Phase3D is advancing the future of metal additive manufacturing qualification as part of one of the projects selected for funding through America Makes' Delta Qual 2.0 Project Call, managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). The project brings together industry leaders to develop a new, measurement-based approach to qualifying laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems - helping manufacturers reduce qualification time, lower costs, and accelerate production readiness.
Led by ATI Materials (ATI), the project team includes EOS, Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI), and Phase3D, with transition partners Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, and Fluor Marine Propulsion supporting the effort to help move the resulting technologies into real-world defense and industrial applications.
Fringe Inspection™ Installation
Phase3D will contribute its Fringe Inspection™ technology and advanced in-situ analytics to capture quantitative, layer-by-layer build data and correlate it with machine health and part quality. These insights will help develop predictive machine-health indicators that support faster, more efficient qualification workflows while maintaining confidence in manufacturing performance.
What Is the America Makes Delta Qual 2.0 Project?
The America Makes Delta Qual 2.0 Project, managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), funds collaborative efforts to advance metal additive manufacturing qualification. The initiative aims to develop measurement-based qualification methods for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems, helping manufacturers reduce qualification time, lower costs, and accelerate production.
Phase3D is part of the selected project team, led by ATI Materials (ATI) alongside EOS, Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI), with transition partners Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, and Fluor Marine Propulsion supporting the path to industrial adoption.
Rethinking Qualification for Metal Additive Manufacturing
As metal additive manufacturing continues to move from prototyping to production, manufacturers face one persistent challenge: qualification.
Today, qualifying an LPBF machine after maintenance or subsystem replacement can take two to three months, often requiring dedicated qualification builds, destructive testing, and recurring costs for every requalification effort. These workflows consume valuable machine time, increase costs, and inhibit adoption of additive manufacturing for high-value, mission-critical applications.
The Delta Qual 2.0 project aims to change that.
The project will develop a scalable, measurement-based qualification workflow using machine performance data to streamline qualification. This approach aims to reduce downtime, eliminate recurring qualification costs and consumable materials, and accelerate the return to production.
Phase3D's Role: Bringing In-Situ Monitoring into Qualification
Fringe Inspection uses Digital Fringe Projection technology to capture high-resolution, calibrated height maps of every layer during a build. Unlike traditional camera-based monitoring systems that rely on qualitative images, Fringe Inspection provides unit-based measurements capable of detecting process anomalies in real time.
By generating calibrated, quantitative measurements throughout the build, Fringe Inspection creates a traceable record of manufacturing performance rather than relying solely on visual observations. This measurement-based approach provides the data needed to assess machine health, identify process variation, and support faster, more reliable qualification of metal additive manufacturing systems.
Phase3D and EOS printer integration
Throughout the project, Fringe Inspection data will be synchronized with machine diagnostics, process telemetry, and other monitoring systems to establish quantitative relationships among machine condition, in-process signatures, and final part quality. By building these correlations, the project aims to demonstrate how quantitative in-situ monitoring can become an integral part of measurement-based qualification workflows for metal additive manufacturing.
Ultimately, this work supports a future in which manufacturers can assess machine health using production data rather than relying exclusively on lengthy inspection and requalification campaigns, helping accelerate production readiness while maintaining confidence in part quality.
Collaboration Driving Innovation
One of the strengths of the Delta Qual 2.0 project is the depth of expertise represented across the project team.
ATI Materials will lead LPBF manufacturing, process development, and qualification activities. EOS will provide machine expertise and OEM support, while Laboratory Testing Inc. will perform accredited materials characterization and mechanical testing. Phase3D will contribute advanced in-situ monitoring and data analytics using Fringe Inspection.
On site installation on EOS system
The project will use EOS metal additive manufacturing systems to investigate how quantitative measurements and in-situ monitoring can improve qualification workflows across production environments. Together with transition partners Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, and Fluor Marine Propulsion, the team will help ensure that the resulting methodologies address real-world manufacturing challenges and support future adoption across the defense industrial base.
Supporting Phase3D's Mission
At Phase3D, our mission is to make additive manufacturing more reliable, repeatable, and scalable through quantitative in-situ inspection.
Delta Qual 2.0 aligns directly with that mission by exploring how production-ready monitoring technologies can reduce uncertainty, improve confidence in machine performance, and help manufacturers make faster, data-driven qualification decisions.
“It’s incredible to be selected for such a high profile project to address some of the nation’s biggest challenges in regards to advanced manufacturing. Developing qualification frameworks alongside best-in-class players like ATI, EOS, and Lockheed Martin has been a goal for us for years. We are looking forward to a world where metal additive manufacturing quality is validated and trusted via real-time inspection.”
-Niall O’Dowd, Phase3D
Looking Ahead
As additive manufacturing continues to expand into aerospace, defense, and other critical industries, qualification methods must evolve alongside it. Delta Qual 2.0 represents an important step toward replacing time intensive and costly qualification practices with scalable, measurement-based workflows that enable manufacturers to deploy additive manufacturing with greater confidence.
We’re excited to collaborate with ATI, EOS, LTI, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, Fluor Marine Propulsion, America Makes, and NCDMM as this project moves forward.
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