General Atomics Leads $5.5M Project to Develop Aluminum Alloy for Additive Manufacturing
A new project aims to create scalable, high-strength aluminum alloy allowables for laser powder bed fusion systems.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been selected to lead the Generation Of Technical-data for High-strength Aluminium Alloy Material (GOTHAAM) project, a $5.5 million initiative funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSW ManTech). The project, supported by America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), focuses on developing material allowables for a high-strength 7075-T73-equivalent aluminum alloy suitable for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing systems.
The goal of the project is to enable scalable production across small, medium, and large-format printers, delivering a corrosion-resistant, aerospace-grade alloy with broad defense and commercial applications. By generating validated material data, the initiative aims to support the transition of additive manufacturing into qualified production for critical defense systems.
Dyndrite, a key partner in the project, will use its SASSQUATCH methodology to accelerate process harmonization across multiple LPBF platforms. This software-based approach will provide control over critical manufacturing variables, improving process consistency and generating equivalency datasets needed for qualification.
The GOTHAAM project addresses a critical barrier in metal additive manufacturing: material qualification. By standardizing processes and generating reliable data, it supports broader adoption of AM in defense and aerospace, where material consistency and performance are essential. This effort aligns with the industry’s push for scalable, in-situ manufacturing solutions, particularly for high-performance applications.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.