Sintavia, LLC, a designer and additive manufacturer of advanced propulsion and thermodynamic systems for the Aerospace, Defense and Space industry, was recently chosen to represent the AM supply chain to launch a major White House initiative called “AM Forward.” Unveiled on May 6 by President Joe Biden in Cincinnati, Ohio, this new initiative involves a voluntary compact between large, iconic manufacturers and their smaller U.S.-based suppliers. The initial participants in the initiative are GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy. Each of these aerospace OEMs had the opportunity to nominate an AM supplier to participate in the launch and both Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Aerospace chose Sintavia.

The AM Forward compact will focus on building a more resilient and innovative supply chain through investments in small and medium-sized companies that adopt new technologies such as AM. It will also focus on overcoming coordination challenges that limit the adoption of new manufacturing technologies and developing regional AM ecosystems to fundamentally enhance the domestic production of high-value industrial products.

“We were very honored to be chosen by both Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Aerospace to represent the AM supply chain in the launch of this exciting new initiative,” Brian Neff says, Sintavia’s Founder & CEO. “The products that we design and print already power and cool the flight and launch vehicles of tomorrow, but the use case potential is practically limitless and the transformation is just getting started. AM Forward is an initiative that is critical to the long-term viability of American manufacturing, and we similarly call on Congress to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act to advance research and development into additive manufacturing and other transformational manufacturing technologies.”

The Bipartisan Innovation Act (BIA), which is currently in legislative conference, would further enhance the goals of AM Forward by establishing a Supply Chain Office at the Department of Commerce, supporting foundational technologies such as additive manufacturing and investing in regional tech hubs. The BIA would also increase funding for Manufacturing USA Institutes and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Photo Courtesy: AP/Andrew Harnik