An AI-Consultant for Small-to-Medium-Sized Manufacturers to Automate Quoting and Identify New Equipment Purchases

Develop and pilot a tool or tools and associated educational framework to mitigate risk from adoption of advanced manufacturing technology with preference for application by small and medium manufacturers. The tool should integrate available modeling for design and manufacturing of an applicable technology area within a business case structure. Performers should utilize manufacturing models such as process design kits (PDK) or Design For Manufacturability (DFM) simulations in use at one of the eight DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. The tool should define a standard process of risk mitigation for adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies that would be familiar to most business owners and engineering leaders within the small business community. Risk mitigation strategies should include parametric, process-based, and design-based cost models and balance these against product performance and other gains from adoption of advanced technology. The associated educational framework should be capable of demonstrating the full capabilities of the tool within a program or company and support the complete timeline of manufacturing practice adoption. The educational process should demonstrate the tool both on represented design problems as well as pilot designs. The design of the educational program should allow for varying levels of both technical and business knowledge of the participants. The product should address a common bottle-neck in an advanced manufacturing industry that is hindering adoption or development of the technology such that there is a projected future market demand for the product after value has been proven through a pilot deployment. Examples of such a product include: * Executive level dashboard-style tools and education process to convey a relevant and comprehensive example business case for adopting industrial manufacturing technology or equipment, including associated costs, workforce needs, and other considerations. The tools must support and enable manufacturers to customize the business case to their specific needs and enablean informed decision of whether and how to adopt industrial manufacturing technology with an understanding of how this decision will transform their business. * Development of improvements or extensions to a manufacturing PDK for domestic manufacturing or associated learning tools, instructional modules and processes, design aids, or design components to support the use of a PDK. Instructional processes may include design or prototyping support for an application prototype or pilot manufacturing process. The integration of these capabilities within the existing product design and manufacturing structure of small and medium manufacturers would accelerate the adoption of these technologies in a traditional risk-adverse environment. Specific examples include: * PDK and associated elements development for integrated photonic circuits or flexible electronics. * Design for manufacturability models for specific additive manufacturing processes such as metal powder bed fusion or material extrusion with highly-filled polymers