NCMS, GE and MEDC Partner to Bring Advanced Modeling & Simulation to Manufacturers

• Partnership between National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, GE, and Michigan Economic Development Corporation will provide small- and mid-size manufacturers access to critical tools.
• Inaugural center promoting advanced digital manufacturing to open in Michigan in early 2013.
• Additional centers, connected by a collaborative national innovation network, to follow across the nation.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – November 13, 2012 – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) announced today that it has partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to establish the first innovation center in a national grid that will accelerate manufacturing in Michigan and across the country by providing easy access to digital modeling and simulation tools for businesses.

GE’s AMSTC in Van Buren Township, MI

GE’s Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center, located outside of Detroit, will host the first NCMS Predictive Innovation Center (PIC). Through this effort, Michigan companies will forge a path to increased global competitiveness, by providing manufacturers with a virtualized approach to building that combines high performance modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A), data mining tools, and the digitization of processes to optimize speed, reliability, and efficiency.

“When you talk about creating jobs and growing the economy in Michigan, these are the kind of long-range opportunities that will really make a difference,” said Rick Jarman, president & CEO of NCMS. “With the help of this center, small- and mid-size manufacturers will be able to deliver solutions faster, and expand their supplier reach to large companies. It is incredible to imagine the hundreds of small companies in Michigan that will have the potential to grow as a result of this premier facility.”

Steve Reagan of L&L Products, Inc. (Left) with Chris Fick, NCMS (Right)

“Michigan manufacturers – and the talented workers they employ – help make our state a global center of innovation,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Michael A. Finney said. “We are proud to support efforts like this that cement our manufacturing dominance and help our businesses compete, grow, and create new jobs.”

MEDC has provided a grant for the creation of the center, which is matched with industry support from NCMS members. The premier center will be open to the public in the first quarter of 2013.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

NCMS rolled out its plan to revitalize American manufacturing in 2011, forming the Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group (DM SIG), a collaboration of hardware and software providers, industry, and academia, collectively advising development of a national grid for manufacturers, a physical and virtual collaborative environment to drive adoption of essential 21^st century tools. For more information on NCMS’ digital manufacturing initiative please visit http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/digital-manufacturing-initiative/.

About GE:
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com.

VIDEO:  “A Sign of Goodness”

Produced by The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

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Funds will allow partner recipients to identify and connect small-to-medium manufacturing firms that can support lower-volume, rapid-production, highly custom projects. For example, companies will be better poised to help entrepreneurial firms that develop new concepts to produce prototypes using high performance advanced modeling and simulation tools as well as initial runs of those products without necessarily going into high-volume production.

“Michigan is home to a wealth of innovation and manufacturers, as well as the support and infrastructure required for these types of initiatives to succeed,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO, “small and medium manufacturers in Michigan need access to advanced tools and training in order to grow and succeed in today’s market; this collaboration will elevate manufacturers in the state, ensuring their global competitiveness.”

Partners will work with companies to develop their capacity to accommodate and promote contract manufacturing jobs, arrange partnerships to bid and work on such opportunities, and train workers in custom manufacturing processes, including rapid machine set-up, prototyping, and related skill sets.

Mike Finney, President & CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation added, “Manufacturers throughout Southeast Michigan are well-positioned to compete in this space. We can fuel innovation by teaching new processes and opening the door to new markets.”

In addition to the federal funds, the state of Michigan will provide $500,000 through the MI Match program. Other key supporting partners include the members of the Business Accelerator Network of SE Michigan (BANSEM), University of Michigan, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

The Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge for Advanced Manufacturing is funded by five federal agencies: Economic Development Administration, Employment & Training Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Energy, and National Institute of Science & Technology.

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Media Contact:

Alissa Roath
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS)
(734)995-3457
alissar@ncms.org

NCMS The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org.

WIN is a collaborative effort between eight community colleges, seven Michigan Works! Agencies, and various other academic, economic development, and other partners. Its mission is to help Southeast Michigan businesses find the talent they need for success. WIN accomplishes this using labor market intelligence, providing custom solutions for employers, and promoting innovative policy and practice. For more information on WIN visit http://www.win-semich.org.

Detroit Regional Chamber’s Connection Point With over 20,000 members and affiliates, that employ over three-quarters of a million workers, the Detroit Regional Chamber is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the country. As part of the Chamber’s economic development portfolio, Connection Point links Michigan companies to global and local purchasers in new markets. Connection Point uncovers and develops procurement and R&D opportunities that diversify the customer bases of Michigan companies and creates sustained economic growth. The Connection Point program is funded by a grant through the Economic Development Administration, which operates as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) is an affiliate of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. MMTC’s focus is on business development, cost reduction, and quality improvement in manufacturing companies with fewer than 500 employees, with an emphasis on those with 20-249 – large enough to need effective, repeatable processes but too small to be well-served by the for-profit consulting sector. Each year, MMTC helps 200-300 Michigan manufacturers through training, consulting, and management mentoring. The MMTC is funded by NIST MEP, the MEDC, and its industry clients.

MEDC The Michigan Economic Development Corporation markets the state with a focus on business, talent, jobs and helping to grow the economy. For more on MEDC and its initiatives, visit: http://MichiganAdvantage.org.

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Jon joined NCMS in 2009 and has been an integral key to furthering a National strategy to bring digital modeling and simulation tools to the over 300,000 small and medium sized companies in the U.S. who do not have access currently and in doing so, transforming the way America builds. He heads up NCMS’ Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group (DM SIG) which includes members from Microsoft, Intel, ANSYS, ACE Clearwater Enterprises, Ohio Supercomputer Center, Clemson University and Altair – all working to address challenges and steer digital manufacturing tools towards widespread adoption for U.S. manufacturers.

“Jon has been invaluable to NCMS and our digital manufacturing initiative,” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS, “his passion around bringing HPC tools to manufacturers of all sizes is palpable, and we are confident U.S. manufacturing will thrive and prosper while his vision continues to become reality.”

Mr. Riley joins an impressive list of luminaries in the spectrum of high performance computing and other advanced technologies on the “People to Watch 2012” list including DM SIG member Steve Reagan of L&L Products, Steve Scott, Nvidia, Mark Seager, Intel and David Ferucci of IBM.

Congratulations to all of the innovative and impressive persons named to this list. The future looks bright for U.S. competitiveness with these luminaries leading the way. To see the full list, visit http://www.hpcwire.com/specialfeatures/people_to_watch_2012

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NCMS Expands its Board of Directors

ANN ARBOR, MI – January 10, 2012 The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) continues its commitment to enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, announcing today that five new members have joined its Board of Directors. The NCMS board now includes  Dr. Dianne Chong of The Boeing Company, Mr. Doug Dinon of GE-Global Research, Mr. David Rich of Microsoft, Ms. Anne Tinker of Warner Music Group and Dr. Dawn White of Accio Energy. The newly elected Directors bring to the NCMS Board diverse specialties and areas of expertise, including strategy, finance, human resources, business development and marketing.

“Our Board represent s the critical skill sets needed to guide U.S. manufacturing during these crucial economic times for our nation,” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS. “These individuals will enhance our already impressive Board of Directors, adding insight and skills that will enhance our key NCMS initiatives such as digital manufacturing, sustainability, robotics and other 21^st manufacturing concepts.”

The largest manufacturing-focused consortium in North America, NCMS is the leader in implementing a U.S. knowledge infrastructure; bringing digital modeling and simulation tools to the over 300,000 small and medium sized companies in the U.S. who require access to them to be competitive. This board of directors will effectively help steer the NCMS in critical areas and represent the voice of industry and NCMS’ over 300 members.

The NCMS believes that smart manufacturing is the key to our nation’s economic recovery, and that surrounding itself with knowledgeable people in this sphere is the key to accomplishing these goals.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

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Concept papers are due to NCMS by March 1st, 2012. “We are looking for projects that demonstrate strong benefits not only to the DoD but to industry as well,” states Dr. Chuck Ryan, NCMS Vice President and co-director of the CTMA Program, he adds that “strong teaming with DoD maintenance facilities is also encouraged.”

The selection criterion for project ideas includes the level of innovation, overall benefits, ability to deploy the technology within 12 months, and the strength of the team. Five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their project ideas to the DoD Senior Sustainment Leader Panel, who will ultimately choose the winning team for the Challenge as part of the 2012 CTMA Symposium, being held at the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in Coronado, CA, March 26-28, an annual NCMS symposium which showcases technologies being developed with DoD maintenance activities, and features briefings by senior DoD leaders around issues and plans for the sustainment of their fleets.

In addition, a technology showcase will be hosted by FRC-SW presenting an opportunity for NCMS membership to demonstrate new technologies that may be of interest to the DoD. Up-to-date information on the Challenge, Symposium and Technology Showcase can be found at www.ncms.org.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

About CTMA:

The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

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Innovative Metal-Joining Project Reduces Warfighter Vehicle Weight while Offering Superior Safety and Build Efficiency

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 29, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) was awarded its tenth National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2011 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) this week in Anaheim, CA. Attracting more than a 1,000 attendees from the DoD, Armed Services, Industry, and Academia, the conference strengthens military and industrial capability through innovation, collaboration and strategic investment.

The award-winning collaborative team, managed by NCMS, brought together several small companies including Gravikor, the Michigan Research Institute, and SpaceForm Welding Solutions as well as the U.S. Army PM Light Tactical Vehicles division and the Marine Corps Maintenance Center Albany. The project team’s objective was to develop solutions for lighter, stronger military vehicles, allowing for the utilization of the latest lightweight armor solutions and improving overall maintainability. The awarded project, Deformation Resistant Welding of Space Frame Structures to Reduce Weight in DoD Ground Vehicles,¨ applied new innovations in welding techniques to dramatically reduce time and weight associated with traditional vehicle space-frame construction.

The team created a design for a new cage structure that would completely replace the current body structure in the military’s ubiquitous HMMWV (Humvee) platform. The NCMS team scrapped traditional old-school welding techniques in favor of deformation resistance welding an approach that produces atomically clean surfaces between metals to be joined. The result is a near-perfect surface bond with many benefits over the traditional approach:

• Elimination of weld fillers cuts weight, corrosion targets, and weak spots
• Deformation-welded surfaces offer a considerably stronger bond
• Easily supports joining of unlike metals, such as aluminum and titanium
• Fully compatible with advanced composite armor technologies
• Entire weld process is nearly 1,000 times faster than the traditional method

The solution is cost-feasible as well, requiring little additional equipment and practically zero added investment. We needed a cost effective, producible cage structure that will support mounting lighter composite armor and various vehicle attachments,¨ said Dr. Chuck Ryan, Vice President, Technology at NCMS and Program Manager of the project. It needed to be stronger, lighter, and very importantly cheap and production ready. With this technology we achieved those goals and significantly reduced the overall vehicle weight.¨

The Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA)-funded project demonstrated the potential for a substantial weight saving (~1,500 lbs) with a comparable protection level to the current FRAG 7 HMMWV.

