Additive manufacturing—also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing—has the potential to fundamentally change the production and distribution of goods. Unlike conventional or subtractive manufacturing processes, such as drilling, which create a part by cutting away material, additive manufacturing builds a part using a layer-by-layer process. Additive manufacturing has been used as a design and prototyping tool, but the focus of additive manufacturing is now shifting to the direct production of functional parts—parts that accomplish one or more functions, such as medical implants or aircraft engine parts—that are ready for distribution and sale.
Support from federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation(NSF) and the Department of Defense (DOD), was instrumental in the early research and development into additive manufacturing. According to the Science and Technology Policy Institute, since 1986 when it firs began funding additive manufacturing, NSF has expended more than$200 million on additive manufacturing research and related activities.
Now, several federal agencies are involved with the research and development of additive manufacturing, including NSF, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NIST, DOD, and the Department of Energy. Within DOD, several research organizations are involved, including the research laboratories of the Army, Navy, and AirForce and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
These federal agencies support research at federal laboratories, academic institutions, and small and large companies, sponsor technical conferences, and participate in standards development. To help guide research and development efforts, federal research and development agencies have supported the development of several technology roadmaps. Further, in August 2012, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, also known as America Makes, was founded as publics-private partnership to accelerate the research, development, and demonstration of additive manufacturing and transition technology to the manufacturing industry in the United States. Its federal partners include the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education, and Energy, NASA, and NSF. America Makes is part of a broader National Network for Manufacturing Innovation that is designed to stimulate advanced manufacturing technologies and accelerate their commercialization in the United States. The interagency Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office manages the network and includes participation from all federal agencies involved in U.S. manufacturing. It is designed to enable more effective collaboration in identifying and addressing manufacturing challenges and opportunities that span technology areas and cut across agency missions.
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