FA8650-21-S-5002_Amend 03.pdf

FA8650-21-S-5002

AMENDMENT 03

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Structural Materials Division (AFRL/RXC)

Broad Agency Announcement Title: Selection, Screening, Discovery, and Design of Alloys and Advanced Metals Processing Technologies (SDAMPT)

Broad Agency Announcement Type: Amendment 03

Broad Agency Announcement Number: FA8650-21-S-5002

This amendment provides the Industry Day Briefing slides, as Attachment 1, entitled “RXCM SDAMPT Industry Day.” Additionally, this amendment answers general BAA questions through 14 May 2021, since the issuance of Amendment 2, as well as questions that arose during the Industry Day virtual meeting.

Q-1. How many awards are anticipated?

Answer to Q1: As stated in the BAA, Page 2, “Anticipated Number of Awards,” the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) reads, “The Air Force anticipates awarding one (1) award for this announcement. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more contracts for all, some or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations.”

Q-2. Is it expected that Subcontractors will be working on this effort?

Answer to Q2: There is no requirement for the Prime to include Subcontractors in proposals, it is to the discretion of the Prime Contractor. The Prime Contractor and Subcontractors must follow OSPEC guidance.

Q-3. What is the Proposal due date?

Answer to Q3: As stated in the BAA, Page 2, “Proposal Due Date and Time,” the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) reads, the due date for the proposal is “22 June 2021, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH local time. NOTE: Proposal receipt after the due date and time shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3).”

Also, as stated in the BAA, Page 2, “Intent to Propose,” the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) reads, the due date for the proposal is “Offerors that anticipate submitting a proposal are requested to submit an e-mail to Melissa K. Gross, at melissa.gross.1@us.af.mil containing the name of the contractor, the POC, and the contractor’s intent to submit a proposal. This “Intent to Propose” is requested by 18 May 2021, 3:00 p.m. local time.”

Q-4. Will the Contractor be required to maintain facilities that AFRL/RXC does not directly operate (Reference Industry Day slide 67 “Complementary Facilities”, Attachment 1 of Amendment 3)?

Answer to Q4: Equipment shown in slides 47 through 66 “Metals M&P Equipment” fall under the equipment which will be operated and maintained by the contractor for the SDAMPT contract. Equipment shown after Slide 67 “Complimentary Facilities” do not fall within the requirements of this contract, but are available for use if coordinated through owning organization.

Q-5. What are the expectations of the level of support staff to have on site?

Answer to Q5: The Government cannot advise to the size of the staffing required, it is to the contractor’s discretion to propose the sizing of a team deemed adequate to meet the needs of the effort. However, the skill sets proposed will be evaluated in accordance with the BAA, page 16 Section V.1.a.v., “Availability of qualified technical personnel and their experience with the applicable technologies.”

Q-6. Is this a new IDIQ?

Answer to Q6: This is a new IDIQ, however a portion of the effort is a follow on from the

“COMPOSITE, HYBRID AND METAL MATERIALS AND PROCESSING” (CHAMMP),

IDIQ FA8650-15-D-5231.

Attachments:

1. RXCM SDAMPT Industry Day

Selection, Screening, Discovery and Design of Alloys and Advanced Metals Processing

Technologies (SDAMPT)

I n f o r m a t i o n S e s s i o n f o r P o t e n t i a l P r o p o s e r s

E r i c P a y t o n a n d M a j C o l i n E n g e b r e t s e n

A F R L / R X C M

Alloys and Metallic Material Processing Early Applied Research (AMP-EAR) and

Image sources:

Ammeter: Hannes Grobe, Wikipedia.org, accessed 22 March 2021. Creative Commons BY3.0 license (free for all uses with attribution) Postage stamp: United States Postal Service Stamp #3783, “First Controlled Powered Airplane Flight” (2003)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Background

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a longstanding need to reduce the time to market for new alloys and metals processing technologies to affordably sustain a technological advantage over adversaries. Over the next decade, the United State Space Force (USSF) intends to accelerate efforts to maintain space superiority and secure our current and future national interests in space.

• This program is designed to address USAF and USSF needs in:

• Modeling, simulation, and analysis of responses of metallic materials to processing routes, applied loads, fields, and environments;

• Evaluation of the effects of composition and processing path on microstructure and material properties, including phenomena occurring under transient thermo- and chemo- mechanical conditions and extreme environments;

• Prediction and rapid assessment of properties for the purposes of screening of novel alloy compositions and processing routes;

• Quantitative characterization and statistical analysis of metallic microstructures, including fusion of multimodal data from modeling, destructive and nondestructive characterization, and testing;

• Assessment and advancement of additive, additive-subtractive, metamorphic, and other advanced manufacturing approaches for metallic materials.