Other advantages through the use of the DRW Space Frame Design include:

• ~50% reduction in required parts
• Rapid manufacturing process for cage structure
• Fully bolt in kit (no welding at the depot level)
• Requires no major modification to current HMMWV chassis
•  Improved ingress and egress for end user
•  Increased rollover protection versus standard HMMWV

Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS, was asked to present all of the evening’s Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards, including the honor his own company received for this project. These are the types of innovative technologies collaboration produces,¨ said Jarman, “at NCMS, we believe that true innovation lies at the intersection of talent, investment and infrastructure an intersection that you can only reach by collaborating. This project is another win for our portfolio of successful collaborations. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and its innovation not just for this success, but because solutions like this save lives every day.¨

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

National Center for Manufacturing Sciences 3025 Boardwalk Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108-3230 (800)222-6267

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ANN ARBOR, MI – November 28, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) “No-Mask Electroplating” Project was awarded first place in the “Great Ideas Competition” at SAE’s 2011 DoD Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual symposium brings together thousands of government and industry representatives to exchange ideas to improve maintenance practices and procedures.

Modernization of metal electroplating with no-mask conforming anodes is an innovative NCMS R&D project that sought to address issues around electroplating such as the extensive time it takes to mask parts, inaccuracies, inefficiencies and working with plating baths which are highly toxic. NCMS collaborated with government and industry to find a single, powerful solution to eliminate masking labor, achieve faster plating times, and improve uniformity of deposits.

“The results of this project are nothing less than astonishing,” said Bill Chenevert, NCMS Program Manager for the project, “we took this 100 year old process and gave it a technologically advanced overhaul saving money, time and the environment.”

The project resulted in a:

• 95% reduction in pre-plating part preparation
• 45% reduction in plating time
• 50% increase in plating tank capacity, improving overall throughput
• $2,220,000 in immediate annual savings from the pilot parts alone

Collaborative participants on this award winning project included the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest and Advanced Tooling Corporation (ATC). The project was funded through NCMS’ Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

The team estimates that if No-Mask Conforming Anodes were deployed across the Department of Defense (DoD) over $50 Million in savings could potentially be realized with overall process improvement times of 35-50%.

The positive impact on the environment is also substantial. No-mask conforming anodes are fully reusable. The technology completely eliminates the mountains of tape, wax and other maskants – all of which must be disposed of as hazardous waste, where even brief exposure could lead to serious health complications.

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

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ANN ARBOR, MI – November 9, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has launched the Transportation Environmental Resource Center (TERC), a new online compliance resource that provides information on environmental regulations for all transportation sectors including road, rail, air, and water. The site includes overviews of regulations, compliance tips, best practice solutions and links to other tools to help the environment while saving money.

This is the 18th online resource center in a series of Compliance Assistance Centers (CACs) funded through Cooperative Agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many of which are managed and hosted by NCMS. While the initial focus of TERC has been on the road transportation mode developed collaboratively with the American Trucking Associations (ATA); additional content will be developed for the other transportation modes in 2012. “The site is a particularly relevant resource for identifying and understanding the various regulations that pertain to the trucking industry. Whether it is fueling, vehicle maintenance, or waste generation, the site provides information on both state and federal requirements,” says Glen Kedzie, Vice President and Environmental Counsel at ATA. “The information provided applies equally to both large fleets and smaller operations.”

TERC provides easy-to-understand summaries of both federal and state regulations affecting all aspects of road transportation, with links to other web resources for more detailed information. “A unique feature of TERC is its Compliance Summary Tool, says Bill Chenevert, EPA Compliance Assistance Site Director for NCMS. “Users simply answer questions regarding their operations to generate a customized compliance assistance checklist for their maintenance facilities or terminals.”

TERC is fully accessible and free to use. The transportation site is the latest in a series of CACs developed and managed by NCMS since 1995. To view the TERC transportation site, go to http://www.tercenter.org.

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org.

About ATA:
The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on to move the nation’s freight. For more information on ATA, visit http://www.truckline.com.

About Compliance Assistance Centers:
The EPA has sponsored partnerships with industry, academia, environmental groups, and other agencies to launch 18 industry-specific Centers. Each Center addresses real world issues in language that is used by the regulated entities. Through internet websites, telephone assistance lines, e-mail discussion groups and more, the Centers targeted to various industries (e.g., healthcare, metal finishing, paints and coatings, construction, ports, borders, food processing, federal and local government) aim to help businesses, local governments, and federal facilities understand environmental requirements and save money through pollution prevention techniques. Additionally, the Centers have developed a series of State Resource Locators (http://www.envcap.org/statetools/) providing easy access to state-specific regulations and resources for a variety of topics (e.g., universal waste, stormwater, air pollution, asbestos/lead abatement). All Centers can be accessed at: http://www.assistancecenters.net/.

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Award Eligibility

The award is open to all.  Nominees (as many as desired) may be submitted by all the affiliated Associations/Societies of the Multi-Association Industry Affordability Task Force in any or all of the three award categories: individual, small team/group (large business), and small team/group (small business).  Although companies are strongly encouraged to (and usually do) submit nominations through one of the Associations, occasionally nominations from one of the companies represented on the Multi-Association Industry Affordability Task Force will be sent to NCAT directly.  These are considered valid nominations, but will be attributed to the most applicable association to be considered for the award.  Each Association is limited to three nominations in each of the three categories, and each association is responsible for submitting at least one nomination, including all categories.

Note:  Joint Industry/Government teams are eligible.  There are no restrictions on who can be nominated for the Individual award category—both Government and Industry individuals have won this award, often with a record of service in both regimes.

The nominees must be living at the time of their nomination.  Any individual or small group/team in the defense manufacturing community that has significantly contributed to the understanding, development, or application of manufacturing techniques, processes, methods, practices, or management throughout the nation is eligible for this award.

• Individual category nominations may be either for (1) a specific achievement in defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year or (2) a sustained record of performance and distinguished contributions in the defense manufacturing arena over a longer period.
• Small team/group from large (over 500 employees) companies should be for a specific achievement in the field of defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year.  Award is limited to 10 team members.
• Small team/group from small business (less that 500 employees) companies should be for a specific achievement in the field of defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year.  The small business should have performed the majority of the work. Award is limited to 10 team members.

2011 Nominating and Award Selection Procedure

Nominations should be provided electronically and include the following information:

• Nominator’s name, mailing address, and electronic communications contact information (phone, fax, and e-mail)
• Nominator’s title and organization/affiliation (company or association)
• Nominee’s name and title, institutional or company affiliation, and address.  For team categories please include the name of the project here.
• Category: Specify whether the nomination is for the individual or one of the small team/group categories (large or small business).  If for the team/group categories, all of the members’ names should be included as nominees (exactly as they would appear in the Award Program, should the team/group be selected).
• A summary of the action(s): the basis for the nomination (approximately 100-150 words).  This will form the basis for the “citation” to be published in the Award program distributed at the presentation ceremony should the nominee win.  Hint:  It also “grabs” the attention of the members of the Award Committee who will be evaluating the nomination.
• A separate longer statement, not to exceed three, single spaced pages (12 point “Times New Roman” or similar font preferred), with one inch margins. This will form the basis for the comparative evaluation by the Award Committee of the award nominees and selection of the award recipient(s).  Nomination details should include:

1. Technical/managerial challenges overcome
2. Significance of the accomplishment
3. Financial or technical performance benefits (should be as specific as possible, without the use of any proprietary data. In needed, use normalized data.)
4. Potential for solution to be subsequently applied beyond the original applications.

• A resume of the nominee or a brief biography for each nominee.  In the case of the team award (optional), a brief description for each of the team members and a biography/resume for the team leader(s) are appropriate.

Completed nominations should be submitted to the Awards Coordinator, The National Center for Advanced Technologies, e-mail mark.gordon@ncat.com, phone 813-899-4545, Fax 813-425-7774. Questions regarding nomination procedures or other matters may also be addressed using this contact information.

The deadline for award nomination submissions is COB, Friday, October 28, 2011.  All nominating materials become the property of NCAT.

As mentioned, for 2011 the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the lead association for the award selection process and will sponsor the award presentation at DMC.  Ms. Rebecca Taylor will chair the 2011 Industry Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award Selection Committee.  Past lead associations/societies have included:  NSIA (1995), AIA (1996, 2000, 2010), GEIA (1997, 2005), AMT (1998, 2007), AFCEA (1999), SME (2001, 2008), NACFAM (2002, 2009), NDIA (2003), and  NCMS (2004).

Award Nomination and Selection Process

NCAT forms the Award Selection Committee each year from representatives of the affiliated Associations and Societies.  The Associations and Societies solicit nominees from their member companies and then forward their nominations to NCAT by the Nomination due date.  NCAT in turn consolidates and forwards copies of each of the nomination packages to each member of the Award Selection Committee.  The members of the Award Committee then individually evaluate and rank order all of the nominees in each of the three award categories and forward their three sets of rank orders to NCAT.  NCAT then tallies the votes.  In each of the three categories the entry with the most first-place votes is the winner.  If there is a tie for number of first place votes, it will be resolved using the rank ordering (number of second place votes; if that does not resolve the tie, number of third place votes, etc.).  The Committee then meets, usually in mid November, to ratify the NCAT tally (one ratification vote per Association/Society present) and approve the selection of the winner(s) in the three categories of the Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award.

Award Ceremony

The Awards will be presented at the Defense Manufacturing Conference (Las Vegas, Nov 28-Dec 1, 2011)  The recipients of the Award(s) will be notified in advance so they can arrange to attend the awards presentation ceremony at the Defense Manufacturing Conference and receive their awards in person if they desire.  Also, the winners usually will be asked to provide a picture of the winning individual/groups for inclusion in the Awards Program.  Note:  All award recipients have in fact chosen to receive their awards in person, although sometimes not all members of the winning team have been able to attend.

NCAT Role

The National Centerfor Advanced Technologies supports the entire process including solicitation of members for the Award Selection Committee, processing the nominations and tallying the votes, putting together the Award Program, and orchestrating the Award presentation ceremony.  NCAT also hosts the ratification meeting of the Award Selection Committee (usually a luncheon meeting) and any necessary teleconferences during the nomination/selection process.

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Predictive Innovation Centers to provide Secure, Scalable, Affordable and Accessible Smart Manufacturing Tools to U.S. Manufacturers

ANN ARBOR, MI – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the largest cross industry consortium in North America and a leader in next-generation manufacturing strategies, announced today that they are poised to bring next generation design and manufacturing tools to industry of all sizes, revitalizing U.S. manufacturing.

Today, speaking at Carnegie Mellon University, President Obama announced the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort devoted to collaboration between industry, academia, and federal government to drive innovative technologies that will create quality manufacturing jobs and enhance global competitiveness.

“The AMP concept outlined by the President today, is forged upon the recognition that by driving collaboration between talent, investment, and infrastructure, we can revitalize manufacturing in North America and get back to making things” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO, “NCMS has a comprehensive national strategy to bring smart manufacturing tools to industry and their supply chain in an accessible, affordable way.”

The NCMS aligns with AMP’s pursuits that will drive entirely new competitive business models:

• Domestic manufacturing capabilities in national security
• Reduced time to market for advanced materials
• Next-generation robotics
• Sustainability across the manufacturing and product lifecycle

NCMS has a long history of successful collaborations between industry, government and academia. Manufacturing knows how to make. Academia knows how to envision. And Government support provides the needed investment and encouragement to keep this meeting of the minds on the right track. NCMS applauds The President for leading this initiative and giving the U.S. the opportunity to once again become the leader in Global Competitiveness by implementing advanced manufacturing tools across the industry, revitalizing the U.S. economy and creating jobs in a 21st Century world. Because the future is not made, it is manufactured.

