Manufacturing continues to evolve, and U.S. manufacturing facilities are changing and innovating as well. Considering that 54% of the nation’s research and development was conducted in manufacturing in 2021, according to the National Science Foundation, it makes sense that industrial facilities are places that enable experimentation and accelerate product development. Masu.
Collaborative efforts are also underway to remove barriers and build ecosystems to build stronger supply chains and provide entry points for commercialization of emerging technologies in next-generation manufacturing facilities. .
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The collaborative facility dedicated to innovation is working on initiatives such as:
We utilize advanced fiber technology to create programmable backpacks that connect you to the digital world without wires or batteries. It uses light instead of electronics to power cloud-based data centers, significantly increasing transfer speeds by a factor of 10, while reducing costs and energy consumption. Extend the range of electric vehicles by reducing weight and reducing energy loss during travel.
Below is a snapshot of some of the next-generation manufacturing facilities within the Manufacturing USA network that are shaping the future of advanced manufacturing in the United States.
silicon carbide foundry
The world’s first open silicon carbide foundry located in Lubbock, Texas. This facility was a Texas Instruments facility that manufactured conventional silicon wafers. The goal of this facility is to support the commercialization of wide bandgap (WBG) power electronics technology, which removes barriers to entry and improves the energy efficiency and reliability of power electronics.
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Wide bandgap technologies, including both silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductors, impact traditional power electronics applications such as industrial motor systems, consumer electronics, and data systems. These technologies meet the needs of next-generation high-voltage applications such as grid modernization, manufacturing plant power systems, offshore wind farms, and multi-megawatt motor drives.
The foundry uses a cooperative model, providing access to shared production and research and development facilities for companies that do not have their own silicon carbide manufacturing capabilities. Up to 20 U.S. companies of all sizes can use the production equipment at various times.
Testing, assembly and packaging facilities
This collaboration between the National Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics and the Department of Defense is located in Rochester, New York. Integrated photonics involves using light for applications traditionally addressed through electronics. They are also used in laser-based radar and sensing, as well as communications, to improve the performance and reliability of electronic integrated circuits while significantly reducing size, weight, and energy consumption.
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This capability is a critical component as it provides a connection point within the photonics supply chain. It is the world’s first open access photonic integration (PIC) test, assembly and packaging facility, providing development and production process capabilities that enable small and medium-sized businesses to deploy integrated photonic chip technology throughout their product development cycle. I will. I can’t afford it.
The facility is equipped with advanced optical sensors that use light as radar (LIDAR). These miniature LIDAR sensors provide real-time 3D mapping for self-driving cars, manage cloud computing database systems, detect sarin gas in national security environments, enhance medical imaging, and improve chemical interaction. Assess food safety by measuring This can make a huge difference by increasing data output while significantly reducing energy consumption.
LIFT’s high bay facility
The Detroit facility will serve as the headquarters for LIFT, the National Institute for Advanced Materials Manufacturing Innovation and a public-private partnership between industry, academia, and government.
The High Bay facility opened in 2017 and will serve as a technology accelerator and pilot facility. It serves as a showcase to highlight the “art of the possible” and future of advanced manufacturing, and serves as a sandbox in which the Institute’s ecosystem can design and test. Prototype new materials, manufacturing processes, and systems.
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The aerospace, automotive, and defense industries require novel, advanced materials that enable the production of components that are fit for purpose and, most importantly, keep warfighters safe.
Combining more than $55 million in state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing equipment with the institute’s virtual modeling and simulation expertise, the LIFT High Bay facility will accelerate the development and adoption of advanced materials and manufacturing processes in the U.S. industrial base. It is the core of the
The facility also features a LIFT Learning Lab that sits above the high bay, giving students a bird’s-eye view of what the world of advanced manufacturing is like today.
The Learning Lab offers seven unique courses ranging from providing hands-on experiential learning opportunities for middle school and high school students to certification courses that prepare adult learners for careers in the advanced manufacturing industries available today. An immersive space with a lab.
fabric discovery center
Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the center is leading the transformation of traditional fibers, yarns, and textiles into highly sophisticated, integrated network systems.
The facility, a collaboration between Advanced Functional Fabrics of America and the Department of Defense, will provide advanced technology to receive data from overhead light sources for long-range, directional and high-bandwidth communications and electrophoretic color change. We are developing innovations such as fabric-based hats. Military camouflage can be changed depending on location and environment.
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The facility is the first in the world to feature end-to-end prototyping capabilities, from CAD design to machine tools, preform manufacturing and system integration.
It’s a one-stop shop for fiber technology, with knitting and looms close to the draw towers and engineers close by working with fiber for semiconductor devices.
This facility provides an ideal location for ideation, product concept development, process experimentation, expert consultation and research.
BioFabUSA tissue foundry
The facility was established by the Advanced Remanufacturing Institute in collaboration with the Department of Defense in Manchester, New Hampshire. The goal was to develop an ecosystem for large-scale manufacturing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, providing potential opportunities for life-changing medicine. . This is the first demonstration of scalable, modular, automated precision manufacturing of tissue engineering products.
A tissue foundry consists of a series of manufacturing modules or subsystems, starting with cell culture and ending with final product packaging. The facility integrates innovative cell and tissue culture with advances in biofabrication, automation, robotics, and analytical technologies to create disruptive research and development tools and FDA-compliant high-volume manufacturing processes.
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The foundry aims to produce automated, closed systems that are isolated from the environment, unlike traditional manufacturing. Such systems do not rely on high capital investments in cleanroom facilities, increasing the potential for cost-effective operation at scale. Advances in the TEMP manufacturing process will be utilized to manufacture 3D implants, scaffolds, and tissue constructs.
The future is now
These innovative advanced manufacturing facilities are just a few examples of our extensive support for manufacturing innovation. This facility will bring together expertise from across the industry to create even more revolutionary technology, as well as attract new manufacturing workers to the industry.
These facilities are attracting private investment as well as federal funding to continue this revolutionary work. Educational institutions, private companies, and government agencies can also work together to advance manufacturing technology.
With advanced manufacturing playing a major role in the U.S. innovation ecosystem, it makes sense for partners to work together to increase technological competitiveness and drive product and process improvements that have a positive impact on the U.S. economy. That’s true.