[Source: Attachment 1, SDAMPT SOO]

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Definitions

• AFRL: Air Force Research Laboratory

• RX: Materials and Manufacturing Directorate

• RXC: Structural Materials Division

• RXCM: Metals Branch

• MMP: Metallic Materials & Processing Research Team

• TRL: Technology Readiness Level

• 6.1, 6.2, etc: Budget activity code for DoD RDT&E appropriations

• IDIQ: Indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract

• TO: Task order

• ACRN: Accounting classification reference number

• Metallic materials are defined as pure metals, dilute and conventional alloys, high and medium entropy alloys, complex concentrated alloys or multi-principal element alloys, intermetallics, cermets, hybrids, and composites with a metal or alloy matrix. Processing is defined as the steps required to produce a metallic aerospace component, including synthesis, melting, casting, open & closed die forging, extrusion, rolling, atomization, isostatic pressing, compaction, joining, sintering, and machining. Processing encompasses all routes to component production, inclusive of powder metallurgy, wrought metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and additive-subtractive manufacturing. Property screening is defined as the determination of suitability and processability of a material for a given application, considering the applied loads and operating environment to determine functionality and feasibility of existing and future metallic materials for use in components.

• Technical Data (DFARS): Recorded information, regardless of the form or method of the recording, of a scientific or technical nature (including computer software documentation). The term does not include computer software or data incidental to contract administration, such as financial and/or management information

• In general, each program that is subject to an annual government program management review that performs work under the SDAMPT Basic IDIQ contract will have its own TO.

• SDAMPT will be awarded simultaneously with the first task order (TO 0001), AMP-EAR.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Structure

AMP-EAR

Task Order 0001

Conducts on-site research with the AFRL/RX Metallic Materials and Processing Research Team

SDAMPT Basic IDIQ Supports on-site research in alloys & metals processing technologies in the Metals Branch, Structural Materials Division, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory

Future Task Order 0002 (For example, could be something like “Novel Additive

Manufacturing Technology Maturation”)

Future Task Order 0003 (For example, could be something like “Refractory Alloy

Maturation for Small Engines”)

Future Task Order 0004

Future Task Order 0005

Future Task Order 0006

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• The contractor shall deliver the following over the course of this contract:

• Data in accordance with DD Form 1423-1, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs), as identified for each task order.

• Software, as applicable and as specified on individual task orders

• Reports, manuscripts, presentations, images, video files, audio files, computer codes, and other forms of documentation, as applicable and as specified on individual task orders.

• Test specimens and residual material, as applicable, and as specified on individual tasks.

• Hardware, as applicable, and as specified on individual tasks.

• Unless otherwise specified for each task order in this contract, the Government shall have unlimited rights to data, software, procedures and manuals, reports, manuscripts, presentation materials, and material specimens delivered in the performance of the contract, such that the Government may use, disclose, publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and prepare derivative works, except for copyrighted or patented works.

Deliverables

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• Contract administration.

• The contractor shall exercise program, administrative, and financial management functions at the task order and project levels, including establishing activities and milestones; tracking performance, costs, and schedule; overseeing quality performance; planning; forecasting, reporting funding and funding changes;

and utilize a project accounting system which can perform billing by contract accounting classification reference number (ACRN). Appropriate documentation shall be prepared and provided.

• A formal program review shall be conducted annually within the first quarter after the conclusion of a fiscal year. Due to the nature of research work performed on-site in AFRL/RXC at WPAFB in collaboration with

USAF civilian and military personnel, informal reviews of the program should be an ongoing activity. The contractor shall actively participate in research team meetings. The contractor principal investigator or program manager should establish regular meetings with the government contract and program managers.

• Contract holidays. The costs include holiday observances; accordingly, the US Government shall not be billed for such holidays, except when services required of the Government are actually performed on a holiday.

Federal holidays are contract holidays.

Program Management & Reviews

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• All contractors shall participate in all activities associated with the disciplines of the organization’s Industrial Security, Information Security, Personnel Security, Operations Security (OPSEC), Antiterrorism, and Protection Programs. These are required to reduce program vulnerability from adversary collection and exploitation of critical information, and violations of export control and ITAR requirements.

• The prime contractor shall ensure that all subcontractors, when applicable, conform to these requirements. Further guidance can be provided by AFRL/RX Security on an as-needed basis.

• Program Protection Plan (PPP). Any potential critical program information generated as part of this effort shall be reviewed to determine the need for a PPP or to be included as part of an existing PPP.