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest collaborative R&D consortium in North America and is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, and robotics manufacturing. NCMS has 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

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How Modeling & Simulation Will Drive 21st Century Manufacturing Growth

ANN ARBOR, MI – May 19, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that it has brought together leaders in high performance digital manufacturing to brief the Congressional Research and Development and Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucuses on how high performance computing is poised to drive explosive manufacturing growth. The event will raise awareness of modeling and simulation in the Congress as an essential tool for small and medium sized manufacturers to help them to innovate and compete. NCMS, along with three of its partner companies, will brief the Congress on its vision for developing a knowledge infrastructure which leverages the wealth of talent, ideas and facilities within our universities, national labs and industrial research centers to bring modeling and simulation to the nation’s manufacturers.

“As U.S. manufacturers are struggling to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging global marketplace, high performance computer modeling and simulation presents a key competitive opportunity.” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Small and medium companies must begin to tap these superior technologies to become more competitive and be better equipped to compete and spur job creation.”

In addition to Jon Riley, Executive Director of Design & Engineering Programs at NCMS, panelists include Intel, John Deere and Ace Clearwater who have all embraced modeling and simulation as an essential technology in their operation. Each company will bring their unique perspective to the briefing and discuss how this technology has made a difference to their bottom lines. In addition, they will identify the collaborative models that must be created to enable small and medium sized manufactures to adopt America’s next great industrial game changer.

“NCMS is leading a national effort to make practical digital manufacturing tools available to small and medium sized companies and we look forward to sharing our strategic plan with Congressional leaders” said Jon Riley, “American companies need these tools to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.”

Event Details & RSVP

Contact:
Phil Callihan philc@ncms.org o-(734) 995-2046 c-(734) 260-3724

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NCMS Partners with Navy to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through remotely operated vehicle challenges

ANN ARBOR, MI – May 18, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that it has received an award from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Keyport to manage its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program focused on Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) in their local area. The cooperative agreement between NCMS and NUWC Keyport will support the Department of Defense’s (DoD) mission of scientific outreach and education in working to nurture future scientists capable of providing support to the development of DoD identified critical technologies.

The current lack of robotics-specific degreed engineers and technicians poses a serious threat to future development and deployment of robotic and unmanned systems which are integral to ensuring the safety of the warfighter. This program will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by engaging students, kindergarten through college, in STEM-related hands-on learning activities using Navy content, preparing them for future employment in ROV disciplines, supporting academic institutions or the naval contractor community. Finally, it will help employ, retain and develop naval STEM professionals to support this technologically advanced sector.

NCMS will leverage its experience in workforce training and interactive games-based learning to ensure that an educated and well-prepared ROV workforce is available to meet both naval and national competitiveness needs.

“The future of manufacturing depends on our ability to motivate and inspire students,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman. “Our experience in workforce training and technology will provide the DoD with the vision, tools, and skilled workforce to ensure a strong defense and keep the U.S. a global leader in advanced manufacturing.”

NCMS recently supported National Robotics Week by hosting Michigan Robotics Day at its Ann Arbor Headquarters. The event included demonstrations of robotic technology created by university and high school students, as well as opportunities for students to learn about the future of robotics from DoD and industry leaders while observing cutting edge robotics technology in action. The event was webcast to schools nationwide, maximizing the opportunities for student and industry participation.

Contact:
Phil Callihan philc@ncms.org o-(734) 995-2046 c-(734) 260-3724

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SAN DIEGO, CA. May 5, 2011 – Tabor Communications Inc. (TCI), a leading international media company and publisher of HPCwire and HPC in the Cloud, today announced the appointment of John Kirkley as Editor for its recently announced online web portal, Digital Manufacturing Report.

Digital Manufacturing Report is being published in partnership with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America. The new publishing effort is focused primarily on providing news, information and resources covering advanced computing technologies, enabling small to mid-size manufacturers (SMMs) to be more competitive in the global marketplace.

“There is no editorial executive in the technology publishing industry with more relevant experience than John in guiding our efforts with the NCMS to inform and educate the digital manufacturing community,” said Tom Tabor, CEO of Tabor Communications Inc. “John has the gift of taking complicated technologies, dissecting them, and clearly articulating their benefits to audiences in an easy-to-digest format. In addition to his proven track record in online IT communications, John has written extensively about and is actively engaged in the digital manufacturing initiatives. I am pleased that he has accepted this role, and I look forward to his active involvement as part of the executive management team.”

As a writer and editor, John Kirkley is widely recognized for his work in the computer and telecommunications industries spanning the past four decades. The former editor of Datamation magazine, John also created Computer magazine at the request of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Computer Society, acting as both its editor and publisher. John’s most recent work was as President of Kirkley Communications, providing consulting services and marketing communications expertise to multiple high technology companies, with a focus on high performance computing (HPC). John has also been honored with the IEEE Computer Society’s Golden Core Award for his contributions to the organization.

“I’m honored to accept the role as Editor of Digital Manufacturing Report and to build on the momentum generated by the Tabor Communications and NCMS,” Kirkley said. “Our goal is to help advance the use of digital technologies throughout the manufacturing community. We are deeply committed to building a solid, trusted relationship with our audience by providing the level of news, information and guidance necessary to insure the industry’s success.”

About Tabor Communications, Inc.
For over 25 years, Tabor Communications Inc. has served global industry leaders of the high performance computing community. TCI is a leading, international media company that provides solutions, news and information to the High Performance Computing (HPC), cloud, and Information Technology (IT) communities. Tabor Communications companies include Tabor Advertising and Tabor Publications & Events. More information on Tabor Communications can be found at http://www.taborcommunications.com/

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ANN ARBOR, MI – March 31, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Defense Center and SoarTech will host a Michigan Robotics Day on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at NCMS headquarters in Ann Arbor.

The event will showcase innovations and demonstrations in robotics and the program will include presentations from robotics industry luminaries as well as the region’s brightest robotics students. This event will be a celebration of the advances made by robotics companies and the growth of Michigan’s robotics technology sector, along with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in Michigan.

Rick Jarman, President & CEO, NCMS

“Michigan is positioned to be a global leader in robotics innovation based on the talent and infrastructure that already exists here in the state,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman. “Design and deployment of robotics technology will ultimately depend on advanced manufacturing – exactly the kind of capability in which Michigan companies excel. Our day long event will highlight the robotics successes in Michigan, confirming the region as an economic development engine for the State.”

Dr. Jim Overholt, Chief Scientist for Robotics with the United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), in Warren, Michigan will present the keynote address. Overholt is a recognized leader in the field of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence, with over 25-years of experience in military robotics. Dr. Overholt earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Lawrence Technological University and a master and doctorate in systems engineering from Oakland University.

Sara Blackmer, Defense Sector Development Director, Michigan Defense Center

“When someone says ‘ROBOT’, many think of automated assembly lines or the stuff of some science fiction movie like The Terminator. But the reality is much more practical. We need to start thinking of the robotics discipline less as a replacement for people and more as an enabling technology that further national and regional goals. Things like energy efficiency and fuel economy,” said Sara Blackmer, of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Federal agencies are looking for ways to smartly achieve these goals, and it is significant that the Defense of Department located their Chief Ground Robotics Scientist right in the middle of the nation’s premiere automotive and advanced manufacturing resources. He sees part of his mission as leveraging regional excellence to raise ground robotics reliability and strategically insert autonomous technologies to help solve tough challenges.”

The program will feature a panel of prominent local roboticists representing the defense, transportation, industrial, entrepreneurial, medical, and agriculture sectors – highlighting Michigan industry and its growing role in robotics. Also on the agenda is demonstration of the award-winning Multi Autonomous Ground-Robotic International Challenge (MAGIC) technology developed by Assistant Professor Ed Olsen and his team at the University of Michigan,, The demonstration will be webcast and followed with a panel discussion for the school robotics teams in attendance, highlighting the importance of STEM education and the next generation of robotics and roboticists.

Andrew Dallas, Vice President, Federal Systems, SoarTech

“STEM is crucial to helping grow robotics in Michigan,” said Andrew Dallas Vice President, Federal Systems, SoarTech. “Students can participate on robotics teams in high school, do ground-breaking research at our universities, and work in this growing industry. In fact, the future of robotics in Michigan is really bright. We have the knowledge, we have the infrastructure and the drive to make this state a global leader.”

The event will conclude with a demonstration of high school robotics teams and an informal networking and feedback from the industry panel experts.

Attendance is free and open to the public. The event takes place on April 12, 2011, starting at 9:00 a.m. Attendee registration, webcast information, agenda, and speaker bios for this event are available at:

http://www.mirobotics.org

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest collaborative R&D consortium in North America and dedicated to driving innovation and competitiveness among manufacturers in commercial, defense, robotics, and related industries.  NCMS has 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  NCMS is the home of the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC), which has more than 180 members from industry and academia from around the country including 13 from Michigan.

In addition to collaborative R&D management, the company is an active advocate and innovator in building, providing, and aligning new solutions and processes to improve the competitiveness of North American manufacturers.
For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About SoarTech

SoarTech makes the vision of true autonomy a reality every day. By combining artificial intelligence with cognitive and social psychology SoarTech builds intelligent systems for defense, government and commercial applications that bring human-level intelligence and decision making to robotic systems. Their goal is to enhance human operations and abilities by creating thinking partners. Partners that work to make humans more prepared, more informed and more capable.

For more information, visit http://www.soartech.com

About MEDC

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is the State of Michigan’s one-stop resource for businesses seeking to grow in Michigan.  As a public corporation created through an interlocal agreement between state and local governments, the MEDC is a liaison with local communities and agencies across the state. It is guided by a board comprised of members who represent a cross section of the state economy, business owners and executives, local economic developers and college presidents. The MEDC brings together supply and demand and matches up resources and services with the needs of our business customers.

For more information, visit http://www.michiganadvantage.org/

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ANN ARBOR, MI – March 15, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) announced today that it has selected Tabor Communications, Inc. (TCI) as its official media partner; to support their strategy to bring High Performance Computing (HPC) and related competitive skills and tools to small and medium sized manufacturers across the U.S.

Tabor Communications currently publishes HPC Wire, the global leader in chronicling the High Performance Computing (HPC) industry, news, trends and technologies; and HPC in the Cloud, the only portal dedicated to covering Technical Cloud computing in science, industry and the data center designed to address the unique needs of the cloud computing industry within the HPC community. With its extensive history in the HPC community, TCI has identified manufacturing as an important and, emerging market for this technology.

Collaboratively, TCI and NCMS will launch the Digital Manufacturing Report, a new online resource that will focus news and information on high performance simulation, modeling and manufacturing to support the needs of the widely based small to medium manufacturing (SMM) community. The announcement took place last week during the NCMS Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group (SIG) kick off meeting in Ann Arbor, MI.

“Revitalized skill sets and new technology will dramatically change how manufacturing will be done around the world,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Tabor Communication’s experience in providing informative aggregate and original content in other sectors of High Performance Computing, ensures that the Digital Manufacturing Report will provide U.S. manufacturers with easy access to the tools and knowledge that will help them transition to this new age of manufacturing, rather than being swept away by it.”

For over 25-years, NCMS has driven the development of practical manufacturing innovation using its unique collaborative process, which reduces cost and speeds deployment to market. NCMS has identified HPC as a competitive need for U.S. manufacturers, and has created a strategy to make this capability available to the entire supply chain. NCMS is a leader in the Alliance for High Performance Digital Manufacturing (AHPDM) and the National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Consortium (NDEMC) funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and announced by the White House last week to push towards this goal.

