Dyndrite and America Makes take on LPBF qualification for US Defense
Dyndrite joins two Delta Qual 2.0 projects to modernize metal 3D printing qualification for defense
Dyndrite has been selected to participate in two funded projects under the America Makes Delta Qual 2.0 program.
Delta Qual 2.0 is a $9 million initiative focused on modernizing qualification methods for metal AM. The program aims to reduce qualification costs and improve repeatability across machines, while enabling more flexible LPBF workflows.
America Makes is the U.S. national accelerator for additive manufacturing, launched in 2012 in Youngstown, Ohio. It operates within the Manufacturing USA network as a public-private partnership. The program aligns with the goals of the U.S. Department of War, which seeks to deploy reliable and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and Organic Industrial Base (OIB).
Dyndrite is involved in two areas. One focuses on metrology-based machine installation qualification. The other is bracketed qualification, which defines acceptable process boundaries.
At Dyndrite, the latter approach is called SASSQUATCH: Software Adapted Scan Strategy Qualification Assisting Thermal Control and Homogeneity.
The program is divided into 2 topics in which Dyndrite is participating.
Topic 1 - metrology-based installation qualification, aims to establish procedures for measuring, calibrating, and maintaining machines. The goal is to create reliable reference points for machine performance, strong enough to qualify equipment for production based on events, with minimal or no mechanical testing.
Topic 2 - bracketed qualification, aims to establish a framework defining acceptable process boundaries. Manufacturers can then modify parameters and use advanced geometry-feature-based toolpath strategies without having to perform a full requalification every time.
This is where the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform comes in. It enables the generation of deterministic toolpaths, implementation of feature-based process strategies, full digital traceability, and consistent workflows across machines from different manufacturers. This addresses several of the program’s objectives: process portability, machine equivalency, and qualification methods that can be scaled across larger production environments.
Harshil Goel, CEO and founder of Dyndrite, said qualification needs to move beyond today’s “static parameter sets.”
The list of partners is long. The projects involve, among others, EOS North America, Phase3D, Laboratory Testing (LTI), Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, Fluor Marine Propulsion, RTX Technology Research Center, Oerlikon, Velo3D, Northrop Grumman, Nikon SLM, Air Force Research Laboratory, RTX (Raytheon), and Auburn University.
Qualification is one of the most expensive and tedious stages of metal additive manufacturing.
Changing a parameter, material, or machine often means repeating the entire part qualification process. In defense applications, where repeatability and traceability are critical, the cost becomes even higher.
Delta Qual 2.0 is targeting exactly this problem. The program is trying to describe the process in terms of measurable values and boundaries, allowing manufacturers to change settings without starting qualification from scratch. Dyndrite adds its own layer to this: software that captures the process in a repeatable, digital form.
The name SASSQUATCH, used by the company, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to hunting down hidden process variables. The same variables that stand between a successful experiment and a production process that can actually be repeated.
Dyndrite will showcase the results of this work at ICAM 2026. The program includes technical presentations with partners, the announcement of the winner of the student competition, and workshops.
During workshops users will work directly with the company’s software on print preparation automation, feature-based process strategies, multi-laser production tuning, and programmable workflows.