• Data Management Plan. The contractor shall submit a Data Management Plan with this proposal. Effective data management increases the pace of scientific discovery and engineering development and promotes more efficient and effective use of government funding and resources. Formal data management planning should therefore be an integral part of the research and development process. The Data Management Plan should document the stewardship of the technical data* to be used or created in the course of this proposed effort, identifying which technical data are considered necessary to validate the findings of the proposed effort. The Data Management Plan shall contain the following information:

• A listing and discussion of the types of digital technical data to be used and/or created during the course of the project to include how the data is to be acquired, digitally processed, methods for quantification of uncertainty, and the standards to be used for data and metadata capture (Existing, accepted community standards should be used where possible. Provided metadata should be sufficient to enable someone else to reproduce the data.);

• The file formats and file naming conventions to be used (enduring, non-proprietary, human and machine readable format and content, self-describing formats are strongly preferred);

• Whenever possible, a description of the specific data schemata to be used;

• Plans and criteria for delivering and/or archiving datasets, or data samples, and other digitally formatted technical data, and for preservation of access thereto;

• Identification of applicable access, security, and export control restrictions and controls;

• A schedule for review and update of the Data Management Plan;

• If, for legitimate reasons, the technical data cannot be preserved digitally, the plan shall include a justification citing such reasons.

Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• SDAMPT ceiling: $72M

‒ Minimum Ordering Amount: $100,000

‒ Maximum Ordering Amount: $23,000,000

• Overall period of performance: 84 months (7 years)

• Ordering period for new TOs: 60 months (5 years)

• Type of appropriation(s): RDT&E 6.1, 6.2, 6.3

• It is not anticipated that the actual total funding over

PoP will reach the ceiling. Our “best guess” probability distribution of actual total funding level is shown in figure.

Program Information: SDAMPT

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Program Information: AMP-EAR

TO 0001: Alloys and Metallic Material Processing

Early Applied Research (AMP-EAR)

‒ Overall PoP: 60 months (5 years)

‒ Technical Performance: 57 months

‒ Reporting: 3 months

‒ Ceiling: $15,000,000

* Note that this is only one TO. Other TOs may be created for different efforts over the life of the

SDAMPT Basic IDIQ contract.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Additional Program Information

• Contractor may need to generate or access export-controlled items and information

• Base support is anticipated. Office space as assigned in building 655 as well as labs with the equipment shown in later slides.

• Highest Security Classification: Unclassified

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Foreign National Participation

Not Authorized ‒ Daily access to Wright-Patterson AFB and government computer networks is required ‒ The US Prime Contractor and/or Sub-Contractor may hire foreign national with prior Foreign

Disclosure Office approval; however, foreign nationals will be limited to Public Domain information (information that is releasable to the general public and sometimes referred to as open source material. Examples include but are not limited to newspapers, magazines and information posted publicly on the internet.)

‒ This project will require access to International Traffic-in-Arms Regulations (ITAR) controlled information.

‒ Any proprietary information will have to be appropriately protected

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Scope of Selection, Screening, Discovery and Design of

Alloys and Advanced Metals Processing Technologies (SDAMPT)

B a s i c I D I Q

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Objective

The objective of all tasks comprising this contract are to assess new alloys and metallic materials processing technologies for potential of delivering new or improved capabilities to current and future USAF weapons systems, facilitate reductions in acquisition and sustainment costs of metallic components, assist in reducing time-to-market for transitioning of technologies to the USAF and USSF supply chain, and enable reduction of risks associated with insertion of new materials technologies into aerospace applications.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

The Contractor shall work daily with government scientists and engineers to conduct research and development and assist with operation of AFRL/RXC laboratories at WPAFB, OH, to address USAF and USSF needs in:

1. Modeling, simulation, and analysis of responses of metallic materials to processing routes, applied loads, fields, and environments;

2. Evaluation of the effects of composition and processing path on microstructure and material properties, including phenomena occurring under transient thermo- and chemo- mechanical conditions and extreme environments;

3. Prediction and rapid assessment of properties for the purposes of screening of novel alloy compositions and processing routes;

4. Quantitative characterization and statistical analysis of metallic microstructures, including fusion of multimodal data from modeling, destructive and nondestructive characterization, and testing;

5. Assessment and advancement of additive, additive-subtractive, metamorphic, and other advanced manufacturing approaches for metallic materials.

The contractor shall work with government scientists and engineers to prepare authoritative reports, papers, presentations, technical data, and best practices guidance for the purposes of assisting the USAF and USSF to assess new metals technologies, materials selection for emerging applications, and transition advancements in metallic materials and processing to the defense aerospace supply chain.