“NCMS has been forging the way in Digital Manufacturing with its strategy to revitalize U.S. manufacturing leveraging HPC,” said Tom Tabor, President & CEO of Tabor Communications. “Through Digital Manufacturing Report, we will be reaching out to the manufacturing industry to ease and accelerate the adoption of these revolutionary tools. Between Tabor Communications’ global reach within the traditional HPC community and the NCMS’ broad reach within the manufacturing community, Digital Manufacturing Report will quickly play a critical role in connecting the stakeholders for moving the initiative forward.”

The partnership agreement includes representation and full benefits for NCMS and TCI (as HPCwire) as a mutually beneficial partnership and includes collaboration on special programs, information sharing, features, articles, streaming media, blogs, and co- hosted annual events.

About NCMS
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest collaborative R&D consortium in North America and is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, and robotics manufacturing. NCMS has 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About Tabor Communications
For over 22 years, Tabor Communications, Inc. (TCI) has been a leading international media, advertising, and communications company that provides news, analysis and information to the High Performance Computing (HPC), Cloud, and Information Technology (IT) communities. Tabor Communications companies include Tabor Advertising and Tabor Publications & Events. TCI’s publications and programs include HPCwire, HPC in the Cloud, HPC Soundbite and Digital Manufacturing Report.

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The National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Consortium (NDEMC) announced their formation last week in a White House press conference. NDEMC’s focus is to use HPC technology to energize the U.S. manufacturing sector. The consortium includes NCMS, the Council on Competitiveness, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), the Ohio Supercomputing Center (OSC), and Purdue University, as well as industrial partners John Deere (Deere and Company), General Electric, Procter & Gamble, and Lockheed Martin.

The consortium, as co applicants, were funded with a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce and an additional $2.5 million investment from industrial partners. The NDEMC will be tasked to spread adoption of advanced modeling and simulation capability using High Performance Computing, or HPC, throughout the supply chains of some of our nation’s leading manufacturing OEMs. While large manufacturing companies successfully use these tools to improve their products, smaller companies lack the resources and technical knowledge to do so. NDEMC will attempt to fill that gap by relying on consortium members to reach this “missing middle” of late adopters before it is too late.

“As the leader in practical innovation for U.S. Manufacturing, NCMS is excited to partner with those who recognize the potential of HPC,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “We will work to ensure that the NDEMC fulfills its promise of speeding new technology and adding jobs to U.S. Manufacturing and related sectors in technology and service.”

This collaboration will bolster and enhance the NCMS national strategy announced last September. The strategy proposed the creation of a network of Predictive Innovation Centers (PIC), which would focus on the small and mid-sized manufacturer and would offer them the tools, training and expertise to leverage the power of advanced computational technologies. These centers will help to revitalize manufacturing by creating jobs and giving American manufacturers a technological edge in global competitiveness.

NCMS will use its track record of successful manufacturing R&D development to help ensure that the NDEMC service offerings are of immediate practical use to small manufacturers.

“We have been working with small manufacturers on a practical HPC strategy for several years now,” said Jon Riley, Executive Director of Design & Engineering Programs at NCMS. “We are ready to hit the ground running and create a valuable resource that will allow American companies to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.”

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National Center Presents Strategy to Revitalize U.S. Manufacturing
Study Reveals that Digital Modeling and Simulation
holds the Key to Job Growth and Global Competitiveness in Manufacturing

Today, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) presented its strategy to help revitalize American small and mid-sized manufacturers through advanced computer digital manufacturing during an event held in collaboration with Intersect360 Research and key industry players such as Microsoft and Intel in the Alliance for High Performance Digital Manufacturing (AHPDM), at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Center in Washington, DC.

NCMS unveiled a plan to develop a National Innovation Network of high performance computing centers that would give the 300,000 small and medium-sized manufacturers access to digital manufacturing technologies. The centers would facilitate innovation, competitiveness and job growth, leveraging the wealth of supercomputing talent, ideas and facilities within our universities, national labs and industrial research centers. The whitepaper outlining the strategy is available for download at www.ncms.org.

“NCMS has created a plan to reach what many in the industry term ‘The Missing Middle’” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO, NCMS. “Our Predictive Innovation Centers (PIC) will focus on the supply chain, allowing them access to digital manufacturing technologies affordably, helping them to compete globally and essentially transforming the way America builds.”

As part of their strategy, NCMS has proposed the creation of a network of Predictive Innovation Centers (PIC) which would focus on the small and mid-sized manufacturer and would offer them the tools, training and expertise to leverage the power of advanced computational technologies. These centers will help to Revitalize Manufacturing by creating jobs and giving American manufacturers and especially the supply chain, a technological edge in global competitiveness.

For decades, the largest U.S. automotive and aerospace manufacturers have used supercomputing technologies to shorten time-to-market, improve product quality, and reduce costs through computer-aided design, digital modeling and simulation. In order to better understand how small and mid-sized manufacturers could more broadly adopt digital manufacturing process and supercomputing technologies, NCMS and Intersect360 Research conducted a study.

The data revealed that 80% of SMMs want more opportunity to experiment with advanced technologies, if they could do so at minimal risk and that 75% saw competitive value in digital manufacturing as studies show that early adopters have recorded 66% reductions in product design cycle time, and 98% reductions in cost for lab testing of new products. However, manufacturers typically encounter barriers not only with the cost of acquiring the computer hardware and software necessary to start or expand a digital manufacturing program, but also with the expertise to implement new technologies and validate their results against existing processes.

“The NCMS plan is simple and resonant, in that it responds to exactly what the SMMs have said they need,” says Addison Snell, CEO of Intersect360 Research. “According to our study, U.S. manufacturers specifically want this from an organization like NCMS rather than an academic institution or government agency. There is a sense of trust associated with a nonprofit whose stated mission is the enhancement of manufacturing in the United States.”

The event agenda includes speakers from General Electric, Ace Clearwater Enterprises, Intersect360 Research, Microsoft and Intel as well as various government officials all speaking to the need for a wider adoption of digital manufacturing throughout the supply chain in order for U.S. manufacturing to remain globally competitive.

For more information on the event, report or strategy, contact Alissa Roath at (734) 995-3457 (office), (248) 563-2875 (cell), alissar@ncms.org or Amy Pezzillo, Media Relations, Intersect360 Research (888) 256-0124 (office), (408) 390-2649 (cell), amy@intersect360.com

About NCMS
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortial effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to driving innovation in manufacturing technologies,processes and practices. NCMS has nearly 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.
For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About Intersect360 Research
Intersect360 Research is a market intelligence, research, and consulting advisory practice focused on suppliers, users, and policymakers across the High Performance Computing ecosystem. Intersect360 Research relies on both user-based and supplier-based research to form a complete perspective of HPC market dynamics, trends, and usage models.
More information on Intersect360 Research can be found at: www.intersect360.com

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“VALMT will save ship and aircraft manufacturers millions of dollars,” said NCMS Vice President Chuck Ryan. “Machine tool calibrations used to take an entire week, with VALMT the same process can be performed in a day. The benefits of this technology aren’t just time savings; it will allow for more accurate parts, reducing or eliminating expensive re-work during assembly.”

The NCMS Collaborative R&D Process teamed private industry (Automated Precision Inc., The Boeing Corporation, Siemens Energy and Automation and MAG Cincinnati Machine, LLC) and the Department of Defense (U.S. Air Force Logistics Center, Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East, and the U.S. Army Anniston Depot) for the VALMT project, quickly developing the groundbreaking technology affordably, and with less risk than alternative “go it alone” R&D methods.

“The secret to the success of NCMS R&D is collaboration,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman. “Collaboration maximizes benefits and reduces risk and cost. This award is the latest validation that the NCMS collaborative model works.”

Winners of the R&D 100 Awards are selected by an independent judging panel and the editors of R&D Magazine. The publication and its online portal serve research scientists, engineers, and other technical staff members at high tech industrial companies and public and private laboratories around the world.

R&D 100 is not the only award to honor VALMT: the technology also received a coveted Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award for outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia (the seventh for NCMS). Northrop-Grumman recently selected VALMT to improve accuracies on their large-volume machine tools used for production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

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One of these efforts is a collaborative project with the University of Michigan’s Tauber Institute for Global Operations, a joint program of the College of Engineering and Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. The Institute meets industry’s need for a new kind of graduate — one who has an exceptional academic background, extensive professional experience, and can successfully integrate business and engineering perspectives to lead global operations into the future.

Two Tauber students, Samuel Jih and Michael Trent, are working this summer with NCMS to review the overall Predictive Innovation Center (PIC) strategy and develop a business plan for a NCMS facilitated pilot center.  The successful implementation of this strategy will be achieved through effectively communicating the efficiency, affordability and value of HPC tools to the U.S. manufacturing supply base.

Recently, Samuel Jih and Michael Trent traveled to Washington, DC with NCMS Executive Director Jon Riley and NCMS Senior Vice President Rebecca Taylor to meet with key congressional members and DC-based partner organizations about the PIC initiative.  They met directly with Senator Levin (D-MI) and Congressman Dingle (D-MI) and briefed the staff of both Senator Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Lipinski (D-IL) about the PIC initiative.

They also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Office of Science and Technology Policy to discuss concepts related to Alternative Energy (SmartGrid) PICs, pilot centers partnering with large US OEMs and their supply chains, and how to improve our nation’s small and medium manufacturers (SMEs) ability to access and engage our national labs.

The NCMS-Tauber collaboration is an outstanding example of how the NCMS is bringing together industry, academia, and government leaders to create the future of North American Manufacturing.

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) needs your help to provide valuable input as we develop a new collaborative innovation network that increases access to advanced computing tools for product design, engineering and manufacturing. These tools will enable businesses of all types to innovate faster, more competitively, and at lower cost. The touch point for these resources will be regional centers coordinating the required education, training and affordable access to shared high-performance modeling and simulation tools.

Alternate survey link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ncms_technology_survey

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NCMS is seeking participants for a new forming NMRPP project, Catapult Alignment Position Measurement Automation.

The current aircraft carrier catapult alignment method is marginally reliable due to multiple degrees of error and limited data.  Over the 100 meter length of the catapult trough, mechanics repeatedly align a fixture to reference lasers and manually conduct gap and alignment measurements of catapult trough components at fixed points.  Trough components, as well as reference points, significantly shift over the data collection period as a result of thermal effects. Accuracy also suffers from laser instability, difficult fixture centering, mechanical measurement error and recording errors.  A more comprehensive, accurate and reliable representation of component position is needed to determine position corrections in a shorter time.  More accurate data and increased data points would result in better alignment, fewer position correction iterations, fewer alignment checks, and less overhaul schedule risk. 

This project anticipates development of an automated measurement system to increase the speed, accuracy and quantity of component position measurements.  Possibilities would include:

• Automated distance measuring and data acquisition devices, providing increased accuracy over cross-sectional distance
• Photogrammetry
• Laser alignment technologies
• Various other applicable technologies used in metrology, independent or in conjunction as a suite to acquire data points over 100 meters
• The above real-time data acquisition systems to be transmitted to a portable laptop or storage device.

The objectives of the NMRPP Catapult Alignment Position Measurement Automation project are:

• perform detailed requirements analysis and validation of current catapult alignment procedures
• identify cost effective automated metrology technologies
• define the tools, standards and processes to support proper alignment of catapult components.

