With the Quality Test and Inspection Methods Expediency (QTIME) project call, America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) are addressing a central problem of additive manufacturing: the reliable and economical inspection of complex and large-format components. The project, funded with five million US dollars by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OSD ManTech), aims to further develop non-destructive inspection (NDI) methods for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) and transfer them into industrial practice.
The focus is on both in-situ and ex-situ inspection methods that can be used during or after the construction process. The aim is to significantly reduce existing testing costs and at the same time increase the validity of the methods – especially for geometries that are difficult to access, such as internal lattice structures or extended component surfaces. Materials such as Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel 718 and stainless steels form the basis for the intended applications.
“Industry and government stakeholders have clearly identified the need for trusted, efficient inspection techniques to support additive manufacturing growth,” said Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes. “The QTIME project call is an important first step, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders and innovators to address both in-situ and ex-situ monitoring and inspection challenges inherent to AM. QTIME focuses not just on developing new methods, but validating and transitioning mature technologies that agencies like the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA can trust – driving widespread adoption across the U.S. supply base.”
Another goal is standardization. The industry currently lacks generally accepted NDI standards with defined acceptance criteria for AM components. Through an Industry Transition Team (ITT), QTIME is to act as a connecting body to bring together ongoing projects, standards and market requirements and accelerate the introduction of industry-ready test procedures.
The call is aimed at technologies with a maturity level between TRL 4-7 and runs until the end of June 2025.
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