Request for Information for Vendor qual DT FD

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:

Vendor Qualification Additive Manufacturing Processes
Introduction and Purpose
In support of Army Directive 2025-14, the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC) is reviewing and qualifying Additive Manufacturing (AM) vendors for Army ground applications which supports readiness for future demand signals. GVSC is seeking information from vendors wishing to qualify their additive manufacturing processes and materials for use as alternative manufacturing methods. Background
The Department of War faces a significant sustainment challenge where original equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and traditional manufacturing methods like casting or forging are no longer available. Furthermore, critical data such as the original design specifications, loading conditions, and safety margins for these components are often inadequately documented, making traditional component requalification a costly and time-prohibitive endeavor. DEVCOM GVSC is therefore exploring a risk-based qualification framework that focuses on a practical approach: verifying that a given AM process can consistently produce parts with material properties that meet or exceed the minimum requirements specified on the original legacy drawings, rather than establishing new, exhaustive design allowables.
DEVCOM GVSC is particularly interested in methodologies that leverage modern, high-strength AM materials. Information is requested on industry's capabilities to qualify parts using a simplified statistical validation, such as confirming the lower bound of an AM material's strength distribution remains safely above the legacy specification's minimum requirement (e.g., μ - 3σ > S_min). Respondents are encouraged to provide data on their ability to implement such a riskinformed strategy, especially for non-critical components, to help accelerate vendor qualification, improve part availability, and enhance the resilience of the military's supply chain for sustaining legacy systems.
Scope
This request is open to all metal additive manufacturing modalities, including but not limited to: laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), wire directed energy deposition (W-DED), powder directed energy deposition (P-DED) and binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM). Prioritized materials include, but are not limited to:
-Steel alloys of all varieties, including PH17-4, 316L, and 42CrMo4. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is