Additionally, this project seeks to enagage metrology experts, laser and optics technologies, and software developers to achieve the necessary collaborations to develop the optimum technology solution to achieve improved catapult alignment position measurement. This project currently seeks commercial and Department of Defense participants with an interest in metrology, laser alignment, or other technologies related to an extended-length measurement process.  NCMS is a non-profit membership organization.  Project Participants must become NCMS members for those collaborative teams who are asked to submit a larger proposal.

Heidi Hottinger heidih@ncms.org (360) 782-1370.

Photo credit U.S. Navy.

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NCMS is seeking participants for a new forming NMRPP project, New Technology Metal Deposition Repair for Navy Ship/Submarine Components.

Current methods of Metal Deposition Repair (MDR) for worn and corroded components are primarily limited to electroplating/conventional welding processes, which have significant limitations for component repair.  New MDRs are needed for valve bodies, valve balls, pump housings, compressors, impellers, shaft components/seals, and many other general wear and sealing areas on ships and submarines.

A number of existing metal deposition capabilities are available which could be applied to Navy component repair, building on existing, proven capabilities.
This project anticipates development of a wider range of repair options for problematic applications.  Significant ROI potential is possible by salvaging components previously scrapped, increased repair longevity, increasing operational availabilities and reducing repair costs of current repair processes (a previous aluminum laser deposition resulted in a cost savings of $35K per torpedo/target shell).  The objectives of the NMRPP New Technology MDR project are:

• perform component selection/ROI analysis
• develop repair process applicable to selected components, including performing metallurgical analyses
• obtain NAVSEA certification for up to three Fleet components.

Additionally, this project seeks to engage machinery OEMs, materials and software developers to achieve the necessary collaborations to develop the potential of these technologies for DoD and industrial applications.  This project currently seeks commercial and Department of Defense participants with an interest in electron beam deposition-welding, direct metal deposition, friction stir processing, metallurgical analysis, laser deposition, kinetic-spray, high velocity oxygenated fuel, and similar technologies related to component repair processes.  NCMS is a non-profit membership organization.  Project Participants must become NCMS members for those collaborative teams who are asked to submit a larger proposal. 

For more information please contact:

Heidi Hottinger heidih@ncms.org (360) 782-1370.

Photo credit U.S. Navy.

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NCMS is seeking participants for a new forming NMRPP project, Environmentally Friendly Cutting Solutions.

The current method employed for large-scale cutting and ship disposal (Oxy-Fuel) creates large quantities of visible emissions, metal fumes and debris.  Federal and State Clean Air Acts prohibit visible emissions greater than 20% opacity.  Attempts to control emissions to comply with these requirements have results in increased project costs and longer schedule duration.  This project will:

1. Develop and implement process improvements to control emissions associated with current cutting methods
2. Investigate steel cutting technologies with productivity comparable to standard flame cutting while meeting environmental requirements
3. Demonstrate effectiveness of these technologies on multiple cutting applications, where opacity levels, dry dock discharges and hazard waste reduction levels meet requirements of local, state and federal laws.

This project currently seeks commercial and Department of Defense participants with an interest in diamond rope cutting, plasma-arc welding, waterjet cutting, laser cutting, or other technology related to large equipment cut-up with minimized opacity generation.   NCMS is a non-profit membership organization.  Project Participants must become NCMS members for those collaborative teams who are asked to submit a larger proposal.

For more information please contact:

Heidi Hottinger heidih@ncms.org (360) 782-1370.

Photo credit U.S. Navy.

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NCMS announces the formation of a new collaboration- Navy Maintenance and Repair Partnership Program (NMRPP).  Launching in the Pacific Northwest, with Project Managers assigned to NCMS West, in Bremerton, WA., NMRPP supports Naval shipyard and other maintenance and repair operations essential to sustain the most critical ships and undersea weapon systems in the Navy and assure maximum availability to warfighters.

NCMS collaborative projects for research, development, evaluation and technology insertion highly leverage combined resources, knowledge and capabilities of participants to yield results and benefits faster and at lower cost than typical individual efforts.  NMRPP has been developed by NCMS to demonstrate, through selected technology deployments involving the Navy Maintenance and Logistics Community, that a wide range of commercial manufacturing technologies and best business practices currently unavailable to the Navy can have a substantial impact upon operating and sustainment costs and the readiness of major weapon systems.

Three projects are forming and are currently seeking potential industry and DoD partners:  Environmentally Friendly Cutting Solutions, New Technology Metal Deposition Repair for Navy Ship/Submarine Components, and Catapult Alignment Position Measurement Automation.

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that project manager Dana Ellis has been elected Chairman of the Olympic College Manufacturing Technology Advisory Committee. The committee works to further the future careers of Olympic College students in a variety of technical field programs through building partnerships with local industry, providing internships through these partners, and critically reviewing course curriculum to maintain currency and relevance for manufacturing technology education.

“Kitsap County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, and Olympic College with its regional technical employers is a strong contributing factor,” said Ellis. “As Chairman of the Advisory Committee, I’m using the same collaborative methods that are core to NCMS principles, as the Committee works with local industry to improve Olympic’s program. The creation of jobs is our long term goal.”

The Manufacturing Technology program allows Olympic College to tailor its curriculum to meet the needs of the local community, local employers, and the military in overcoming the challenges of the current recession and meeting the requirements of the 21st century. Other technical programs at the College include Welding, Technical Design, and Electronics. These programs have all been identified as leading to successful manufacturing careers, and together fall under the Department of Labor-Pipeline to Manufacturing Careers Program. Each program has an Associate of Technical Arts Degree and/or certificate awarded upon successful completion of the courses. Local partners include NCMS, SafeBoats, and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

NCMS is a national collaborative R&D organization which drives innovation through the rapid development and deployment of new manufacturing technologies and processes, while leveraging the strength of cross-sector collaboration. NCMS programs in the Pacific Northwest have addressed development of technology for security applications at military installations, vulnerability and risk assessment, emergency management processes and infrastructure protection. NCMS also manages sustainment and reset technology projects at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport.

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that it has joined the Task Force for American Innovation. The Task Force is an alliance of America’s leading companies, research universities and scientific societies with a mission to support investment in basic research in the physical sciences and engineering.

“Innovation occurs at the crossroads of talent, investment and infrastructure,” said NCMS President and CEO Rick Jarman. “For almost 25 years, NCMS’ almost 400 member companies have been bringing together these three key elements to develop leading edge technologies and manufacturing solutions to help industry remain internationally competitive. NCMS is proud to join the Task Force as it works to support innovations that are the key to long-term economic security and renewed American technology leadership.”

NCMS collaborative R&D model supports the nation’s system of innovation through the rapid development and deployment of new technologies and processes, while leveraging the strength of cross-sector collaboration. By bringing together the best from industry, government and academia to collaborate on new technology development, NCMS arrives at the solution faster and with less risk than traditional research models.

“We are pleased to have NCMS join the Task Force and bring their quarter century of expertise to bear on the issues and activities of the group,” said Doug Comer, Intel, Chair of the Innovation Task Force. “We look forward to working with NCMS to support the science and engineering enterprises that are so important to our continued competitiveness.”

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On 28 – 29 April, FRC East hosted a Technology Showcase sponsored by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) through its Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities program (CTMA).  The showcase brought leading technology companies into FRC East to see first hand the challenges our maintainers face in order to identify innovative commercial solutions.

The Technology Showcase opened with Col. Loch providing an overview of FRC East operations and Mr. Greg Kilchenstein from OSD’s Maintenance Policy and Programs office providing an overview of maintenance technology’s role in DoD’s overarching strategy and he outlined the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities program as proven technology transition venue.  NCMS member companies were given a comprehensive tour of FRC East operations and facilities.  Next on the agenda were table top displays, strategically located throughout the depot to ensure easy access for all base personnel to see the technologies  The table top displays provided industry representatives a unique opportunity to learn about challenges faced directly by the maintainers.  The first day concluded with a networking event at the “The Pitt.”  The second day was dedicated to one-on-one industry presentations with base personnel regarding solutions with immediate potential for deployment at FRC East.

The Technology Showcase was a powerful example of how the CTMA Program fast tracks innovative technical solutions from private industry directly into the hands of DoD personnel to increase systems availability while reducing cost.

NCMS members displaying technology included DIT-MCO International, Aging Aircraft Consulting, LLC, Superior Controls, iMAST/ARL (Penn State), Stratasys, Eclypse International, Adapt Laser Systems, Automated Precision, Inc., Aerowing, Imaginestics, LLC, Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc.,  Spectro Inc., GSA Service Company,  POM Group, REI Systems, Inc., and Pendaran Inc.,

Three CTMA projects have been formed to immediately meet FRC East needs:

• Wiring Shop Modernization – upgrade the capability to build and test wiring harnesses, currently very labor and time intensive.
• Automated Robotic Blade Stripping System (ARBSS) – Provide a reliability upgrade and training.  In addition, assess the challenges for wider deployment of automated paint stripping technology.
• Large Area Inspection of Composite Parts- evaluate and identify improved methods for detecting damage to composite aircraft components.

The Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Program is collaboration between the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, its member companies, and the Department of Defense (DoD).  Under an historic Cooperative Agreement between NCMS and the OSD Office for Maintenance Policy and Programs,, NCMS and its member companies co-sponsor technology development, deployment and validation with DoD organic maintenance activities.  The current focus is the use of maintenance related technologies to reduce the costs associated with maintenance and rebuild of weapons systems as an element of the overall DoD maintenance strategy.

By partnering with NCMS government services members, the organic DoD maintenance activities are able to quickly assess the benefits of new manufacturing technologies in their own facilities, working side-by-side with industry leaders solving manufacturing problems through collaboration.

NCMS is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortium in the U.S. devoted exclusively to maintenance technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has nearly 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

The next Technology Showcase will be 8 – 9 June at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Maintenance Center in Albany, Georgia.

The post NCMS Technology Showcase Brings Industry Innovation to FRC East appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) has been named to the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Robotics Caucus.

The Caucus focuses on key issues facing the nation’s traditional industrial robotics industry as well as issues critical to growing companies, markets, and industries based on recent technological advances that enable robots to perform functions beyond traditional assembly line tasks and to operate in environments beyond the factory floor. As part of the Advisory Committee, the RTC will help Congress understand the many challenges and issues likely to emerge in the robotics sector and help ensure that the United States can maintain global leadership as the robotics industry undergoes considerable expansion in the coming decades.

“RTC member companies represent a wide variety of industrial sectors and are leaders in developing the next generation of robotics systems,” said NCMS President and RTC Chairman Rick Jarman. “The Congressional Caucus on Robotics will benefit from these companies’ insights and perspectives and will help Congress ensure that our nation remains globally competitive as the robotics industry rapidly expands and develops.”

The RTC is a non-profit, industry organization administered by NCMS and was formed in 2008 to speed the development and deployment of ground robotics technology for the Department of Defense (DoD). The RTC has over 200 members made up of large and small commercial companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations and seeks to engage companies and organizations that may not have historically performed work for the Defense Department and other Government organizations in addition to traditional defense contractors.

“We look forward to working with members of Congress who understand how important robotics is to our national interests,” said Helen Greiner, President of the RTC. “A thriving robotics and unmanned systems sector is vital to maintaining both our global economic competitiveness and national security.”

The Congressional Robotics Caucus, chaired by Congressman Mike Doyle (PA) and co-chaired by Congressman Phil Gingrey (GA), was formed in 2007 to focus on key issues facing the nation’s robotics industry and related emerging technology. Members of Congress will learn first hand about the use of robotics in agriculture, mining, logistics, defense, education, manufacturing and healthcare.

