The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has announced plans to establish a new manufacturing innovation centre in Harford County, Maryland focussed on next-generation additive manufacturing (AM), materials, and processes.
The centre will spearhead scientific breakthroughs in metallurgy and plastics, as well as the launch of new factory machinery for the manufacture of aircraft, automobiles, munitions, medical devices, and other products with a particular focus on the military.
“As a proven leader in advanced technology innovation development, NCMS has the unique ability to engage and work with a wide variety of partners while finding the critical infrastructure, talent, and investment for successful program and project management,” said NCMS president, Rick Jarman. “We believe Aberdeen, Maryland is the place where these vital innovation ingredients come together and are key to the new industrial revolution.”
Led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-MD and Lindsay Graham, R-SC, the new centre is supported by partners at State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and Harford County, Maryland, as well as founding members 3D Systems and Applied Materials.
“3D Systems is proud to have helped NCMS lead this initiative,” said Neal Orringer, vice president, alliances & partnerships, 3D Systems. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to partner with key government and industry leaders such as Applied Materials to drive innovation and U.S. competitiveness. This effort is designed to equip our military with the best technology possible at the best value to the taxpayer.”
This collaboration will help to advance breakthrough, non-traditional technologies to deliver large-scale AM, faster part production, novel designs and materials, lower costs and point-of-need manufacturing.
The ultimate goal is to provide U.S. troops with the most updated platforms and tools available. Building on its extensive relationships with the U.S. Army, NCMS expands this connectivity to the Army Research Laboratory, the Army’s corporate laboratory. Through its material science research effort, ARL executes fundamental research for scientific discovery and innovative problem-solving to provide superior materials and devices needed to achieve lasting strategic land power dominance.
Harford County is providing leased lab, training and administrative space for the facility at the Higher Education and Applied Technology Center or HEAT Center.
