America Makes, the nationwide accelerator for additive manufacturing innovation, and its managing accomplice, the Nationwide Heart for Protection Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), have introduced a brand new open venture name funded by the Workplace of the Below Secretary of Protection, Manufacturing Know-how Workplace (OSD ManTech). The initiative, titled Corrosion of Additive – Examined At Part Scale (CATACS), supplies $1.3 million in whole funding to assist the event and validation of a framework for corrosion testing of steel additively manufactured elements. Two awards are anticipated, with proposals due by December 2, 2025, and award bulletins deliberate for January 6, 2026.
CATACS targets a crucial barrier to the adoption of steel additive manufacturing (AM) in protection: the dearth of standardized corrosion testing and qualification protocols. AM permits the speedy, customizable manufacturing of complicated elements, but components fabricated utilizing this expertise usually show microstructural and floor variations that differ from conventionally manufactured metals, resulting in distinct corrosion behaviors. The initiative will consider corrosion on the element scale underneath sensible operational circumstances, specializing in two major areas.
Subject 1, Corrosion of AM Elements at Elevated Temperatures, addresses components utilized in high-temperature purposes, assessing corrosion efficiency underneath consultant environments resembling pressure-vessel circumstances, fuel-air mixtures, and metallurgical interactions with adjoining supplies. Subject 2, Corrosion of AM Elements for Thermal Administration, examines thermal administration elements uncovered to working fluids throughout various thermal gradients and complicated inner channels. Each focus areas intention to determine constant knowledge assortment strategies that replicate end-use circumstances extra precisely than coupon-level testing.
“CATACS is about placing actual AM {hardware} to the take a look at in harsh circumstances — as a result of corrosion will discover the weak factors,” mentioned Ben DiMarco, Know-how Transition Director at America Makes. “We’re asking proposers to carry their greatest components, set a plan to emphasize them in excessive environments, and let the ocean assault. That’s CATACS.”
Eligible initiatives should show validated prototypes and manufacturing processes slightly than early-stage ideas. Proposals ought to align with Know-how Readiness Ranges (TRL) 4–7 and Manufacturing Readiness Ranges (MRL) 4–7, indicating demonstration in related environments and pilot manufacturing functionality. Subawards are permitted underneath the RFP supplied recipients meet federal compliance and eligibility necessities. Price-share credit earned by means of participation could also be utilized towards America Makes membership charges for future cycles, although credit will ultimately expire if unused.
America Makes was established to speed up the event and deployment of additive and 3D printing applied sciences that strengthen U.S. manufacturing readiness. Its packages usually goal crucial protection challenges resembling materials qualification, provide chain resilience, and course of validation. By supporting component-level testing, this initiative goals to generate corrosion efficiency knowledge relevant throughout a number of alloys and manufacturing circumstances related to protection and aerospace environments.
Further clarifications from the venture Q&A underscore the utilized nature of this system. Proposers could embody additive design variations of their corrosion research, outline their very own “high-temperature” parameters primarily based on supplies and use circumstances, and combine AI or machine studying fashions for corrosion prediction underneath this system’s mental property framework. Consultant testing ought to simulate becoming a member of strategies and assembled half circumstances however doesn’t want to duplicate full system configurations. Whereas particular knowledge portions will rely on testing methodology, emphasis is positioned on component-scale validation slightly than laboratory coupons.
The venture timeline features a kickoff webinar on October 16, 2025, with proposer questions due by October 23, and membership eligibility confirmed by November 20. Full proposal submissions shut at 5 p.m. ET on December 2, 2025. Particulars and registration hyperlinks can be found by means of the official CATACS portal.
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Featured picture exhibits program overview graphic for CATACS venture name. Picture by way of America Makes.