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortial effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has 24 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About RTC

The Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) is a non-profit, industry organization created in 2008 to speed the creation and deployment of ground robotics technology for the Defense Department and other Government organizations. The consortium was established to meet a need identified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (OSD/JGRE). The RTC currently has a membership of 200 large and small commercial companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. The RTC seeks to solicit and engage companies and organizations that may not have historically performed work for the Defense Department and other Government organizations in addition to traditional defense contractors.

For more information, visit http://www.roboticstechc.org/

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Ann Arbor, MI., May 4, 2010 – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced the appointment of Tony Melita to the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) Board of Directors. The RTC is administered by NCMS and was formed in 2008 to speed the development and deployment of ground robotics technology for the Department of Defense (DoD).

Tony Melita is an internationally recognized expert in munitions and land warfare systems acquisition. Given a history of over 31- years of service with the U.S. Department of Defense, he has a long track record of shaping successful defense acquisition programs and for developing strong relationships between government and industry.

“We are honored that Tony Melita has agreed to serve as a Director to the RTC” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO and Chairman of the RTC Board, “His expertise will continue to assist the RTC in speeding the process of getting innovative new technologies to the warfighter in the field.”

Mr. Melita has had various assignments as a civilian with DoD — ranging from hands-on technology development to serving as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, and concluding as the Director for Land Warfare and Munitions within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.

He has overseen a wide variety of weapons programs from the vertical integration of warheads, explosives, and fuze technologies into munitions systems, to the development and acquisition of all Land Combat systems including Army and Marine Corps tracked and wheeled vehicles and rotary wing aviation systems and programs.

“Mr. Melita has been an advocate of the RTC since its inception” said Helen Greiner, President of the RTC, “His knowledge of the importance and use of ground robotics in the Department of Defense, will help the industry continue to excel in its partnership with the government.”

The post Melita Appointed to Robotics Technology Consortium Board of Directors appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS has been awarded two five-year Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants totalling $2.6 Million to assist the regulated industries understand and comply with environmental regulations impacting their sector-specific industries.  The goal is to improve processes and reduce pollution, while saving money by sharing effective pollution control techniques.

Funding is provided for NCMS to continue to manage several Compliance Assistance Centers (CACs) allowing individuals and companies alike to access regulatory information and best management practices tailored to their specific industry.  While EPA provides funding, control of the site remains with NCMS.  This assures individual regulatory questions are addressed without having to make direct contact with EPA and other State and Local regulatory agencies initially.

Over the past several years, NCMS has received EPA funding in excess of $8 Million supporting environmental and sustainability programs.

Centers that NCMS will be managing directly or hosting under these new grants include:

• Metal Finishing
• Construction
• Paints and Coatings
• Transportation
• Ports
• Borders (multi-language including Canada, Mexico, Imports/Exports and China)
• Food Processing
• Auto Recycling
• Local Government
• 24 State Locators (provides easy access to state-specific regulations and resources for all Centers in twenty four specific categories including Universal Waste, Stormwater, Asbestos, Lead, and Hazardous Waste)

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Bill Chenevert at (734) 995-7989 or billc@ncms.org

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that President & CEO Rick Jarman will be a keynote speaker at the 2010 Americas Hyperworks Technology Conference being held April 27-29 in Novi, Michigan. Jarman will speak to how collaboration, innovation and commercialization are critical to the revitalization of the U.S. Manufacturing Industry, and how utilizing cutting-edge technologies like high performance modeling and simulation capabilities will help small and medium sized manufacturing companies in the U.S. compete on a global scale.

Day One Keynote- NCMS President Rick Jarman

Innovation in Manufacturing for Tomorrow:
Competitiveness in the 21st Century

Using the proven NCMS collaboration model developed nearly 25 years ago, Jarman will demonstrate how bringing the stakeholders to the table from the beginning, managing the collaboration and optimizing the R&D helps to achieve the innovation AND take it to market at less cost, and less risk than traditional models.

“Good R&D produces innovations, but that’s not the end of the line,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman. “Every flash of genius, every successful outcome, every realized solution needs to be brought to market.” Collaborative R&D enlists the needs of the end users from the very beginning, ensuring successful commercialization of the innovation.”

In 2007 the Board of Directors named Rick Jarman President and CEO of NCMS, the largest cross-industry collaborative manufacturing research consortium in the United States devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, process and practices. Formed in 1986, the NCMS mission is focused on the development of strategic initiatives and programs aimed at sustaining and enhancing the global competitiveness of North American manufacturing.

The Hyperworks Technology Conference (HTC) brings together more than 600 industry professionals from a broad range of industry verticals including aerospace, automotive, consumer products, electronics, healthcare, heavy equipment, military, rail transit, ship building and white goods. Thought provoking keynote addresses and client presentations highlight industry trends in enterprise simulation and how manufacturers are enabling innovation through simulation. For more information about the 2010 Americas Hyperworks Technology Conference, please visit http://www.altairhtc.com

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Adds Depth on Challenges of U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness

ANN ARBOR, MI – January 27, 2010. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced two exemplary additions to its Board of Directors. Dr. Thomas Kurfess of Clemson University and Ramsen Betfarhad of Bridgewater Associates each bring unique qualifications to guide the nation’s leading cross-industry manufacturing R&D consortium.

“It’s a testament to our success that we continue to attract such talented people to our board,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Each of these men brings a unique perspective to U.S. Manufacturing, and their experience and vision will help the NCMS better serve U.S. Manufacturers through successful R&D collaborations, advocacy, program management, and knowledge transfer. This board expansion is part of our long-term commitment to keeping the U.S. in a leadership position in global manufacturing. Dr. Kurfess and Mr. Betfarhad bring real passion and vision. I am excited to work with them.”

Dr. Tom Kurfess is the BMW Chair of Manufacturing and Director of the International Center for Automotive Research, Clemson University (CUICAR). He received his S.B., S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. where he also received an S.M. degree in electrical engineering and computer science.

Ramsen Betfarhad is a Senior Research Associate with Bridgewater Associates – a large investment management firm in Westport, Connecticut. Prior to joining Bridgewater, he served as the Deputy Assistant for Domestic and Economic Affairs to former Vice President Cheney. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics and International Relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service; J.D. from Tulane University School of Law; and an L.L.M in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center.

“Dr. Kurfess and Mr. Betfarhad will be phenomenal additions to our already impressive board of directors, said Chairman of the Board, Ralph Resnick, Vice President and CTO of NCDMM. “NCMS has guidance by some of manufacturing’s top minds, including representatives from GE and Cincinnati MAG. These two gentlemen will be in excellent company.”

The NCMS is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America. Boasting over 300 members and 330 collaborative R&D projects since its inception in 1986, NCMS is also the administrative agent for the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC), an organization with close to 200 members and millions of dollars in competitive project awards since 2007.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

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Ultra Precise Calibration Process Will Save DOD Millions Annually

ANN ARBOR, MI – December 2, 2009.  The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that its Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project has pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools.  The costs for current assembly practices of measuring and fitting are substantial; reducing the amount of reworking of machined parts during onsite vehicle assembly will save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars. 

“The innovative VALMT project will save the DOD millions while ensuring weapon systems are mission ready and available for our warfighters when they need them,” said NCMS Vice President Chuck Ryan.  “This technology will also pave the way for reducing the manufacturing costs of commercial ships and aircraft, benefiting both government and industry.”

The success of the VALMT project was recognized this week with a Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award presented by the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT), the seventh award of its kind given to NCMS for its outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia.

“This groundbreaking process will dramatically reduce assembly and fitting costs which represent up to 1% of the total cost per aircraft,” said Sam Easley, Engineer/Scientist, Metallic Processes at The Boeing Company.  “On large programs like the F-18 or the 700 series, we could save $100 Million per year.”

“VALMT has the potential to save the U.S. Navy money and shave valuable time off of vessel construction costs, putting assets where they are most needed, with the warfighter.” said Faris Ibrahim, Mechanical Engineer of the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center.
 
The VALMT project teamed private industry (Automated Precision Inc., The Boeing Corporation, Siemens Energy and Automation and MAG Cincinnati Machine, LLC) and the DOD (U.S. Air Force Logistics Center, Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East, and the U.S. Army Anniston Depot) using the NCMS R&D collaborative process to quickly develop this groundbreaking technology.

“The success of the VALMT project rests heavily on the technical expertise and collaborative R&D experience of the NCMS and its partners,” stated Richard Curless, CTO at MAG Industrial, “The NCMS has been a leader in bringing government and industry together to create usable technologies for over 23 years and this project is just another of many feathers in their proverbial cap.”

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortia effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has over 20 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Tony Haynes at (734) 995-4930 or tonyh@ncms.org

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The NCMS-CTMA project, Laser Coating Removal of Composite Helicopter Blades, has successfully installed the paint stripping unit at Cherry Point, which is certified for production use. We welcome people interested in seeing this unit work in production as we celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The ribbon-cutting will include remarks by RDML Tim Matthews (COMFRC/AIR), Col.Scott Loch (Commander FRC East), CAPT Stephen E. Iwanowicz (Commander, NUWC Division Keyport) as well as testimonies from the artisans from the paint stripping shop. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited on a tour of the FRC East facilities in the afternoon.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu at (734) 995-7038 or debral@ncms.org.

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The second annual member meeting of the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) is being held today in Sterling Heights, MI in coordination with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research and Development Engineering Center (TARDEC). The meeting will include notable speakers such as Dr. Grace Bochenek, Director of TARDEC and Dr. Jim Overholt, Director of the Joint Center for Robotics at TARDEC as well as a tour of their impressive facility in Warren, MI.

Formed in 2008 to speed the creation and deployment of ground robotics technology, the RTC has doubled its membership from 88 to 178 members in the first year.  Working closely with the Department of Defense, the RTC helps to match technology concepts with military priorities and then informs and engages industry to develop those technologies, all in record time from RPP to award.  Using this successful formula, the RTC has funded 17 technology proposals since 2008.

The RTC and the NCMS take pride in the rapid growth and progress of the consortium and its distinguished membership which includes companies such as iRobot, Carnegie Mellon University, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as well as its ability to engage smaller companies with big ideas, those of which make up over 70% of the current membership.  This unique membership base enables partnerships and problem solving between government and industry, in ways which further the technology of ground robotics at an unprecedented rate.

“NCMS has put their extensive resources behind the RTC,” said Helen Greiner, RTC President.  “They are an excellent interface for private industry to government and have established a communication forum for the industry, in addition to helping establish the RTC brand identity.”

Located in Ann Arbor, MI, The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the administrative agent and government interface to the RTC. “The NCMS worked directly with the robotics industry to form the RTC in 2008,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO and Chairman of the RTC. “We used our experience of over 23 years in collaborations to help drive the success of this consortium to its impressive status today.”

Membership in the RTC is open to U.S. companies, academia and non-profits operating within the robotics industry.  Information and an application for membership can be found on the RTC website at www.roboticstechc.org or by calling (734) 995-3098.

