NCDMM to Lead $7.5 Million Army Task Order With Automation Alley on Secure Additive Manufacturing

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining was awarded a $7.5 million task order to partner with Automation Alley on secure, distributed additive manufacturing for the U.S. Army, PRESSBEE reported on November 12, 2026. NCDMM is the prime contractor on the effort, which is administered through its indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract.

NCDMM's Task Order and Automation Alley's Phase I Role

NCDMM is a nonprofit that runs applied research and development in additive and advanced manufacturing for the U.S. Department of Defense and manages America Makes and the Youngstown Innovation Hub. The task order supports the Army's modernization priorities by demonstrating how intellectual property-protected manufacturing instructions can be sent securely to distributed additive manufacturing equipment, allowing on-demand production of defense components with data security, traceability and quality assurance.

"This award demonstrates NCDMM's commitment to advancing manufacturing capabilities that strengthen our nation's defense industrial base," said Gene D. Berkebile, president and CEO of NCDMM. "By partnering with Automation Alley and its technical collaborators, we are helping address supply chain vulnerabilities, improve access to critical components and support the readiness of our warfighters through secure, distributed additive manufacturing."

Automation Alley, a Michigan-based organization, received a $7.5 million Phase I contract from the U.S. Army to develop a secure, IP-protected streaming manufacturing network for distributed additive manufacturing, PR Newswire reported on October 15, 2026. In the NCDMM task order, Automation Alley will lead the design and validation of a secure digital manufacturing environment during Phase I. The work includes developing an encrypted workflow architecture aligned with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements and National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity standards, identifying and validating candidate polymer and metallic weapon system components, and producing additively manufactured parts using validated processes.

A key deliverable is demonstrating secure, end-to-end transfer of smart product recipes to distributed manufacturers, backed by digital quality-assurance recipes that document and verify each part produced. The initiative will validate a secure streaming manufacturing model that applies concepts used in digitally licensed media to physical production, with manufacturing instructions delivered to distributed production sites. Legacy defense components often face supply chain disruptions, extended lead times and limited domestic production capacity.

NCDMM's Defense Manufacturing Programs

NCDMM has led innovation in defense manufacturing since 2003, according to akta.pro company records. The organization manages America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense, a facility under development in the former Vindicator newspaper building in Youngstown, Ohio, supported by $26 million from Ohio's Innovation Hubs Program plus $36 million in additional investment. NCDMM has nearly 250 Alliance Partners and seven locations nationwide. In April 2026, NCDMM appointed Berkebile as CEO, succeeding interim leadership held by MTDG President Dean Bartles after the late-2025 passing of founding CEO Gary Fleegle.

Automation Alley's Earlier Army Contract

Automation Alley's October 15, 2026, Phase I contract from the U.S. Army covers development of a secure, IP-protected streaming manufacturing network for distributed additive manufacturing, PR Newswire reported. The NCDMM task order names Automation Alley as its partner on the secure distributed additive manufacturing effort.