National Additive Manufacturing Innovation
Institute (NAMII) Updates
We start 2013 anew, with less than a month before the
first NAMII project proposals are due (Jan. 31). NAMII
has a set Executive Committee being led by Dr. John
Russell (Program Manager, Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology) from the Office of the
Secretary of Defense/Air Force Research Laboratory.
Here is an update on NAMII's progress:
technologies (including ensuring a proper workforce is
available to improve productivity and product offerings).
NAMII has evolved toward a more stakeholdercentric model to support an optimal approach to
filling the "gap" and to ensuring appropriate developments occur at the institute. Te Executive Committee
continues its efforts to finalize the Operating Plan (how
Background
For those asking what "NAMII" is and why it is
an initiative, here is a quick summary. NAMII
is the pilot initiative of National Network for
Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) institutes that are meant to foster manufacturing
advancements (from technology to workforce)
necessary to improve American manufacturing
competitiveness. NAMII's singular focus is to
accelerate additive manufacturing technologies to the U.S. manufacturing sector and
increase domestic manufacturing competitiveness. For more on NNMI, please visit www.
manufacturing.gov/nnmi.html, and for more
on NAMII (including project proposal and
membership processes), please visit namii.org.
Updates
NAMII is working toward an integrated approach to
better serve the additive technology community. One
of the key elements is a partnership among government, university and the private sector to bridge a gap
that has been identified from a readiness/transition
perspective (see chart).
Stakeholders interested in filling this gap have
multiple needs. Te government wants to increase
American manufacturing competitiveness; universities
and other educational institutions want to conduct
beneficial research and develop/sustain a workforce;
and the private sector wants to improve the level of
readiness for transition and insertion of developed
NAMII is run) and the Membership Agreement (defines
eligibility, responsibility, member lifecycle) to ensure
initial and subsequent member interests are accommodated. NAMII has its next challenge ahead when it
reviews proposals and selects its first projects to fund. It
will be a litmus test for the Operating Plan and stakeholder coordination. We are looking forward to what
proposers deliver and what NAMII selects, but more
importantly, we are looking forward to further enabling
an already exciting field such as additive manufacturing.
For more information about NAMII or additive technologies, contact AMT's technical director, Tim Shinbara, at tshinbara@AMTonline.org or 703-827-5243.
February 2013 — 15