Scope

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• Advance the State-of-the-Art in Aerospace Materials and Conducting Research on Metallic Materials with High Potential Impact to the USAF and USSF (TRL 1-4)

• Conduct technology maturation and on-site research and development at WPAFB in support of the program scope as outlined in section 2, and coordinate research efforts with the stated priorities of

AFRL/RXC and USAF.

• Support AFRL civilian and military personnel in executing in-house research efforts in support of the program scope and objective.

• Develop collaborations with academia, industry, and other government laboratories to perform research and development activities constructively aligned with USAF and USSF needs within the scope of this contract.

• Utilize and improve upon established approaches and standards for conducting comparative evaluations of various metallic material systems and processes with alternative materials systems.

• Maintain awareness of developments in relevant fields through technical exchanges with academia, industry, and other government laboratories; through monitoring relevant major domestic and international research activities; through participation in relevant conferences, workshops, and symposia; and through following relevant publications within the open literature and US government reports.

Technical Requirements (1/3)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• Develop and Maintain the Human Resources for Rapid Response to USAF and USSF Needs for Expertise in Metallic Materials and Processing

• Engage with universities, other government laboratories, and industry to recruit and interact with the brightest scientific and engineering minds in the field, and to develop successful collaborations with technical and thought leaders in metallic materials.

• Provide technical leadership within national and international metallic materials research communities in order to develop collaborative relationships to exploit technical capabilities in emerging metallic materials and processes application areas.

• Maintain expertise through active participation in relevant projects involving the fundamentals of physical metallurgy, phase transformations, materials characterization, advanced manufacturing, process automation, high throughput and rapid assessment techniques, data science, and relevant computational techniques to rapidly deliver assessments and develop technical understandings of new and emerging application requirements and metallic materials technologies.

• Anticipate human resource needs to execute the USAF S&T mission as it relates to this contract, identify and address skills gaps that pose a risk to successful execution of the research within the scope of this contract, and identify development opportunities to ensure the successful completion of the objectives of this contract and the broader AFRL S&T mission.

• Develop, implement, and execute a technician skills cross-training plan to ensure that all equipment can be operated by more than one person within the metals branch of AFRL/RX, thereby ensuring work continuity and training of future technicians.

Technical Requirements (2/3)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• Maintain and Improve the Research Infrastructure for Metals Processing and Screening at AFRL/RXCM

• Support and perform research activities at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, throughout the period of performance, with occasional use of off-site facilities as coordinated with the technical effort managers and contract manager.

• Maintain current documentation of all equipment and capabilities within the metals processing laboratory space in AFRL/RXCM

• Deliver expedient high quality research results, making use of project management systems that facilitate documentation and tracking of progress toward completion of tasks involved in executing the research efforts comprised in this contract, and provide assistance in identification of bottlenecks that limit research efficiency.

• Assume responsibility for research support activities including but not limited to maintenance, upgrade, and development of specialized on-site laboratory equipment at WPAFB, fixtures, computers, databases, data repositories, and software as necessary for successful execution of research efforts.

• Develop and initiate implementation of a laboratory modernization plan in collaboration with AFRL government civilian and military personnel to identify and prioritize research capability gaps, physical infrastructure needs, information technology capabilities, equipment maintenance and upgrade needs.

Example modernization activities may include installation of programmable controllers for unattended and automated heat treatment cycles or elevated temperature hardness testing equipment, and interfacing such equipment with a data and project management system.

Technical Requirements (3/3)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Scope of

AMP-EAR

(TO 0001)

The objective of TO 0001 is to conduct research in support of the Metallic Materials & Processing Research Team.

All funding in this TO will be managed as part of the Metallic Materials & Processing Program.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• The AMP-EAR task order of the SDAMPT contract shall advance the state-of-the-art for metals processing science (MPS) and alloy discovery and design (ADD).

• The focus of this task order is to execute basic and applied research in order to develop and transition new and/or improve metallic materials (including metallic alloys, hybrid, nano-composite, and composite structures) used in aerospace applications to include, but not limited to, propulsion systems, airframe structure, sustainment, and space applications. The research efforts necessary to achieve these goals are expected to include synthesis, processing, modeling, simulation, characterization, inspection, and preliminary evaluation of material performance. Air Force systems benefitting from this research may include conventional aerospace propulsion and airframe structures and components, hypersonic vehicle structures, liquid rocket engine structures, thermal protection systems, structural energetics and munitions materials, airframes, and components for propulsion applications.

