Industry plays a large role in the work that the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) undertakes. The relationship between AMO, academia, national labs, and industry partners is symbiotic – we each bring individual strengths and perspectives which when combined can fuel innovation in U.S. manufacturing. Our partnerships are vital to reducing barriers to the commercialization of cutting-edge clean energy technologies and practices.
On Wednesday, June 15, 2016 AMO Director Dr. Mark Johnson delivered the keynote address at the Copper Development Association’s (CDA) Spring Meeting in New York City. He addressed many partnership opportunities that copper manufacturers, fabricators, and distributors can pursue with AMO. CDA is a US-based, not-for-profit association of the global copper industry, influencing the use of copper and copper alloys through research, development and education, as well as technical and end-user support. Partnership opportunities for the copper industry and the manufacturing industry as a whole range from technical assistance and best practices to applied research into uses in the clean energy applications. Some of the opportunities Dr. Johnson discussed during his keynote included:
- Better Plants Program – This program allows manufacturers to set specific, aggressive energy efficiency goals and provides solutions, best practices, and support to help them achieve those goals. Manufacturers at all stages of the copper life-cycle can make commitments through the program in an effort to reduce their energy costs and environmental impact while at the same time increasing their competitiveness.
- REMADE in America Institute – This institute, part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), aims to dramatically reduce the life-cycle energy consumption through the development of technologies for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of materials. Copper is a highly recyclable material and can be reused without losing its valuable qualities like conductivity and durability and CDA members could contribute to this public-private consortium.
- Manufacturing Demonstration Facility – This shared innovation infrastructure allows manufacturers and end users to access state-of-the art technologies that revolutionize the way products are designed and built using additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. One focus area includes using metals as a feedstock material. Future additive manufacturing projects could potentially involve copper metal casting. Applying additive manufacturing to molds and casting could significantly reduce lead time of certain copper products.
AMO’s engagement with industry partners on programs like these is crucial to ensuring our country’s competitiveness in the global clean energy race. Manufacturers can work with AMO to increase the dependability, energy efficiency, and operational lifespan of products invented here and made here. The more we work together, the more power we have to drive innovation and sustainability across the manufacturing sector.
To read the full press release from the Copper Development Association, click here.