Tag Archives: Defense

METAL on Base: Event Brings Hands-on Training to Service Members 

Directives from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Secretary of the Army have emphasized the importance of expanding the defense industrial base and integrating advanced manufacturing. Failing to produce necessary components at home poses a severe risk to national defense.  The Joint Advanced Manufacturing Symposium (JAMS) was held at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in early August to address these concerns. The event brought together military and civilian leaders, experts, and industry partners to address critical needs around advanced manufacturing and defense. 

Dr. Uday Vaidya speaks to a crowd.

IACMI CTO Dr. Uday Vaidya provided an overview of IACMI’s work with composites in the defense sphere.

JAMS aimed to bridge the gap between component developers and the warfighters who use them. The symposium covered topics including accelerating innovation, enabling on-demand part production, improving operational readiness, and decreasing reliance on vulnerable, traditional supply chains.

The event featured a robust schedule of panel discussions, strategic briefings, and intensive, hands-on training workshops. Leaders from the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) spoke about the organization and its workforce programs, including the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships and Learning (METAL) program. 

METAL, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, and funded by the Department War’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, was created to revitalize American manufacturing through hands-on training in metalcasting and forging. Members of the 101st Airborne Battalion were able to participate in a METAL Bootcamp as part of the symposium. 

Through K-12 workshops and university-led bootcamps METAL introduces students and career seekers to modern metalcasting and forging careers. Participants complete a free online training course before attending immersive, in-person bootcamps led by professional metallurgists and manufacturing experts.
 

How IACMI is Supporting the American Warfighter 

On Wednesday, August 5th, the symposium focused on advanced manufacturing training in the age of Industry 4.0. Dr. Uday Vaidya, Chief Technical Officer at IACMI, and Andrew Pokelwaldt, Director of Education and Workforce Programs, spoke about the institute and its programs. 

Andrew Pokelwaldt speaks with a soldier while observing the JAMS training session.

Andrew Pokelwaldt speaks with a soldier while observing the JAMS training session.

Vaidya provided an overview of the organization, originally funded by the Department of Energy, and its work on both civilian and defense projects. He spotlighted technology used to craft braided beams for construction, composite battlefield tourniquets, training rounds used for tanks, and new helmet tech. In his role at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Vaidya also oversaw the METAL Bootcamp being offered to service members as part of JAMS. 

During his presentation, Pokelwaldt, a Marine Corps veteran, underscored a stark reality facing the domestic manufacturing base and the military alike: “Ninety percent of durable manufacturing goods and critical manufacturing equipment is supported by these roles, and most of the time if anything is critical or involves precision, it’s going to take skilled engineers, skilled technicians, and skilled workers that can operate the equipment.” 

He went on to note that even the most advanced equipment is rendered useless without a properly trained workforce. “A lot of the time it’s not the equipment, it’s the users. So if those people aren’t trained to deal with the advanced manufacturing equipment, that’s going to be a challenge, he said.”

Forging the New Workforce 

Pokelwaldt detailed the success of the IACMI’s workforce programs: 

America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) has impacted thousands over its five-year history. Combining free online courses with week-long, in-person bootcamps, ACE focuses on machining, composites, metrology, and advanced manufacturing. The goal is to get “people’s hands on that equipment,” said Pokelwaldt. 

Pokelwaldt also highlighted the importance of the METAL program. “Casting and forging has been identified as an area that the United States does not have much capability compared to what it used to,” he explained. METAL is designed to bring domestic manufacturing back and increase existing capabilities in these vital areas. METAL is rapidly expanding nationwide to meet critical demand. 

The presentation also addressed the long-term strategy for sustaining the manufacturing workforce. Pokelwaldt emphasized IACMI’s outreach efforts, recognizing that the “manufaturers of the future need early exposure to STEM concepts and basic manufacturing principles. “We start at a young age to give people basic manufacturing principles… and build all the way through,” he stated.

A surprising trend Pokelwaldt noted was that many intelligent and capable young adults entering these programs have never used basic hand tools. This lack of foundational experience makes hands-on training even more vital. “If they can’t even do that, they’ll struggle,” he said, referring to the basic mechanical adjustments often required on machinery.  

By partnering with educational institutions and industry, IACMI is working to fill this pipeline, providing internships and apprenticeships that offer real-world experience. METAL’s upcoming K-12 mobile units are designed to generate interest in manufacturing early and give young people the hands-on experience many are missing.

A group of soldiers prepares sand molds during a training source.

Active duty service members participated in a METAL Bootcamp from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

The METAL Investment Casting Bootcamp 

The strategic discussions at JAMS were paired with practical application. During the symposium, service members from the 101st Airborne and visiting Marines participated in intensive workshops at the HAMMER (Hub for Advanced Manufacturing, Metalworking, Engineering, and Repair) Training Site. 

Among the offerings was a METAL Bootcamp led by Amy Wheelock and Thomas Drye from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The course provided trainees with a comprehensive understanding of how to move a custom design from concept to a finished metal piece. 

The workshop curriculum was rigorous and highly practical: 

A service member pours molten tin into a sand mold.

Bootcamp participants made designs using CAD, made sand molds, and poured molten metal.

  • Day 1: An introduction to the METAL program and investment casting, followed by CAD instruction and pattern modeling.
  • Day 2: A deep dive into 3D printing and injection molding. Trainees learned slicing techniques, observed injection molding demonstrations, and prepared their 3D printed patterns.  
  • Day 3: Focus shifted to sand casting and simulation, including spruce patterns, the burnout process, and a demonstration of Skuld Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC). 
  • Day 4: The core activity, melting metal and performing the investment casting process, followed by retrieving and finishing the cast components. 
  • Day 5: An essential introduction to Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), where trainees performed ultrasound and dye penetrant testing on their finished parts to ensure quality and structural integrity.

