As the U.S. defense and aerospace industries look to maintain pace with other industrial powers such as China, advanced manufacturing practices have become a way to expand production in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

IDGA's Advanced Manufacturing for Defense Summit this June 24-25 in Los Angeles serves as a nexus of defense primes, government leaders, industry leaders, technical vendors, and startup innovators, where collaborative discussions will unfold against the backdrop of recent investments.

Before the conference, IDGA presented the following report that outlines five trends shaping the advanced manufacturing industry, which include implications for the defense and aerospace industries.

The Wohlers Report delivers an exhaustive annual analysis and synthesis of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing worldwide. In the industry and throughout this report, the terms “additive manufacturing” and “3D printing” are used synonymously. Spanning 29 years, this report has consistently offered an in-depth examination of the products, services, applications, and research associated with AM.

The 2024 edition of the Wohlers Report offers detailed insights into the AM market. It serves a broad audience of product development and manufacturing firms, software developers, service providers, startups, research entities, educators, and analysts. Investors, government entities, and standards-setting bodies also find it valuable.

The Wohler Report is produced by ASTM International, a nonprofit organization that creates and publishes technical standards. ASTM International is the official partner for this year's Advanced Manufacturing for Defense conference, taking place June 24-25 in Los Angeles, California. The two-day event serves as a nexus of defense primes, government leaders, industry leaders, technical vendors, and startup innovators, where collaborative discussions unfold against the backdrop of recent investments, as well as program initiatives funded by the current administration and major defense and aerospace companies, adding a layer of timeliness and relevance to the discourse.

 Dr. Paul Witherell is the Associate Program Manager of the Measurement Science for Additive Manufacturing Program at NIST and leads the Advanced Informatics and Artificial Intelligence for Additive Manufacturing project within the program. Dr. Witherell joined NIST in 2010, and since 2013 has been a key figure in developing the organization’s standards for advanced manufacturing.

This June 24-25, Dr. Witherell will be in Los Angeles for IDGA’s Advanced Manufacturing for Defense conference. At the conference Dr. Witherell will share with industry NIST’s role in developing standards for advanced manufacturing. Before the conference, IDGA sat down with Dr. Witherell to discuss topics such as:

• Challenges NIST is seeing in the additive manufacturing space
• How NIST ensures alignment in manufacturing standards
• How industry can get involved with NIST

View the organizations and job titles joining us at Advanced Manufacturing for Defense 2025 on June 24 - 25, at the Hilton Los Angeles Culver City, CA.

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