DETROIT, MI – Although an auto industry tie-in is obvious for the region, a high-tech lightweight materials manufacturing institute planned for metro Detroit will specialize in components that have applications to a variety of sectors.
From the aircraft to the defense industries, the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute would seek to make the U.S. more competitive in several areas of the light materials supply chain, said Lisa Austin, a spokeswoman for EWI, which is the non-profit responsible for launching the public-private ALMMII alongside the University of Michigan and Ohio State University.
Pres. Barack Obama is to officially announce the $148 million, Department of Defense-led ALMMII at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
The institute is aimed at creating more than 10,000 jobs while also making U.S. manufacturing more competitive globally.
EWI, based in Columbus, Ohio and with an office that opened in Madison Heights last August, specializes in developing technology solutions for manufacturers to increase their competitiveness. It was founded in 1984.
“If you were to take a car example, whether it’s an OEM or one of its suppliers, they might contact us to say we’re going to introduce aluminum into that process,” Austin said. EWI would then develop the best way the OEM or supplier to introduce that particular aluminum into their manufacturing process.
Austin said EWI is waiting to release some details ahead of Obama’s announcement Tuesday afternoon. But until then, here are some more facts EWI proved on the ALMMII:
- "The American Lightweight Materials Innovation Institute (ALMMII) is a public-private partnership that will develop and deploy advanced lightweight materials manufacturing technologies, and implement education and training programs to prepare the workforce.
- ALMMII was selected through a competitive process led by the US Department of Defenseunder the Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation (LM3I) solicitation issued by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research.
- Lightweight materials are increasingly important to the competitiveness of transportation manufacturing sectors, including suppliers in the automobile, aircraft, heavy truck, ship, rail, and defense manufacturing industries. Lighter vehicles for the military, industry and consumers, alike, have better performance and use less fuel. They can carry larger loads and travel the same distances at lower cost and with fewer carbon emissions.
- ALMMII’s mission is to serve US manufacturing by supporting innovative manufacturing technologies, and enable cost effective lightweighting of components for the aerospace, automotive, defense, rail, and over-the-road truck industries. The institute’s efforts will encompass the entire transportation supply chain, nurturing innovations from conception through design, development and production.
- The Institute is the newest addition to the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation(NNMI), a White House initiative founded to help US manufacturers employ leading-edge technology to become more competitive.
- ALMMII is led by Ohio-based manufacturing technology non-profit EWI, University of Michigan, and The Ohio State University. Its main office will be in Canton, Michigan, with significant activities in Columbus, Ohio.
- In addition to ALMMII’s three lead founders, more than 50 other companies, universities, non-profit research institutions, and workforce development intermediaries from around the country will be involved in this public-private partnership. ALMMII is seeking additional small, medium, and large companies to become members of the institute.
- The DOD award for the Institute is $70 million in federal funding to be distributed over five years, matched by at least $78 million from the consortium partners themselves. Cost share commitments came from industry, state and local governments, universities, and non-profits.
- ALMMII is an independent non-profit incorporated in the state of Michigan. ALMMII is a lean organization which will maximize the value delivered by leveraging and integrating existing assets in its research and workforce partner facilities.
- The ALMMII region includes 5 states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In addition, ALMMII integrates partners from across the nation for research and workforce development, including Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania,
- ALMMII’s scope will include:
- Contracting more than $100 million in R&D projects with partner organizations throughout the country to nurture innovations from concept through design, development and production.
- Establishing science, technology and engineering curricula for programs to educate the next generation of manufacturing operators and engineers.
- Creating up to 10,000 new jobs in metal stamping, metalworking, machining, and casting.
- ALMMII will open under the direction of Lawrence Brown, Executive Director; Alan Taub, Chief Technology Officer; Dan Kramer, Chief Innovation and Transition Officer; and Emily DeRoco, Workforce Director."