About RTC

The Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) is a non-profit, industry organization formed in 2008 to speed the creation and deployment of ground robotics technology for the Defense Department and other Government organizations. Administered by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the consortium was established to meet a need identified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (OSD/JGRE) and currently has a membership of over 178 large and small commercial companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. The RTC seeks to solicit and engage companies and organizations that may not have historically performed work for the Defense Department and other Government organizations in addition to traditional defense contractors.For more information, visit http://www.roboticstechc.org/

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortial effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. NCMS is the administrative agent for the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) and has over 23 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

The post Membership in NCMS Robotics Technology Consortium Doubles in the First Year! appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS Art Director Christopher Fick has been recognized for his outstanding creativity with three American Graphic Design Awards.

The American Graphic Design Award competition is in its fourth decade and recognizes outstanding new work in 23 categories from print and packaging to internet and interactive design.  The competition is open to everyone in the graphic arts community – graphic design firms, advertising agencies, inhouse corporate and institutional designers, publishers and other media. 

Award Category- Print Collateral.  This image communicates the many benefits of the NCMS Collaborative model.  It is the cornerstone slide of the NCMS PowerPoint presentation used to promote the organization.

Award Category- Poster.  This image communicates the new vision and scope of NCMS activities.

Award Category- Multimedia.  This multimedia holiday card appeared on the NCMS web site. 

The post NCMS Recognized for Outstanding Graphic Design appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Please stop by Booth 333 to see these member companies showcasing technology created using the NCMS collaborative process.

• REI Systems , complete predictive diagnostic and repair suite for aircraft
• Aspire Solutions, Inc., automated process & inspection guide.
• Spectro, Inc., FluidScan, quickly evaluates fluid quality using infrared spectroscopy
• Centerline, LTD., advanced kinetic spray repair process.

 For more information contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org or call (734) 995-7038.

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“The NCMS believes that manufacturers must innovate to compete,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Ralph has been leading manufacturers on the path of innovation and global competitiveness for over 27 years.  He has been a great asset to us since our inception and we are very excited that he is taking on this larger role as Chairman.”

Mr. Resnick is Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Corporate Development for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM).

“Mr. Resnick’s dedication to advancing manufacturing technology is evident in his impressive track record of industry service and accomplishments,” said NCDMM President and Executive Director, John S. VanKirk, “I congratulate Ralph on his new role as Chairman of such an outstanding organization, and commend NCMS on their excellent choice of leadership.”

Prior to joining NCDMM, Mr. Resnick served as Chief Technology Officer for both The Ex One Corporation and Extrude Hone where he was a major contributor in establishing these companies as global leaders in advanced manufacturing process research and technology transition.

“I want to thank my colleagues on the NCMS Board of Directors for the confidence that they have shown by electing me Chairman.  I look forward to working closely with Rick Jarman in growing NCMS’ ongoing contributions to manufacturing advancement and collaboration,” said Mr. Resnick.  “I also thank outgoing Chairman, Dick Morley for his resolute leadership and abiding inspiration.“

Mr. Resnick succeeds outgoing Chairman Richard Morley, who will remain on the NCMS Board.  A leading visionary in the field of advanced technological development, Mr. Morley is best known for his invention of the programmable logic controller and floppy disk. During his time as Chairman, NCMS was selected by the Department of Defense to manage the Robotic Technology Consortium (RTC), received six Defense for Manufacturing Awards for their CTMA projects and a prestigious JEC Award in Transportation just this past year.

“Dick Morley’s energy and perspective has helped NCMS grow during his time as Chairman,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “We thank him for his service and are gratified that he will remain as a member of our Board.”

Mr. Courtney Hill, of GE Aviation, was elected Vice Chairman of the Board.  Mr. Hill is the General Manager of Manufacturing and Quality Technology, and is responsible for the development of next generation affordable manufacturing and inspection processes that support GE Aviation’s products and services worldwide.

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Geoff Wood- Profile Composites, Craig Snyder- Bayer, Michael Fancher- NCMS

NCMS was formally recognized last week for the creation of a new process for creating high pressure hydrogen storage tanks for vehicles.  The JEC Innovation awards identify the most innovative composite solutions worldwide and contribute to the advancement of the composite industry.

NCMS brought together Profile Composites, Inc; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America; Bayer MaterialScience, LLC; MAG Cincinnati Automation; and A&P Technology to design a new manufacturing process to increase production volume. The team used a resin material custom formulated by Bayer and applied it to a dry fiber preform, rather than the conventional – and slow – filament winding process of the traditional model. As a result, a new tank is ready for market 18x faster than filament winding, and project partners are confident that speeds can be doubled with additional improvements to the process.

NCMS is no stranger to global recognition for its collaborative R&D management model: the Michigan-based non-profit has won six Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards and five consecutive R&D 100 Awards. NCMS also administers the Robotics Technology Consortium for the Defense Department, overseeing over 100 participating companies and a budget in the hundreds of millions. Recently, another collaborative NCMS DoE project made headlines as two recently developed fuel cell stacks served as the sole source of power for an Oakland, California passenger bus for more than 130 hours over two weeks, a fantastic example of NCMS innovation taking one step closer to mass-market reality.

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that Jon Riley, currently of L&L Products in Romeo, Michigan, will be joining the NCMS staff as Executive Director of Design & Engineering Programs.

“Jon brings with him extensive experience in the areas of R&D, High Performance Computing, business development, design methodologies and strategies,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “He has a clear vision and strong understanding of the great benefits that high performance computing will bring to manufacturing in the coming years.”

At the NCMS, Riley will be responsible for identifying partnerships and alliance opportunities to help the NCMS and U.S. manufacturers remain competitive in a global market. His goal will be to make advanced development tools such as high performance computing (hardware, software and human expertise) available for manufacturers of all sizes.

“The NCMS collaborative model, which delivers innovation while managing risk, is a perfect fit for high performance computing,” said Riley. “HPC will be crucial to the future of U.S. manufacturing.”

Jon brings over 20 years of experience to the NCMS in the areas of virtual and physical product development, design and validation. For the past 13 years, he has worked at L&L Products, Inc., a successful Tier I automotive supplier, as an engineering manager responsible for their Composite Body Solutions product line, used for a wide variety of crashworthiness and NVH applications. During his time at L&L, Jon led a global initiative to evaluate and implement required resources for the virtual development of these products including people, hardware and software.

Prior to L&L, Jon worked as a dynamics technical specialist in the aerospace industry and in the vehicle safety group at Ford Motor Company. He earned his B.S and M.S. degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

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ANN ARBOR, MI – January 28^th, 2009. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has partnered with the Council on Competiveness and AMT – Association for Manufacturing Technology to present the 2009 Compute & Collaborate for Competitive Advantage (C3A) conference. C3A will explore how companies are using High Performance Computing (HPC) to innovate and increase competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The C3A Conference will be held September 28-30 in New Orleans, LA. While While HPC has obvious benefits, its cost was prohibitive, making it affordable to only the largest companies and organizations. Recent advances in computing technology, coupled with the rise of cloud computing, have made this valuable resource available to all companies. HPC promises affordable access to tools that will allow businesses to simulate tasks and processes on a massive scale, resulting in faster commercialization and superior products.

“HPC is leaving the lab and becoming available to businesses of all sizes. It’s going to change everything,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Companies that use this powerful tool create innovative products faster and more efficiently then their rivals.”

“HPC remains a largely underutilized competitiveness asset in the United States for the majority of companies,” said Deborah Wince-Smith, President of the Council on Competitiveness. “This represents a huge productivity opportunity for the nation and a competitiveness transformation challenge.”

Including speakers from Sun Microsystems, PING, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratories, General Electric and Louisiana State University, the C3A Conference is targeted towards business professionals, and will help organizations chart a roadmap for utilizing HPC. The dynamic sessions will highlight how companies are using HPC to create better, more sustainable products with less risk and a faster time to market. 

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America. NCMS has a 23 year track record in the management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs which deliver innovative manufacturing innovations to market faster than traditional methods.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About AMT

Founded in 1902, The Association For Manufacturing Technology represents and promotes the interests of American providers of manufacturing machinery and equipment. Its goal is to promote technological advancements and improvements in the design, manufacture and sale of members’ products in those markets and act as an industry advocate on trade matters to governments and trade organizations throughout the world.

About The Council on Competiveness

A nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization in Washington, D.C., the Council shapes the debate on competitiveness by bringing together business, labor, academic and government leaders to evaluate economic challenges and opportunities. Conferences, seminars and special events are used to disseminate the Council’s findings and recommendations to experts, policy makers, government officials, media and the general public.

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New Technology will Revolutionize Commercialization of Alternative Energy Vehicles

ANN ARBOR, MI – January 28, 2009. The prestigious JEC Innovation Award for Innovation in Transportation Technology was presented to the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Hydrogen Cylinder Manufacturing (HCM) project team this week, sharply underscoring the value of collaborative research and development in a global manufacturing marketplace. The HCM project was honored by an international panel of renowned engineering, manufacturing, R&D, and innovation experts in the Transportation category for its commercial potential, financial impact, and originality.

Formed in response to a key Department of Energy milestone, HCM addresses a crucial obstacle for the Hydrogen Economy: making high pressure hydrogen tanks economically feasible for mass production. The team’s development of a reliable high-pressure hydrogen storage tank, suitable for volume manufacture will further the possibility of commercializing alternative fuel vehicles by cutting the production cycle time for a single tank from six hours to an amazing 20 minutes. The project results indicate that further refinements will eventually cut the production cycle time to less than 10 minutes per tank.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Alternative energy is a global challenge, but it’s not just as simple as finding alternative fuel sources. We have to manufacture solutions that make those sources commercially viable. It’s exhilarating to have NCMS once again recognized for managing collaborative partnerships that shatter barriers and quickly bring innovation to market.”

NCMS is no stranger to global recognition for its collaborative R&D management model: the Michigan-based non-profit has won six Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards and five consecutive R&D 100 Awards. NCMS also administers the Robotics Technology Consortium for the Defense Department, overseeing over 100 participating companies and a budget in the hundreds of millions. Recently, another collaborative NCMS DOE project made headlines as two recently developed fuel cell stacks served as the sole source of power for an Oakland, California passenger bus for more than 130 hours over two weeks, a fantastic example of NCMS innovation taking one step closer to mass-market reality.

For HCM, NCMS brought together a strong partnership with highly complimentary skills: Profile Composites, Inc; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America; Bayer MaterialScience, LLC; MAG Cincinnati Automation; and A&P Technology worked together to design a new manufacturing process to increase production volume. The HCM team used a resin material custom formulated by Bayer and applied it to a dry fiber preform, rather than the conventional – and slow – filament winding process of the traditional model. As a result, a new tank is ready for market eighteen times faster than filament winding, and project partners are confident that speeds can be doubled with additional improvements to the process.

“The result is a massive reduction in production costs and, suddenly, full production of these tanks is now possible,” said Mike Fancher, NCMS Program Manager for the HCM project. “In fact, we believe that these tanks could be used in commercially available vehicles that will be launched as early as this year.”

The formal presentation of the award will take place at the JEC Innovation Awards Programme 2009 at the JEC Composites Show, March 24-26, 2009, in Paris, France. This show is one of the largest in the world, with 27,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibits.

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America. It boasts a 22-year track record in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs to deliver innovative manufacturing innovations to market – faster, more affordably, with increased ROI and reduced risk compared to traditional methods.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About JEC Group

JEC is dedicated to promoting composites internationally. It supports the development of these materials by fostering knowledge transfer and exchanges between suppliers and users. To date, the JEC network connects more than 200,000 professionals worldwide from 96 different countries. For more information, visit http://www.jeccomposites.com/

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NCMS has been recognized with a Deal of the Year award presented by the Ann Arbor Business Review.  NCMS was selected for its role in managing the MEDC 21st Century Jobs Fund Business Plan Competition and being chosen by the Department of Defense (DOD) to form and administer the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC).

