industry participants the opportunity to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of DDM technology prior to and during manufacturing demonstrations.
"We are excited about the opportunity to work with Penn State and DARPA to push the boundaries of Direct Manufacturing," said Mike Riesen, General Manager of Sciaky, Inc. "I'm confident that this initiative will offer further proof that American innovation is alive and well."