LIFT, the Department of Defense-supported national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII), today announced that it will introduce its new state-of-the-art Advanced Metallic Production and Processing Center (AMPP) in the new year solving a critical gap in addressing advanced materials challenges across the U.S. industrial base.

The announcement was made at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Austin, TX.

Located at LIFT’s Detroit headquarters and advanced manufacturing facility, the new center will deliver high quality metal powder, wire and rod feedstocks across all alloy classes at a development scale to support the diverse breadth of additive manufacturing processes on the market today, curated by LIFT’s team of materials scientists.

AMPP will bring new synergies and collaborations to LIFT’s 385-member ecosystem, defense collaborators and the broader national manufacturing industrial base including:

Original Equipment Manufacturers

Systems Manufacturers

Materials Producers

Materials Developers

Application Developers

Part Manufacturers

Academia

Start Ups

“LIFT’s new capability exemplifies a core mission of the Department of Defense manufacturing innovation institutes to bridge gaps in the U.S. defense industrial base,” said Keith DeVries, director of manufacturing technology (ManTech) under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). 

“Today’s world of advanced manufacturing, particularly the advancements in manufacturing processes, require the development of new, novel materials enabling manufacturers to bridge the gap between concept, prototype testing, product feasibility and production,” said Nigel Francis, CEO and executive director, LIFT. “This new capability will efficiently and effectively drive the acceleration of new materials and processes to market, from the United States, for the warfighter and cross-sector manufacturers. This is especially relevant to many forms of additive manufacturing.”

When fully operational in Detroit in early 2025, LIFT’s AMMP facility will offer:

Low to medium material production volumes

Accelerated material delivery and availability

Toll processing

Contract manufacturing

Domestic production

Operation through a non-profit, public-private partnership

Customers can begin placing pre-orders for materials in advance by contacting LIFT here.

LIFT, celebrating its 10th year as a Department of Defense national manufacturing innovation institute, is a Detroit-based nonprofit public-private partnership that is focused on Driving American Advanced Manufacturing Into the Future by connecting advanced materials, manufacturing processes, systems engineering, and talent development in support of our national economy and national security. The institute is also continuing to develop its national mandate, recently opening a facility in Puerto Rico while exploring other expansion opportunities across the country, including in Florida.