(Reuters) – WashingtonBoeing (NYSE:BA) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) are joining a White House-backed agreement to help smaller U.S.-based suppliers improve the use of 3D printing and other new manufacturing technology.
The programme, introduced by President Joe Biden in May, seeks to promote suppliers’ usage of additive manufacturing (AM) (AM).
Driven by 3D printing, the technique allows complex forms to be produced in layers from particles of plastic or metal. The Biden administration regards it as an invention that will help U.S. manufacturers prosper and create jobs.
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The non-profit Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America) (ASTRO America) is in charge of the Additive Manufacturing Forward (AM Forward) project.
“The supply chain crisis isn’t just about expanding ports. It’s about building up parts right here in America’s small company manufacturers, “said ASTRO America’s CEO, Neal Orringer.
The first companies to say they would do something were GE Aviation, Siemens Energy, Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX), Honeywell (NASDAQ:HON), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT).
The companies said they would buy parts made by additive manufacturing from smaller U.S. suppliers, train supplier employees on new additive technologies, offer technical help, and work together to create and certify standards.
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Both Boeing and Northrop Grumman intend to increase the number of small and medium-sized suppliers competing for bid packages for additive manufacturing items.Boeing will also strive to grow its certified small and medium supplier capacity by 30% and give technical guidance to fulfil qualification standards.
“We recognise the competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base, including Boeing, rests on the capabilities of a wide spectrum of suppliers producing and post-processing crucial aerospace parts,” said Melissa Orme, Boeing’s vice president for additive manufacturing.
These technologies can cut part lead times and material costs by 90% while also cutting energy consumption in half.
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The White House claims not enough American companies are utilising 3D printing or other high-performance modern manufacturing technologies.
A Biden administration official told Reuters the programme could expand to include the automobile or semiconductor sectors.