Five Finalists Named in ASTRO America’s Actionable In-Situ Awareness Challenge
ASTRO America has announced the five finalists for its first-ever Actionable In-Situ Awareness Challenge, a competitive initiative aimed at accelerating the deployment of real-time sensor and monitoring technologies in additive manufacturing (AM), specifically for aerospace and defense applications.
After a rigorous selection process, the finalists chosen to showcase their advanced, market-ready solutions are Jentek Sensors, Additive Assurance, Phase3D, Applied Optimization, and Addiguru. Each company brings a unique approach to in-situ monitoring – addressing critical gaps in quality control, process validation, and real-time decision-making for metal additive manufacturing.
The three-month challenge, launched to stimulate innovation in process-aware manufacturing, will culminate in live demonstrations of each finalist’s technology at Maritech Machine in Panama City, Florida. These demonstrations are designed to replicate real-world production environments and will assess each system’s ability to capture, analyze, and act on process data during AM builds.
The Actionable In-Situ Awareness Challenge focuses not only on detecting anomalies but also on providing actionable insights—turning raw sensor data into meaningful, real-time decisions that enhance part quality, reduce scrap rates, and ensure mission-critical reliability for aerospace and defense components.
“The goal of this initiative is to push the boundaries of what in-situ monitoring can achieve—not just sensing defects, but actively enabling corrective action during the build. These five finalists exemplify how advanced metrology and process analytics are shaping the future of secure, high-precision manufacturing.”
The finalist technologies span a range of capabilities:
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Jentek Sensors brings high-resolution impedance-based sensing for layer-wise inspection and process signature analysis.
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Additive Assurance offers optical-based monitoring that tracks melt pool and surface deviations with AI-driven analytics.
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Phase3D introduces fringe projection interferometry to visualize build layer height variations in real time.
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Applied Optimization provides simulation-based, real-time modeling tools that predict and correct thermal anomalies.
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Addiguru delivers camera-based thermal monitoring and cloud-enabled analytics for defect detection and classification.
The initiative aligns with broader Department of Defense efforts to advance the digital thread and ensure that AM-produced parts meet rigorous safety and performance standards. It also supports the integration of smart sensors and real-time data feedback loops within digital manufacturing ecosystems.
Final evaluations and results will be presented publicly at a showcase event on August 26–27, 2025, where government agencies, industry stakeholders, and standards bodies will be invited to assess the maturity and impact of these technologies.
As additive manufacturing matures, the need for intelligent in-situ monitoring is no longer optional – it’s essential. With the growing complexity of printed geometries and the stringent demands of defense applications, real-time quality assurance has become a central pillar in AM workflows.
Through initiatives like the Actionable In-Situ Awareness Challenge, ASTRO America is helping to bridge the gap between sensing and doing ensuring that digital manufacturing is not only innovative but also trustworthy, traceable, and ready for the front lines.
For more information: www.astroa.org
