Serving as a Catalyst and Accelerator of Innovative Manufacturing

Technologies to Assure U.S. Industrial Leadership

Purpose
The purpose of the Next Generation Manufacturing Technology Initiative
(NGMTI) is to accelerate the development and implementation of advanced
breakthrough manufacturing technologies in support of the warfighter, and the
global economic competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. NGMTI launches
collaborative project teams consisting of subject matter experts from industry,
government, academia, and associations in support of
its purpose.

Need
U.S. manufacturers continue to face deepening
challenges: a surge in imports from low-wage/high
skilled countries (especially China); a decline in capital
investment; a transfer of manufacturing technologies;
and a sharp increase in the cost of doing business in
the U.S. These factors have contributed to the loss of
more than 3 million manufacturing and technology jobs
and a continued decline in manufacturing as a
percentage of GDP. Meeting these challenges is
critical to our nation’s economic and military security:

A strong industrial base is the foundation of

national defense, especially given the need to
transform defense production to effectively
respond to the new security challenges of the
War on Terrorism.
The ability to transition rapidly to more flexible
and affordable commercial technologies in
defense production has met with only limited
success just as the military is trying to move toward “capabilities-based
planning.”
The loss of both robust manufacturing and the technology base will
undermine the nation’s capacity for innovation and wealth generation
during the next decade.
Manufacturers are the leading source of R&D funding (over $447 billion
annually), and 90% of U.S. patents are product-related.
Manufacturers have had more than twice the productivity growth of other
economic sectors during the past two decades.
Manufacturers typically pay more than most other sectors, with average
annual salary and benefits much greater than $54,000.
Manufacturing has a huge multiplier effect, generating millions of service
jobs directly related to manufacturing

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An effective response to these challenges must leverage the nation’s capabilities
for technology innovation. Indeed, the only way that the U.S. can compete over
time with low-wage/high skilled countries is to maintain a leadership role in
developing next generation advanced breakthrough manufacturing technologies.
However, the percentage of DoD and other federal investment in manufacturing
sciences continues to decline, while industry has only slightly increased their
investment in manufacturing technologies. This negative trend must be
reversed.

Process
The NGMTI strategy is to address the common requirements of DoD,
government agencies, and U.S. industry to accelerate the development and
implementation of next generation advanced breakthrough manufacturing
technologies. The flow process for the NGMTI program is presented in the chart
below.

Thrust Areas
The NGMTI program is built around a series of “thrust areas” that provide a
focused structure for documenting and planning technology requirements that cut
across the nation’s manufacturing base, including both defense and commercial
perspectives. The thrust area topics were selected based on input from industry
and government focus groups to define the right “umbrellas” under which to
capture the high-priority technology needs of the nation’s manufacturing
community.
Emerging Process Technologies addresses areas where new advanced
manufacturing technologies – or new applications of existing technologies – can
deliver breakthrough improvements in manufacturing capability. NGMTI

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addresses broad areas including machine-based manufacturing, wheeled
transportation, aerospace, sea vessels, electronics, and warfighter outfitting.
Model-Based Enterprise allows for simulation and visualization of product
manufacturing and lifecycle support. Reduced numbers of prototypes, human-in-
the-loop, reduced manufacturing product variation, and improved costs are key
results. MBE greatly enhances the ability to deliver superior and affordable
capabilities to the warfighter.
Safe, Secure, Reliable and Sustainable Manufacturing Operations responds to
the uncertainty of the world in which we live and the necessity of ensuring the
safety and economic security of our nation’s infrastructure. Mechanisms to
ensure an uninterrupted flow of materials through the supply chain, support the
missions of homeland security and counter terrorism, and ensure a reliable
supply of manufactured products are key to meeting these needs. Technologies
for detecting radiological and explosive materials, for example, are already in
widespread use to protect our borders and transportation systems. These and
other sensing and protection technologies are key to countering the threats to our
manufacturing and energy infrastructure.
Propulsion and Power develops a view of the future with regard to the military’s
need for the many types of power sources needed. Tomorrow’s Warfighter,
whether a soldier, marine, sailor, or aviator, will rely heavily on these sources to
drive a broad variety of tools ranging from communication radios to submarine
propulsion. The DoD looks forward to this thrust area’s help in developing a
strategic plan to significantly streamline the use and development of future power
sources.
Mission Electronics and Optics will develop investment plans for the development
and application of devices used for reliable communication between the
Warfighter, his chain of command, and advanced tools such as unmanned
vehicles. This area will encompass such technologies as radio
telecommunication, laser based weaponry, and gathering RF intelligence.
Orthotics & Prosthetics addresses the application of technology and
manufacturing techniques to the issue of supplying our returning Warfighters
suffering from weakened or missing limbs with an appropriate device that will
return them to the fully active lifestyle they desire. Technical issues include
providing comfortable fit for every unique application, real time adaptation of the
fit to varying requirements, hygiene, functional performance, replacing “hand
crafting” with science based manufacturing, and cost reduction.

Projects
NGMTI is conducting projects to accelerate deployment of new advanced
breakthrough manufacturing technologies and processes in alignment with the
Strategic Investment Plans. The NGMTI strategy includes direct and indirect
investment in projects to prove out candidate technologies and to establish the
business case for widespread deployment.

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Current projects under the NGMTI program are:
Advanced Aerospace Castings – Digital Radiography
Defense fuel cell Manufacturing
Digital Direct Manufacturing
Friction Stir Joining Technologies
Hybrid Bearing Manufacture
High Performance Materials for Personnel Extremity Protection
Model Based Enterprise Technologies

Outreach
NGMTI maintains close contact with senior-level representatives of the industry,
government, association, and research communities that have decision-making
authority and access to resources. This process provides feedback on specific
manufacturing technologies critical to success, current barriers to technology
development and adoption, and ways to accelerate solutions. NGMTI engages a
broad audience by way of conference participation (such as the Defense
Manufacturing Conference (DMC)), and publication of quarterly newsletters.

Management
NGMTI is a program managed by the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), a
leader in forming and managing government/industry consortia. ATI provides
program management and leads the Project Tasks. The Office of the Deputy
Undersecretary of Defense (Advanced Systems and Concepts)/Office of
Technology Transition (ODUSD(AS&C)/OTT is the oversight organization, and
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is the Department of Defense (DoD)
customer. The program maintains close liaison with the Joint Defense
Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) and the NSTC Interagency Working
Group on Manufacturing R&D, and other organizations.

To Learn More
To learn more about the NGMTI program and projects, please visit our website at
www.ngmti.org, or contact:

Chuck Anderson
NGMTI Technology Transition Program Manager
(843) 760-3588
andersonc@aticorp.org

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