Advanced Manufacturing Crisis Production Response (AMCPR)

AMCPR is an enduring, strategic infrastructure for additive manufacturing (AM) crisis response providing trusted access to capable supply chains and vetted designs, regulatory awareness, and workforce readiness.

The program’s mission is to advance US manufacturing supply chain resiliency and responsiveness, while simultaneously preparing the nation for future and unknown crises.

Driven by the power of America Makes, AMCPR:

Demonstrates the strength of AM for crisis response
Connects needs with capabilities to address supply chain gaps, and designers with regulatory reviewers to ensure safety
Hosts a publicly accessible model repository and online portal – the AMCPR Exchange
Enables integrated design, production, and distribution processes
Mobilizes the US AM community through a crisis response playbook and strategic roadmap

Pillars of Engagement

Additive Manufacturing as Solution to Supply Chain Crises

Stemming from the urgent need for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMCPR was created to coordinate additive manufacturing’s (AM) crisis response via the AMCPR Exchange – an accessible and scalable digital model repository and platform. The Exchange hosts strategic AM parts for rapid production, acts a conduit to regulatory reviews, and provides a platform for needs request to connect with designers and manufacturers for safe and effective solutions.

Designer

Share your 3D-printable designs and interact with the community.

Requester

Connect with a manufacturer to request parts and equipment.

Supplier

Submit your additive manufacturing capabilities to deliver supplies.

FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is AMCPR?

AMCPR stands for Advanced Manufacturing Crisis Production Response. The mission of the AMCPR is to advance US manufacturing supply chain resiliency and responsiveness while simultaneously preparing the nation for future, and unknown, crises. The AMCPR creates a lasting strategic framework for AM crisis response capabilities by providing trusted access to capable supply chains and vetted designs, increasing regulatory awareness, and strengthening workforce readiness.

How does the AMCPR’s framework address supply chain shortages?

The framework focuses on three main areas that will help better position the advanced manufacturing community to solve supply chain crises in the future:

Access to suppliers, designers, and vetted parts through the AMCPR Exchange to ensure quick deployment of resources to solve supply chain shortages
Proactively addressing workforce readiness to ensure the future workforce is trained to respond in a time of crisis
Regulatory awareness so designers and manufacturers understand the boundaries they need to operate within

How does AMCPR extend beyond COVID-19 response?

While AMCPR uses the additive manufacturing industry’s COVID-19 response efforts as a proof of concept, the goal of AMCPR is to create a framework that can be applied across all advanced manufacturing sectors to solve supply chain gaps in a variety of potential crises and supply chain disruptions.

The AMCPR recently engaged America Makes members and AM ecosystem stakeholders to demonstrate the strength and end-to-end production capability of the AMCPR in 7 hypothetical crisis scenarios of varying complexity.

What is the AMCPR Exchange?

The AMCPR Exchange is an accessible, scalable digital model repository and platform designed to address current and future manufacturing supply chain crises. The AMCPR Exchange hosts strategic AM parts for rapid production, acts as a conduit to existing national repositories, and provides a platform for needs requesters to connect with capable designers and manufacturers during supply chain disruptions.

Why execute test scenarios?

America Makes and AMCPR recently executed 7 hypothetical crisis scenarios to assess the capability of the AMCPR and AMCPR Exchange. These scenarios included diverse representatives from the AM Ecosystem and tested AMCPR program and Exchange processes including design generation, design review, supplier production, part review, and supplier distribution.

The purpose of scenario testing is to comprehensively and systematically assess AMCPR program processes and the AMCPR Exchange’s performance across several complex dimensions. The results of these scenario tests help to identify current capability gaps and inform the future Exchange enhancements. Future testing will evaluate the AMCPR against new challenges to expand preparedness to an even wider range of crisis situations.

Why is America Makes managing the AMCPR?

As the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing (AM) education and technology, America Makes is uniquely positioned to convene and coordinate the additive and advanced manufacturing community to respond to critical supply chain needs.

What does AMCPR mean for my company?

As whole, the AMCPR will raise the awareness of the advanced manufacturing community’s capabilities and its strength as a solution for supply chain shortages.