Scope

[Source: Attachment 2, SDAMPT-TO1 SOO]

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• This effort is expected to pursue metallic materials systems and processes that are of current and future potential interest to the Air Force

• Research will involve close collaborative and frequent interaction with AFRL government civilian and military scientists and engineers as well as interactions with:

• other DoD contractors

• other US Government entities, including

• Department of Energy

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Federal Aviation Administration

• Research will be in support USAF and USSF science and engineering priorities.

• Due to the evolving needs of the USAF, the technical effort under this contract will also evolve over time as the research progresses and new information becomes available.

• These are likely to include tasks involving alloy development, thermomechanical processing, process modeling, simulation of microstructure evolution during processing, modeling of phase transformations, dynamics of solid, liquid, and gaseous defects, thermodynamic modeling, microstructure characterization, and simulations that predict kinetic pathways for phase transformations.

Objective

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• In addition to classical and conventional approaches, emerging computational tools from the fields of data-science, informatics, and machine learning should be utilized to when advantageous in solving complex problems, such as:

• modeling of transient processes

• prediction of residual stresses

• unsupervised automated experimentation

• thermomechanical process route optimization

• alloy discovery and design

• optimization of additive manufacturing processes.

• A multidisciplinary approach is desired which takes inspiration from and advantage of cutting-edge promising technologies such as:

• deep learning

• neural networks

• big data

• graphical processing unit (GPU) computing

• Robotics

• quantum computing

• natural language processing

• All research will be directed toward the advancement of the state-of-the-art for metallic materials.

• The complexity of the problems may drive the development of new experimental methods to make dynamic measurements of material state.

• The complexity of the process may drive a requirement to perform real-time sensing and/or analysis of the machine state during processing, which may or may not make decisions in a closed-loop control system for processes like additive manufacturing.

Research Methods

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

• The AMP-EAR TO involves providing technical support to ongoing AFRL research and development efforts in areas of substantial AFRL interest due to high potential reward in the advancement of the state of the art of metallic materials and processing.

• Most research efforts would be targeted at technology readiness levels (TRL) 1-4.

• It is not expected that work would be performed simultaneously on all of the following technical requirements, but it is expected that some work would be performed to advance the state of the art in each of these areas over the contract period.

• All technical requirements listed in subsequent slides may also involve collaborations across AFRL, industry, academia, and other government laboratories, as outlined in the SOO of the basic contract.

• These activities should be supported by a robust research management system that integrates work order management and task progress tracking with easy, intuitive tracking of specimens, results from characterization and testing tasks, simulation results, raw data storage, and data analyses.

Technical Requirements Overview

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Automation of testing, characterization, and processing workflows

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning for quantitative characterization of metallic microstructures. This activity involves development of accurate automated methods for identifying the size, shape, orientation, location, and spatial distributions of the phases and defects in a microstructure which affect its properties and useful life, replacing the need for tedious human labor. The activity also may involve development and implementation of stereological techniques to quantify the likely 3D parameters describing the feature set from 2D observations. Validation of approaches may involve development and application of 3D characterization techniques. It is expected that this research activity will find pervasive application across all metals research efforts, and will lead to a substantial increase in research productivity, as the task of microstructure segmentation consumes a substantial number of person-hours for each micrograph. Improved methodologies must be established as such with authoritative evidence. Working alongside government scientists and engineers, a substantial effort will be made to transition improvements to standards organizations, the FAA, and to encourage widespread adoption or acceptance within the USAF supply chain. Relevant metallic materials systems include but are not limited to alloys of nickel, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, and iron.

• Machine learning for correlation of local thermomechanical history with formation of defects and anomalous microstructure features. This effort involves using established computational techniques for identifying the correlations between complex thermomechanical history data with multimodal fused characterization and simulation data (in 2D or 3D) to develop predictive models for desirable/undesirable microstructure feature development during processing and develop novel methodologies for microstructure control during additive manufacturing. While this effort is generally expected to primarily target additive manufacturing technologies, it may also find application in conventional thermomechanical processing routes.

Technical Requirements (1/4)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Automation of testing, characterization, and processing workflows (continued)

• Autonomous experiments for rapid assessment and screening of alloys. This effort involves the development of specialized custom test equipment capable of, for example, iteratively applying heat treatments, oxidation weight gain measurements, hardness measurements, optical microscopy, and/or surface profilometry to screen systematically varying alloy compositions for best performance. Integral to this effort will be identifying combinations of low fidelity experiments with strong correlations to key performance parameters for a material in a given application, and identifying when higher fidelity experimentation is required for further assessment. The effort also may involve developing autonomous experimentation in which the machine must learn the best approaches for preparing and testing specimens. Alloy systems of interest include, but are not limited to, refractory complex concentrated alloys.

