America Makes launches new challenge with AFRL, GE

America Makes has launched a new challenge with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and GE Research. The Open Source-Additive Scanning Implementation Strategy (OASIS) Challenge seeks the submission of open-source computer codes and algorithms to help advance laser-based powder bed additive manufacturing (AM).

“While tremendous progress has been made in this space there are still challenges with the proprietary nature of commercial scan strategies,” said America Makes Executive Director John Wilczynski. “This challenge seeks to address those issues head-on and create a body of work that can be utilized across the industry.”

Entrants will download data from a secure project website to be used to create a new innovative scan strategy code and algorithms. All strategy submissions will be evaluated with predefined code requirements and then the top selections will have samples printed in titanium to be evaluated for material properties and scored.

As the goal of this challenge is to find real solutions to an important issue facing the AM community, results of the sample evaluation will be integrated into the America Makes National AM Roadmap and the America Makes Digital Storefront.

Challenge Timeline and Details:

•          Launch: August 25, 2020

•          Informational Webinar: September 9, 2020 at 2pm EDT

• Submissions accepted: October 1 – December 1, 2020
• Code language accepted: Python, Java, C# and C++
• Review and scoring: April 1, 2021
• Evaluation criteria: Part porosity, tensile strength, ductility, surface finish, geometric fidelity, code quality, code run speed
• Awards announced: June 4, 2021
• 1^st Place: $25,500
• 2^nd Place: $15,500
• 3^rd Place: $10,500
• 3 Honorable Mentions: $5,500 each

More information, details and participant guidelines for the OASIS Challenge can be found at https://americamakes.us/oasis.