ARM Institute opens project call for military supply chain technology

The Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, or ARM, Institute issued a new organic industrial base technology and workforce project call. The ARM Institute made this project call available to its members only, not to the general public.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) is working to assemble concepts that address the modernization needs of the organic industrial base (OIB) network. OSD is working with the institute and other Manufacturing Innovation Institutes on this project.

The OIB produces and sustains existing supply chains for critical military technology and non-consumer goods. This includes munitions, transportation vehicles, and other warfighter needs.

However, equipment is often antiquated and poorly integrated at its facilities. It can even hamper the OIB’s ability to consistently and quickly conduct production operations.

This ARM Institute project call seeks to modernize these operations both through technical innovations and workforce solutions in these special topic areas:

• Digital operations technology
• Real-time manufacturing sensors for robotics
• AI robotic process planning
• In-situ quality checks
• Reduced operator exposure
• Reduce cost of operations
• Pilot line of non-traditional OIB products
• Mobile and large surface automation

ARM members can download detailed information about the project call in the ARM member community. Whitepaper submissions, the first step in this Project Call process, are due on March 2.

The deadline for performance for projects is Oct. 1. However, it is possible that funding may be available sooner.

ARM Institute looks for results, existing relationships with OIB

Given the project call’s focus on modernization and prototype delivery, the ARM Institute said it expects funding for selected projects to exceed that of past projects.

The Pittsburgh-based public-private consortium noted that any technical whitepaper submitted must propose a concept that would result in a real prototype that the OIB can deploy in a facility. Successful project teams are most likely to already have relationships with or have done work with an OIB facility, it noted.

The ARM Institute recommended that submissions include proven technologies, with citations of successful use cases or impact. Where possible, the institute encouraged teams to submit joint technical and workforce proposals.

All projects must be accompanied by a commitment from a military service or OIB site to both sponsor a specific endeavor as well as support a successful technology transition and integration, said the ARM Institute.

The letter of commitment must be endorsed by the OIB site commander or, if approved at a higher headquarters for an enterprise solution, then not lower than a general officer/flag officer or senior executive service member. This letter will be due in Step 2 of the process if a team is selected to move forward.

Because Step 2 will require a letter of commitment from an OIB leader, the most successful project teams are likely to be those who have existing relationships with or have worked with an OIB facility, the ARM Institute explained.

In addition, it noted that this call is for technology and education or workforce development concepts, and teams can blend proposals. For example, the ARM Institute encouraged teams to include a training component in a technical concept.

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Education and workforce partners encouraged to submit

The ARM Institute solicited interested education or workforce partners to submit whitepapers centered on training the workforce on technology changes within the OIB. The institute said it might match strong education or workforce concepts with technical concepts.

After the ARM Institute reviews all submitted whitepapers, it said it might choose to combine ideas to form the strongest proposals possible. All project submissions also require cost-sharing to the highest degree possible. The project cost-share amount will be a factor in the evaluation of proposals, it said.

The ARM Institute will host a webinar on Feb. 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET in support of this effort. During this webinar, the organization will answer questions, detail the project call content/submission process, and outline the many different aspects of this call.

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