GA-ASI Leads $5.5M LPBF Alloy Qualification Program
GA-ASI is leading a $5.5 million initiative to develop material allowables for a scandium-aluminum alloy across multiple LPBF 3D printers.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been selected to lead a $5.5 million program funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of War’s Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) to develop material allowables for a scandium-aluminum alloy across three classes of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printers. The project, called GOTHAAM, aims to generate qualification data for a 7075-T73-equivalent alloy, specifically Scalmalloy, that can be applied across small, medium, and large-format LPBF systems. The program includes six 3D printer models from three different OEMs: the EOS M290 and M400/4, the Nikon SLM 280, SLM 500, and NXG/E, and the GE/Colibrium Additive M2.
The project involves 17 partners spanning the entire additive supply chain, including aerospace and defense primes like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Airbus Space & Defense, as well as machine builders, material suppliers, and contract manufacturers. Dyndrite, a software provider, is using its SASSQUATCH methodology to harmonize LPBF processes across different 3D printers by giving engineers programmatic control over key variables such as laser power, scan speed, and gas flow.
GOTHAAM is part of a broader effort by America Makes to address qualification challenges in additive manufacturing. It is one of three overlapping programs exploring how to reduce the need for physical testing, establish validated process windows, and enable material data to travel across different machine classes and manufacturing environments.
GOTHAAM represents a key step in overcoming one of additive manufacturing's major bottlenecks: material qualification across different machines. By enabling cross-platform consistency, the program could streamline production scalability and reduce requalification costs, which is critical for defense and aerospace applications where reliability is paramount.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.