• Machine learning for synthetic microstructure generation. This activity involves generation of digital datasets that are either indistinguishable in terms of simulated properties or indistinguishable to a trained expert eye from real experimental data. The purpose of this effort is to develop model inputs which can be used for determining the optimum microstructure for a given application in service. Relevant metallic materials systems include but are not limited to nickel alloys, titanium alloys, quench-and-temper steels, and structural energetics.

• Metamorphic manufacturing and robotic blacksmithing. This activity involves installation, programming, safety assessments, and development of best practices for robotic manipulation of workpieces during open die forging. The objective is to use machine feedback of forging pressures, workpeice geometry, and thermal profile to design processes in which reheat, hammer rate, and strain limit decisions for multi-step forming operations are made by a computer algorithm.

Technical Requirements (2/4)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Optimization of composition and processing route based on multiple performance objectives

• Microstructure modeling of non-isothermal and non-isochronal multi-step thermomechanical processing routes. Microstructure develops from thermomechanical processing history and composition, therefore processing route optimization is required. Most work done to develop and calibrate microstructure evolution models has focused on isothermal or isochronal behavior. In this effort, models will be extended and/or developed to account for the non-isothermal and non-isochronal situations that materials are exposed to both during real-world processing and under operating environment conditions. Metallic material systems of interest in this area include, but are not limited to, alloys of nickel, titanium, and iron.

• Physics-aided computational design of alloy composition. To broaden the array of available alloys for a given application and ensure that a material selection decision can be made to place the right material for high performance in any given structural application, it is necessary to tailor microstructure for performance. Microstructure and performance are dependent on composition and processing. Under this effort, computational tools for exploration of composition space will be constructed and exercised toward the discovery of novel alloys with unique property combinations.

Alloy systems of interest include, but are not limited to, refractory complex concentrated alloys.

• Integrated computational materials engineering for the development of processing to achieve microstructure feature topologies enabling structural energetic alloys and fragmentation control. In this effort, an integrated computational-experimental approach will be employed to design microstructures and behavior of structural energetic alloys and materials with controlled crack propagation properties upon high strain rate loading.

• Model parameterization using dynamic in-situ measurements of thermomechanical and environmental transient behavior.

This effort involves the development of integrated experimental and computational techniques for interpreting in-situ dynamic measurements of transient phenomena for the parameterization of models of microstructure evolution with fewer experiments than are required under classical approaches. Metallic material systems of interest in this area include, but are not limited to, alloys of nickel, titanium, and iron.

• Synchrotron diffraction studies to elucidate an improved understanding of mechanisms of microstructure evolution. High energy beamline diffraction techniques are emerging as key tools for furthering our understanding of materials responses. Under this effort, synchrotron facilities will be leveraged toward improving our understanding of microstructure development and materials behavior. Metallic material systems of interest in this area include, but are not limited to, alloys of nickel, titanium, and iron.

Technical Requirements (3/4)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Development of rapid qualification and microstructure prediction methodologies

• Novel microstructure evolution model development inclusive of physics of strain accommodation. Under this requirement, novel models that account for dislocation and disconnection effects on flow stresses and interfacial behavior will be developed to improve predictions of microstructure as a result of thermomechanical processing. This will most likely be applied to titanium and nickel alloys currently used in service in propulsion and airframe applications.

• Microstructure prediction in additive manufacturing. Under this requirement, research shall be performed to understand the development of residual stresses and defects and other microstructural features in additive manufacturing processes for the purposes of assisting in the design of rapid qualification approaches and inspection techniques.

• Microstructure prediction for solidification science. Under this requirement, simulation of microstructure and defect formation during metal solidification shall be performed, incorporating state-of-the-art multiphysics techniques when applicable. Example applications of development in this area may be investment casting of aerospace components or developing defect probability, grain morphology, or texture predictions for additive manufacturing.

• Non-destructive microstructure assessments. This effort will involve the development, improvement, verification, and validation of methodologies for rapidly assessing microstructure state without performing destructive sectioning or chemical preparation of specimens, toward applications as a screening tool for alloy selection and process design. Of particular interest is integration of non-destructive techniques within metals processing operations for in-situ monitoring. Metallic material systems of interest in this area include, but are not limited to, alloys of nickel, titanium, and iron.

• Accurate rapid screening and risk assessment methodologies.

Under this requirement, research and development activity shall be undertaken to develop methodologies for predicting processing regimes in which detrimental microstructures are likely to be formed. The applications may include linking composition to oxidation rates, ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures, embrittling phases; or may include linking stress-strain paths to high texture intensities or proclivities for abnormal grain growth; or may include heat and fluid flow conditions that lead to solidification defects.