The 21st Century Jobs Fund Competition resulted in over $30 million being distributed to Michigan companies to create over 1500 jobs in various hi-tech sectors.  The RTC is a $170 million program which will help speed the deployment of ground robotics technology from the lab to the front lines.

M Live Full Article

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Michigan executives urge need for energy policy during panel discussion

While Michigan and other states are enacting laws to stimulate alternative energy production, consensus among business leaders appears to be building for the creation of a national energy policy.

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Seeking an ‘assembly line’ for alternative energy

Following the publication in September of Michigan Business Review’s 70-page supplement on alternative energy in Michigan, we’ve received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback.

It also gave me the chance to moderate a panel discussion Thursday for the Ann Arbor-based National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. The panel, which focused on the intersection of alternative energy and manufacturing, featured two utility officials, a venture capitalist, a business executive and a carbon trading proponent. Quite the mixture.

U.S. Sen Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, also shared some thoughts and observed the discussion.

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Automotive manufacturers and their suppliers are pressing to innovate in order to increase vehicle fuel efficiency to meet federal CAFÉ guidelines by integrating lightweight materials into new vehicle designs. These lightweight materials pose unique challenges and opportunities that must be addressed. The solutions for some of these challenges may be found in other industries such as aerospace and defense or in new tools and processes.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has assembled an innovative suite of software tools and cross industry innovators to help automobile OEMs, tier one suppliers, and component manufacturers realize the benefits of lightweight materials while lowering costs, minimizing risk, and speeding commercialization.

Through the use of High Performance Computing Simulation (HPCS) manufacturers will select the best lightweight materials for their products, during the design phase of development. The tools developed in this NCMS project, utilizing HPCS will allow companies of all sizes to use this cutting edge capability which in the past was cost prohibitive and generally not available.

NCMS has immediate project opportunities for companies who want to integrate lightweight materials into their product designs. The US Department of Energy, with the goal of helping the automotive industry to increase fuel efficiency, is sponsoring this groundbreaking program through the NCMS which has more than 20 years of management experience with projects of this magnitude and scope.

For more information please contact:

Senior Program Manager Steve Hale, 734-995-2195, stevenh@ncms.org

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…National Center for Manufacturing Sciences: The Ann Arbor-based center is leading a national robotics consortium after landing a $170 million, seven-year contract with the Department of Defense; it’s also administering Michigan’s 21st century jobs fund.

The awards will be gieven Nov. 14 in an event which recognizes best and most important deals and transactions in the Ann Arbor business community over the last 12 months.

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“These innovative Michigan companies are poised to turn their scientific and technological innovation into high-paying jobs,” Granholm said. “We look forward to partnering with them as we work to diversify and grow our economy.”

Full Press Release

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“The 21^st Century Jobs Fund is enabling us to diversify our economy and grow high-tech companies.  Partnering with NCMS will help us to mine the significant resources we have in technology and talent and turn them into good-paying jobs for our citizens.”

MICHIGAN GOVERNOR JENNIFER GRANHOLM

ANN ARBOR, MI – June 26, 2008. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has been selected as the sole peer review agency for the 2008 21st Century Jobs Fund Business Plan Competition. NCMS was selected by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) through its Strategic Economic Investment and Commercialization Board (SEIC) based on its proven track record of R&D program management and commercialization experience.

The 21st Century Jobs Fund is a $2 billion, ten-year initiative proposed by Governor Granholm, approved by the Michigan Legislature, and administered by the MEDC to accelerate the diversification of Michigan’s economy. The first round of funding resulted in the SEIC Board awarding $126.3 million to 78 organizations. Those organizations, in turn, are doing high-tech research, commercializing new products, and creating new jobs.

“NCMS is excited to manage Michigan’s 21st Century Jobs Fund Business Plan Competition,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “We will use our experience commercializing innovative technology along with our network of industry experts to identify the most promising business plans.”

NCMS is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America and has a 22 year track record in the management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs which deliver innovative manufacturing innovations to market faster than traditional methods. This experience makes NCMS the ideal agency to run the 21st Century Jobs Fund Business Plan Competition for the State.

“NCMS has an excellent reputation within and outside Michigan and a solid track record,” said Michigan Economic Development Corporation President & CEO James C. Epolito. “We look forward to working with such a highly esteemed group of experts to execute a successful business plan competition and grow new companies and jobs in Michigan.”

NCMS will coordinate impartial, phased reviews to select business plans most likely to yield financially viable and sustainable high-technology businesses capable of generating new jobs in Michigan.

The 2008 21st Century Jobs Fund Competition will close on June 30. Proposals must be submitted electronically and are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on that day. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is available online at:

http://www.TheMEDC.org/21CBizPlan

along with specifics on the application process. An application fee of $500 is required for each proposal and is due at the time of submission.

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ANN ARBOR, MI – April 16, 2008. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that its award winning Electrical Wire Integrity System (EWIS) project has resulted in a contract potentially worth over $60 million dollars to NCMS member Eclypse International Corporation of Corona, California.  The EWIS project was funded through the NCMS Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program which matches commercial technology solutions with the needs of the Department of Defense (DoD).

“EWIS is the latest example of how NCMS member companies benefit from our collaborative projects,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO. “Eclypse used our collaboration process to develop their technology for the Department of Defense.  The DoD is getting a proven solution at a fraction of the cost and time it would take for them to develop in-house. This technology offers many advantages for any organization with wiring and maintenance issues.”

The other commercial project participant, Sikorsky, A United Technologies Company used this project to become familiar with the Eclypse test equipment. When companies such as Eclypse and Sikorsky participate on cross-industry collaborative projects, they are afforded opportunities to work closely with the users, technology providers and developers to expand the range of their research and development efforts.  In addition, by participating on CTMA projects, companies gain a better understanding of the needs of the DoD through direct access to key military personnel throughout the armed services. 

 “Our collaboration with the NCMS/CTMA program has provided exciting new business opportunities for us,” said C. Alan Ferguson, President & CEO, Eclypse International Corporation. “The fielding of the initial tool sets resulted in valuable feedback which helped us refine tools to directly meet the need of the warfighter.  The immediate feedback from the field maintenance personnel gave us the edge to secure this contract with DoD.”

The NCMS EWIS project initially saved the United States Air Force over $269,000 in the first six months of deployment.  This success resulted in EWIS being awarded a 2005 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award, which honors outstanding team performance to promote systematic process improvement and helps publicize best practices throughout the Air Force. EWIS was also recognized with 2006 Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award which recognizes outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia. NCMS has received six of these awards for their efforts in cross-industry collaboration with the Department of Defense, Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.
 

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortial effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has over 20 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About Eclpse International

 The Eclypse International is a leading developer of Automated Test Equipment (ATE) and total test solutions for today's competitive manufacturing and maintenance environments.  We specialize in circuit analyzers for use in both controlled and harsh environments. Our equipment is currently in operation throughout the United States and abroad with both military and commercial organizations.

For more information, visit  http://www.eclypse.org/

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Bill Chenevert, Senior Program Manager- NCMS, Brian Meriweather, Manager Machinist Training Institute- Focus:HOPE, Tim Duperron, acting CEO- Focus:HOPE and Chris Bien, President and CEO- Immersive Engineering, Inc.

ANN ARBOR, MI – February 13, 2008. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has formed a three-way partnership with Focus: HOPE of Detroit, MI and Immersive Engineering, Inc. of Bloomfield, MI to produce and distribute online training to enhance the skills of student machinists entering the U.S. metalworking industry.

The first phase of the training will launch later in the first quarter of 2008. The partnership will develop additional training as funding becomes available.
 

About NCMS

For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org

About Focus: HOPE

For more information, visit http://www.immersive.biz

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Each year the Department of Defense (DoD) spends multi-millions of dollars repairing vehicle components caused by corrosion damage. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) managed a cross-industry collaborative team that developed a new kinetic spray technology championed by the Delphi Research Laboratory. This new technology will impact Department of Defense by significantly reducing corrosion related maintenance across all military services.

“The adoption of this new technology will also benefit automotive and aerospace companies who will save millions of dollars in their facilities,” said NCMS Senior Program Manager Steve Hale.

This achievement was recognized this week at the 2007 Defense Maintenance Conference held on December 3 – 6, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NCMS team was recognized by a “Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award” presented by the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT). The award recognizes outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia. NCMS has received six of these awards for their amplified efforts in cross-industry collaboration in the Department of Defense, Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

The NCMS project participants included all the branches of the armed services, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, and the cross-industry companies: The Boeing Company, Delphi Corporation, Ford Motor Company, CenterLine Ltd. and Solidica. The average CTMA technology transition is 12 months to initial operational capability and 24 months to return on investment with a goal for full deployment across all armed services.

“NCMS projects allow us to conduct world-class research through networking and cooperation with today’s brightest and best companies,” said Project Member, CenterLine Ltd.,General Manager Wally Birtch. “The DoD gained the capability to salvage millions of dollars of parts through the project while we have opened up a new channel for sales of our technology to increase aircraft readiness.” “The Kinetic Spray project enabled us to expand our core competencies in Ultrasonic Consolidation of Aluminum to encompass into advanced leading-edge engineering material,” said Anu Gupta, Materials Research Engineer, Solidica located in Ann Arbor, MI.

This new technology has had a significant impact on material readiness by increasing the number of aircraft, ships and ground vehicles that are now available to our war fighters. “The success of the Kinetic Spray project brings us one step closer to realizing our expeditionary maintenance goals. We continuously need to look at ways to implement new technologies and realize their benefits over and across the Department of Defense.” said Greg Kilchenstein, OSD Program Manager, Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.

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March 13, 2006. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has compiled the results of nearly 600 U.S. industry executives who participated in the 2005 NCMS Nanomanufacturing Industry Survey – the largest cross-industry survey of nanotechnology commercialization trends and concerns, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This project has yielded compelling insights into how U.S. corporations and research organizations perceive the future of the nanotechnology market. It also addresses the strategic issues related to the commercialization of nanotechnology. The survey abstract is available at: http://www.ncms.org or http://www.nsf.gov/nano/ or directly from the following link:

2005 Nanomanufacturing Survery Abstract (PDF, 247 KB)

“The survey of manufacturing industry units shows the increased significance of nanotechnology to both traditional and emerging fields in the last five years. In 2000, one could identify only a handful of companies with nanotechnology programs. In 2005, 18% of the surveyed industries are already marketing products incorporating nanotechnology, about 80% expect to commercialize nano-products by 2010, and almost all those surveyed expressed confidence that their organizations will be involved with nanotechnology in the long run after 2010. Such expansion of industrial relevance of nanotechnology has been a goal of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)”, said Dr. M.C. Roco, key architect of the NNI, and Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology at NSF. “The executives showed close consensus on the barriers the industry faces”, said NCMS Principal Investigator, Dr. Manish Mehta.

This survey report has value to many different groups. Commercial organizations can use this report to benchmark their organization and learn from those in other industry segments. The investment community and service providers now have a better profile of the growth trends as well as the maturing and emergent nanotechnology markets. Trade organizations, State, Federal and regional entities can benchmark across regions and incorporate the information in planning policy and public investments to promote the industry and improve the nation’s competitiveness in this high-stakes field.

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