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Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) has formed partnerships with Amaero and Austal USA to advance aerospace and maritime defense manufacturing. Amaero is working with NCAME to assess the performance of its Nb-C103 and Ti-6Al-4V additive manufacturing powders.

The high cost and sourcing challenges of Nb-C103, priced at $4,000 per kilogram, necessitate innovative research approaches, which NCAME addresses through a high-throughput process that accelerates development timelines. In maritime defense, Austal USA collaborates with NCAME to reduce lead times for forged or cast components, focusing on the correlation between in-situ sensing data and micro-structure defects. NCAME is also assisting in the creation of statistically validated material allowables for mechanical properties, enhancing the specification standards for additive manufacturing parts.