The recipient plans to study, design, build and test a pilot regional quality control (QC) center that provides metrology testing services to small and mid-sized companies producing thermoplastic…

Ic3D, Inc. was awarded a $1.6 million cooperative agreement from the Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology to design and demonstrate a pilot regional quality control center that provides metrology testing services to small and mid-sized additive manufacturing companies producing thermoplastic and resin additively manufactured parts. The award, made under the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620), will support Ic3D to design such a center in Phase I and demonstrate a pilot center in Phase II. The regional quality control centers are intended to enable centralized quality testing capabilities for small to mid-sized additive manufacturing firms and could be activated during emergencies to quality control democratized manufacturing of critical products. During normal times, the centers will provide commercial fee-for-service quality control testing to reduce barriers for small businesses entering the medical supply market. No subawards are planned under the October 2022 to July 2025 project period.

Activities

Activities to performed in phases i and II are as follows:phase i: design a QC center that enables regional centralization of quality testing capabilities for small to mid-sized additive manufacturing companies, that can be activated for quality control of democratized manufacturing of critical products in an emergency situation.phase II: demonstrate a pilot regional QC center that enables regional centralization of quality testing capabilities for small to mid-sized additive manufacturing companies, that can be activated for quality control of democratized manufacturing of critical products in an emergency situation.

Expected outcomes

During non-emergency times, the QC centers will provide commercial, fee-for-service outsourcing of quality control testing for small am businesses, reducing a significant barrier to entry for small businesses entering the medical supply market.

Intended beneficiaries

IC3D envisions that small to mid-sized manufacturers will most benefit from the QC centers.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.