The Future of Manufacturing at the Tactical Edge 

JAMS highlighted the urgent need for agile, advanced manufacturing capabilities within the defense industrial base and on the battlefield. Programs like METAL are vital to ensuring that the nation’s warfighters and thenation’sindustrial base are prepared for the challenges of the future. 

If you are interested in attending a METAL Bootcamp or want to learn more about a career in the foundry and forging industry, visit the METAL website today.

Navigating NDAA Section 805 Compliance and the Role of METAL

The compliance landscape for United States defense contractors underwent a major shift on June 30. With Section 805 of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) now officially in effect, the Department of War has instituted a strict prohibition on the procurement of goods or services from entities identified on the Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies, as well as any entities under their control. 

For industry partners, this direct ban represents a fundamental restructuring of defense supply chain compliance. Maintaining operational continuity now requires aggressive due diligence, strategic auditing, and a proactive pivot toward domestic manufacturing capabilities. 

The ultimate goal of these new regulations is to decouple the defense industrial base from adversarial supply chains and anchor production firmly in the U.S. 

METAL, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, and funded by the Department of War’s

Office of Industrial Base Policy, was built to revitalize American domestic manufacturing through hands-on training in casting and forging.  

A worker in protective gear pours molten metal.

A foundry worker pours molten metal from a crucible.

The Role of the METAL Program 

Replacing foreign components in complex defense systems is easier said than done, particularly in sectors suffering from severe domestic labor shortages. Making matters more difficult, decades of offshoring has hollowed out American capabilities in foundational industries. Since the early 1990s, the U.S. has lost immense capacity in casting, forging, and advanced metallurgy.  

Lana Smith, a strategic consultant, owner of The Oakley Office and METAL bootcamp graduate, guides small- and mid-sized manufacturers through the complexities of the defense market. She notes that in some cases, domestic machine shops will be forced to reverse-engineer parts they can no longer legally procure from overseas. 

This is precisely where METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships & Learning) becomes vital. METAL is designed to address the supply bottlenecks that Section 805 exposes. The program accelerates the training of a highly skilled workforce capable of scaling up domestic production, allowing companies to buy American and comply with these new requirements. 

Through K-12 workshops and university bootcamps, METAL introduces students and career seekers to modern metalcasting and forging careers. Participants can complete METAL’s free online training before attending immersive, in-person bootcamps led by professional metallurgists and manufacturing experts across the country.  

Smith views programs like METAL as an essential partner for companies looking to shorten lead times and stay competitive. “It’s a very impressive, proactive move for the Department [of War] to give funding to this,” she notes, describing the initiative as a “catalyst” for rebuilding the industrial base. “Manufacturers can immediately lean into the METAL network to recruit trained professionals eager to enter the sector.” 

For up to five days, bootcamp participants gain hands-on experience in sand-casting design and pouring processes. The trainees pound sand into molds, learn CAD software, pour molten metal, and machine-finish parts. Participants leave with their own metal creations, foundational metalcasting and forging skills, and a clearer picture of promising careers in aerospace, automotive, and defense manufacturing.     

The Compliance Challenge 

Navigating Section 805 requires understanding its phased implementation. The immediate “direct ban” prevents the Department from purchasing directly from 1260H-listed firms. However, the more complex hurdle arrives on June 30, 2027. This secondary “indirect ban” extends the prohibition to any contracts that incorporate components, goods, or services produced or developed by listed entities. 

For prime contractors and subcontractors alike, this creates an urgent need to map supply chains down to the raw material level. Identifying and phasing out restricted entities is critical to avoiding compliance issues. The sheer depth of modern defense manufacturing makes this a monumental task. To Smith, the true implications of the ban won’t be fully understood until audits and waiver requests begin. 

“Because the supply chain has so many tiers… I think a lot of companies don’t realize what is in their supply chain to know if this is going to impact them or not,” Smith explains. She points to the M1 Abrams tank as a prime example. “There are at least 30,000 parts you need just to build it. When you look at the full list of materials on that, it’s like 60,000 items…you don’t always know where it’s [materials] coming from.” 

The DOW has established a waiver process that businesses may submit in the name of national interest. The waiver requires a “compelling justification narrative,” comprehensive market analyses, and detailed corporate phase-out plans. 

Building a Resilient Industrial Base 

When defense regulations restrict foreign supply chains, programs like METAL provide the industrial capacity to fill the void. A recent expansion aims to double the program’s national footprint by 2030, establishing new bootcamps and deploying mobile training units to serve more communities and K-12 classrooms. This scaling up ensures that when a defense contractor needs to source American-made castings or forged components to comply with the 2027 indirect ban, a trained domestic workforce is ready to deliver. 

By bridging the gap between federal compliance and industrial capacity, the initiative ensures that supply chain security does not come at the expense of mission readiness. 

The Path Forward for Industry Partners 

Compliance with Section 805 is mandatory, but achieving it requires a dual approach. Defense partners may use the DOW’s new compliance hub to align with current timelines and, when necessary, navigate the waiver process. Simultaneously, organizations should actively engage with domestic workforce programs like METAL to support, hire, and scale domestic manufacturing and sustain American defense infrastructure for decades to come.