Technical Requirements (4/4)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

FUNCTIONAL

MATERIALS

(RXA)

STRUCTURAL

MATERIALS

(RXC)

MATERIALS FOR

SURVIVABILITY AND

PROTECTION

MATERIALS FOR

SENSORS AND

ELECTRONICS

MATERIALS

BIOTECHNOLOGY

CERAMIC MATRIX

COMPOSITES

POLYMER MATRIX

COMPOSITES

METALS

MATERIALS STATE

AWARENESS

SYSTEMS

SUPPORT

(RXS)

SYSTEM SUPPORT

- FUNCTIONAL

MATERIALS

- STRUCTURAL

MATERIALS

MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGY

(RXM)

MANUFACTURING OF

ELECTRONICS AND

SENSORS

MANUFACTURING FOR

PROPULSION AND

STRUCTURES

Materials and Manufacturing Directorate – Technical Divisions

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Metals Branch Overview and Organization

Processing Structure Properties Performance

Strength, toughness, durability, corrosion resistance, cost

Microscopic arrangement of features and defects

“Recipe” for making the material

Useful life of a component and resilience to operating environments

Processing competency is foundational to achieving optimal performance

Metallic Materials & Processes (M&P) Research Team

Metals Probabilistic Performance and Prediction (MP3) Research Team

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Image Source: Jim Snodgrass, US Army Futures Command CCDC. Publicly available through Defense Acquisition University

D o

D F in an ci al

M an ag em en t

R eg u la ti o n V o lu m e

B

, C h ap te r

, R D

T& E

A p p ro p ri at io n s

D o

D D efen se A cq u isitio n

G u id eb o o k Tech n o lo gy R ead in e ss Level

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Image Source: Jim Snodgrass, US Army Futures Command CCDC. Publicly available through Defense Acquisition University

D o

D F in an ci al

M an ag em en t

R eg u la ti o n V o lu m e

B

, C h ap te r

, R D

T& E

A p p ro p ri at io n s

D o

D D efen se A cq u isitio n

G u id eb o o k Tech n o lo gy R ead in e ss Level

The Metallic Materials and Processing Research Team is a “Stage I” research program, chartered to focus on early 6.2 budget activity work.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Our objective is to figure out what things from down here…

…have potential to meet USAF and USSF needs…

…and get the most promising ones up to here.

Stage I: Research Teams

Stage II: Technology Maturation Programs

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

MMP RT Strategic Pipeline

6.1

TRL 1-2

Early 6.2

TRL 3

6.1

TRL 2

6.2

TRL 3-4

MAI

In-house 6.1:

Addressing fundamental questions

In-house research on external funding:

Developing for transition handoff

In-house research on 6.2 core funding: Screening

& maturing technologies

RQ/RW/RXM/

LCMC Programs

TRL 4-6

RXC Stage IIs

TRL 4-6

External basic research collaborations:

Keeping track of promising scientific advancements

Stage II Programs & Tech Maturation Efforts:

Bridging the “valley of death”

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

6.1

TRL 1-2

Early 6.2

TRL 3

6.1

TRL 2

6.2

TRL 3-4

MAI

In-house 6.1:

Addressing fundamental questions

In-house research on external funding:

Developing for transition handoff

In-house research on 6.2 core funding: Screening

& maturing technologies

RQ/RW/RXM/

LCMC Programs

TRL 4-6

RXC Stage IIs

TRL 4-6

External basic research collaborations:

Keeping track of promising scientific advancements

Stage II Programs & Tech Maturation Efforts:

Bridging the “valley of death”

AMP-EAR (SDAMPT TO

0001) is to be the primary vehicle for accomplishing this in-house work.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

6.1

TRL 1-2

Early 6.2

TRL 3

6.1

TRL 2

6.2

TRL 3-4

MAI

In-house 6.1:

Addressing fundamental questions

In-house research on external funding:

Developing for transition handoff

In-house research on 6.2 core funding: Screening

& maturing technologies

RQ/RW/RXM/

LCMC Programs

TRL 4-6

RXC Stage IIs

TRL 4-6

External basic research collaborations:

Keeping track of promising scientific advancements

Stage II Programs & Tech Maturation Efforts:

Bridging the “valley of death”

Subsequent SDAMPT TOs may address Stage II program efforts.

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Stage I: Research Teams

Stage II: Technology Maturation Programs

The core funding for the Metals M&P program is 6.2 Applied Research. This funding is supplemented with 6.1 Basic Research funding, additional competitively-awarded 6.2 funds, and occasional 6.3 funds.

Image Source: Jim Snodgrass, US Army Futures Command CCDC. Publicly available through Defense Acquisition University

Note overlap

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Stage I: Research Teams

This objective and budget activity maps to TRL 2-4, with the primary focus being in TRL 3.

