America Makes expands offerings in Texas

America Makes is expanding its service offerings at the America Makes Satellite Center in order to fill the immense need in the additive manufacturing (AM) community for access to critical performance data from AM-produced parts. The America Makes Satellite Center resides on the campus of Platinum-level member, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), housed within the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between America Makes, which is managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and UTEP was finalized during a press conference at the UTEP Engineering Building.

America Makes Executive Director Rob Gorham said, “The goal of the new MOU is to expand our current Satellite Center relationship by incorporating services that will provide tremendous strategic value to the America Makes membership community.” Gorham noted the agreement will make America Makes a significant source of additive manufacturing performance data.

UTEP President Diana Natalicio added, “This is a significant step in the effort to address the need to generate data that can be used to move the additive manufacturing industry forward.”

“The Keck Center’s ongoing dedication to advancing additive manufacturing and all of the supporting technologies and creating a skilled workforce aligns perfectly with the mission of America Makes,” said America Makes founding director and NCDMM president and CEO Ralph Resnick, FSME. “The America Makes membership community and industry at large will benefit greatly from the expanded services available at the America Makes Satellite Center.”

Since 2015, UTEP’s Keck Center has served as an America Makes Satellite Center, complementing and promoting America Makes’ mission and its current regional, industrial, and technological footprint to innovate and accelerate 3D printing and increase domestic manufacturing and economic competitiveness. UTEP’s Keck Center focuses on AM technology development, engineered and structured materials, and advanced AM applications.

Founded in 2001 as part of a $1 million grant by the W.M. Keck Foundation, UTEP’s Keck Center features a 13,000ft² facility with more than 50 additive manufacturing machines and more than 50 involved faculty, staff, students, and researchers with multiple successful national and international collaborations. It was recently expanded by funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, the University of Texas System, and Lockheed Martin.