By participating in the AMCPR, you and your organization can:

Visibly demonstrate your additive manufacturing capabilities with respect to design, production, and delivery
Substantively influence the development of a national crisis production response capability
Gain visibility as a leader in the advanced manufacturing ecosystem
Capture shared investment by joining a community of action with cost share applied to America Makes membership

How can my company get involved?

Visit the AMCPR Exchange to register your needs requests or design/manufacturing capabilities
Contact America Makes at amcpr.info@americamakes.us to learn more about the program, express interest in participating, and with any further questions
Follow America Makes on social media (@AmericaMakes) and look out for future webinars, workshops, and engagement opportunities advertised on the AMCPR website

Resources

AMCPR Insights

OSD AMCPR Long-Term Roadmap

Executive Summary: Assessing the Role of AM in Support of the U.S. COVID-19 Response

AMCPR Phase 1 Lessons Learned Report

Full Report: Assessing the Role of AM in Support of the U.S. COVID-19 Response

AMCPR Webinar Recordings:

Recording of AMCPR Program Update Webinar, June 10, 2021

Powerpoint Slides for AMCPR Program Update Webinar, June 10, 2021

Recording of AMCPR Member Participation Webinar, December 3, 2020

Powerpoint Slides for AMCPR Member Participation Webinar, December 3, 2020

AM/3DP Resources:

Small Business Resources:

Recording of AMCPR Program Update Webinar, June 10, 2021

SBA: Guide to Small Business Assistance Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

COVID Resources & Considerations

FDA: Industry Guide on Technical Considerations for Additively Manufactured Medical Devices

ASTM: AM Design Guide for COVID-19

VA: Quick Guide to How VA is Approaching Face Masks & Respirator Submissions on NIH 3D Print Exchange

3D Printing: COVID-19 General Manufacturing Considerations

3D Printing: COVID-19 Swab Design & Testing Considerations

3D Printing: COVID-19 Regulatory & Performance Considerations

FDA: FAQs on 3D Printing of Medical Devices, Accessories, Components, and Parts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

FDA: Personal Protective Equipment EUAs

FDA: Investigating Decontamination and Reuse of Respirators in Public Health Emergencies

FDA: Optimizing Respirator Decontamination to Ensure Supplies for Emergency Preparedness

CDC: Respirator Manufacturing Approval Support, Test Procedures, Standards, and User Notices

NIH: Swab Design and Testing Protocol

Scenario Testing

AMCPR Completes Crisis Scenario Testing

America Makes’ Advanced Manufacturing Crisis Production Response (AMCPR) program arose from a coordinated effort to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and the resulting shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE). The initiative specifically helped to mobilize the U.S. AM ecosystem, including government agencies, designers, and manufacturers, to supply critical PPE to frontline workers.

Now, as supplies stabilize, the AMCPR is shifting its focus to creating a lasting framework that enhances U.S. supply chain resilience. The program’s explicit goal is to advance the cause of U.S. manufacturing responsiveness and competitiveness while simultaneously preparing the nation for future, and unknown, crises.

A critical component of the enduring AMCPR infrastructure is the AMCPR Exchange – the extension of the America Makes COVID-19 Response Portal, further enhanced to support resilient, rapid prototyping & scalable production of AM parts to support various industries. The Exchange hosts strategic AM parts for rapid production, acts as a conduit to existing national repositories, and provides a platform for needs requesters to connect with capable designers and manufacturers. The Exchange will formally launch in the coming weeks – with further information to follow.

To test and assess the capability of the AMCPR and Exchange, America Makes identified seven hypothetical national crisis scenarios. These scenarios included diverse representatives from the AM Ecosystem (including America Makes members) and were designed to test end-to-end AMCPR program and Exchange processes, including design generation, design review, supplier production, and supplier distribution.

The purpose of scenario testing was to comprehensively and systematically assess AMCPR program processes and the AMCPR Exchange’s performance across several complex dimensions. The results of these scenario tests help to identify current capability gaps, refine the prioritized requirement set, and inform the future Exchange enhancements. Each of the seven scenarios was successful in printing the requested parts and/or identifying critical path steps to take in future scenario testing.

To learn more about scenario testing and the impact and outputs of each scenario, click on the image below. Please contact us with any AMCPR-related questions.