Since AFOSR projects are also worked within the research teams, TRL 2 is an important secondary focus. We participate in some TRL 4 activity but our objective is to transition technologies at this TRL to other programs with more resources.

We watch technologies at TRL 1, engage at TRL 2, and mature through TRL 3. Our objective is to hand off programs in TRL 4 to stage II efforts.

#1

#2

#3

Note overlap

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

TRL 2 is where invention begins. Some basic principles have been observed, enabling speculation on potential applications.

TRL 3 is research to prove feasibility. A notional application or need is known, but it is not known whether the technology will succeed or fail in the application.

TRL 4 is component validation in a laboratory environment.

This is where the research team typically hands off activity to a transition partner.

Image source: NASA.GOV

The primary focus of the AMP-EAR task order is in this range, centered in TRL 3

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

TRL 2 is where invention begins. Some basic principles have been observed, enabling speculation on potential applications.

TRL 3 is research to prove feasibility. A notional application or need is known, but it is not known whether the technology will succeed or fail in the application.

TRL 4 is component validation in a laboratory environment.

This is where the research team typically hands off activity to a transition partner.

Image source: NASA.GOV

The primary focus of the AMP-EAR task order is in this range, centered in TRL 3

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

DoD Appropriations for Science & Technology (S&T)

6.2 research is guided by the needs outlined in National Defense Strategy, AF2030, and other strategic guidance.

Most of the work performed under AMP-EAR is anticipated to be under 6.2 funding

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

SDAMPT (Basic IDIQ)

• Advance the State-of-the-Art in Aerospace Materials and Conducting Research on Metallic Materials with

High Potential Impact to the USAF and USSF (TRL

1-4)

• Develop and Maintain the Human Resources for

Rapid Response to USAF and USSF Needs for

Expertise in Metallic Materials and Processing

• Maintain and Improve the Research Infrastructure for Metals Processing and Screening at AFRL/RXCM

AMP-EAR (TO 0001)

• Automation of testing, characterization, and processing workflows

• Optimization of composition and processing route based on multiple performance objectives

• Development of rapid qualification and microstructure prediction methodologies

Summary

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Examples of Metals M&P In-house Research

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Demand Signals for Metals R&D

RCCAs

Pushing the temperature capabilities of metallic materials

Ni super-alloys

The backbone of turbine propulsion

Ti Alloys

Low density performance at moderate temperatures

Al Alloys

Lightweight structures

Steels Exceptional toughness at low cost

Image source: reddit.com

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

MMP Research Portfolio (FY18-21)

Alloy Development & Design

(current focus: refractory alloys)

Scalable Microstructure

Modeling

(current focus: Ti coarse grain formation)

Metals Additive

Manufacturing

Small engines and heat exchangers

Hypersonic transport and rocket engines

Residual stress management and microstructure characterization tools

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Modeling of Microstructure Evolution during Thermomechanical Processing

• Why?

• Property variations occur with minor difference in chemistry, time, temperature, strain path, etc.

• It takes a lot of EXPERIENCE or TRIAL & ERROR to be able to process critical aerospace components

• What you might not have known…

• Aerospace metals products are surprisingly artisanal

• Predicting the microstructure from knowledge of chemistry and processing history is not a solved problem

• Major hurdles to transitioning to application…

• Models are complex and scalable

• Widespread impression that these problems in metals research are already solved

Payton et al, Proceedings ReX&GG (2019); Levkulich et al, in preparation (2020)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Additive Manufacturing

• Why?

• Potential for on-demand replacement parts

• Potential for previously unachievable shapes

• What you might not know…

• Correct shape does not result in equal performance to wrought product

• Raw materials costs higher due to additional steps from atomization

• Major hurdles to transitioning to application…

• Quality control in a black box

• Powder supply chain

Schwalbach et al, Additive Manufacturing (2019)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Refractory Alloys / RHEAs

• Why? USAF has a perpetual need for high temperature high performance materials

• What you might not know…

• As you add alloying elements, the melting temperature usually drops, limiting high temperature strength

• Hard to process due to very high melting points

• Limited prior research (challenging to process + expensive)

• Potential for unique properties:

• Relatively low thermal expansion

• High conductivity

• Major hurdles to transitioning to application…

• Oxidation resistance

• Ductile-to-brittle transition temperature

• Processability

Senkov et al, Int J Ref & Hard Mater (2020) Butler et al, JALCOM (2017)

**Slide for information purposes only. Proposals shall be submitted and Evaluated in accordance with BAA.

Metals M&P Equipment

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