Centers & Institutes > Institute for Manufacturing & Sustainment Technology (iMAST)
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- Drive Train Center
- Gear Research Institute
- Institute for Manufacturing & Sustainment Technology
- Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies
The Institute for Manufacturing and Sustainment Technologies (iMAST) is one of nine U.S. Navy MANTECH Centers of Excellence. Formally established in February of 1995, the Institute comprises seven thrust areas.
Located at The Pennsylvania State University's Applied Research Laboratory, the Institute is in partnership with industry, government, and the University. iMAST provides a focal point for the development and transfer of new manufacturing processes and equipment in a cooperative environment with industry, academia, other Navy acquisition, and in-service use. The Institute leverages the resources of The Pennsylvania State University to develop technology and business practices, to enhance the industrial sector, and to address advanced weapon system issues and challenges.
iMAST Technology Groups - Please review the following PDF flyers for more infomation (Acrobat Reader is required to read these files. Click here to download this free software)
- Air Vehicle Technology Group
- Ground Combat & Combat Service Vehicle Technology Group
- Naval Surface Platform Technology Group
- Naval Sub-Surface Platform Technology Group
iMAST PUBLICATIONS
| iMAST Newsletters & Reports | Other Articles of Interest | ||||
We archive all iMAST newsletters and annual reports. Select a newsletter or an annual report from the drop downs below. (Adobe's Acrobat Reader is required to view these newsletters and annual reports. Click HERE to download this free software).
You could receive the iMAST newsletter in the mail by filling out the form below. Your request will be automatically forwarded to the iMAST administrator for processing. See below to be added to our newsletter mailing list. |
Article "Breaking Out of the Death Spiral" by L.C. Watt - available as a PDF file. |
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Article "New Maintenance Technologies: Sustaining a 21st Century Marine Corps" by L.C. Watt - available as a PDF file. |
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Article "Get the Right Technology to War Fighters" by J.M. Feigley, R.B. Cook, & G.J. Johnson - available as a PDF file. |
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| iMAST THRUST AREAS | |||||||||||||||||
Mechanical Drive & Transmission Technologies Objective: Develop technologies which will assist in the enhancement, revitalization, and resurgence of the transmission industrial-base sectors of the United States. This is necessary for several reasons. It is essential that this particular industrial base remains viable, competitive and robust in order to effectively address U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Department of Defense modernization and surge requirements. Further, this industrial sector is critical to the national transportation infrastructure and, therefore, needs to remain responsive and competitive to address national interests. In order to achieve our objectives, iMAST needs to be recognized as a national resource. Since it is the industrial sector that supplies the DoD with mechanical drive transmission components and systems, it is essential that this recognition be derived from both industry and government sectors alike. The broad technological objectives driving the research and development agenda of this thrust are noted as follows:
Group Thrust Areas
Materials Science Technologies
Advanced Coatings
Research capabilities:
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Polymer Matrix Composites - The capabilities in polymer matrix composites include:
Light-Weight, Wear Resistant and Corrosion Resistant Materials and Coatings - capabilities in light-weight, wear resistant materials and coatings include:
Nanophase Materials Technology - Nanophase materials development and testing capabilities include:
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| MANTECH | |
 Strategic VisionDoD, NAVY, AND THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH "....establish and demonstrate key manufacturing processes that satisfy military production requirements. Investments in process technology have historically covered the complete manufacturing maturation cycle: invention, development, insertion, and improvement."
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Background The DoD Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) Program began in the late 1960s. Over the years, the MANTECH Programs for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) have contributed remarkably to the nation's ability to produce superior military weapons systems platforms. The DoD MANTECH Program is managed by the Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E). The Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel is chartered to identify and integrate requirements, conduct joint program planning, develop joint strategies, and oversee the execution of MANTECH programs. |
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MANTECH Objectives Everything, from the development of new manufacturing processes and products to enhanced manufactured manufacturing techniques for the repair and maintenance of current equipment, must be considered to ensure that the Navy and Marine Corps has the best, most reliable, most cost-effective weapons systems possible. Navy MANTECH strives to reduce the cost of advanced weapon systems and the repair, maintenance, and overhaul of fielded systems through improvements in productivity and responsiveness of suppliers and support facilities. Emphasis is placed on the development of technologies that will be implemented in time to make a difference; technology development for its own sake is not pursued. The primary MANTECH Program objectives are defined as follows:
Planning for the Navy MANTECH Program is based on a top-down methodology that begins with the identification of critical acquisition programs and repair requirements. Planning then proceeds through a structured methodology to identify necessary manufacturing and repair technologies and significant risk reduction opportunities. According to the established criteria for project selection, projects must:
The Navy MANTECH Program has many customers. They range from the acquisition system Program Manager, responsible for transitioning major weapons systems from development into production, to the logistics managers at the naval depots and shipyards who are responsible for the repair, overhaul, and remanufacture of major weapons systems. Additional customers of the Navy MANTECH Program include industry, academia, and the other Services. |
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Naval Systems Commend, Marine Corps Systems Command, Other Services, and Other Agency Participation in the MANTECH Program Project ideas are generated from various sources within the Naval Systems Commands, Marine Corps Systems Command, and the other Services. Program Executive Officers (PEO), Program Managers (PM), aviation and ground combat vehicle depots, naval shipyards, Office of Naval Research, Army Research Laboratory, and NASA research and development offices are all welcome to give input or solicit support from iMAST. A MANTECH project is undertaken when it is determined that industry is unwilling or is financially unable to commit private capital to develop a new process or technique and make it available to the military in a timely manner. Projects are expected to result in new, significantly improved, or more economical manufacturing processes. Efforts are generally broad-based in application and, whenever possible, will result in processes, techniques, materials or equipment, with application to multiple land, sea, and air weapons systems. All potential projects are coordinated with the specific PM whose weapons system is impacted to ensure that critical needs are addressed and to obtain endorsement for implementation. The critical elements that must be addressed before a task is proposed are:
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iMAST Program Management
Stakeholder:
With few exceptions, a stakeholder is a representative of a Navy/DoD acquisition, procurement, or depot organization that is willing to support a MANTECH project and assist in its implementation. There is no requirement to commit funding to a particular project by the supporting stakeholder. However, the stakeholder must be willing to take an active guidance and monitoring role in the project and work through the Navy MANTECH Program Manager to ensure that program objectives are achieved. The stakeholder should also be willing to voice to the Office of Naval Research strong support for continuation of the project if funding reviews threaten continued support of their particular project.
Industry Participation:
iMAST provides assistance to industry in adopting and using appropriate new and advanced manufacturing technologies that are economically viable. Cross-disciplinary research efforts that address manufacturing challenges too complex for single-investor programs allow iMAST efforts to technologically advance these particular industrial sectors with DoD application. The traditional model for industry participation has been for industry to provide all the cash and in-kind support, while the University provides science, engineering, and manufacturing technologies (intellectual property). The innovative method for industry participation is to have industry and the University combine resources with additional amounts of funding coming from federal and/or state resources.
| REPTECH | |
Strategic Vision
The investments will reduce risks to schedule, reduce costs, and increase performance of repaired weapon systems. ARL’s REPTECH Program has been designated the Navy's coordination center for repair technology. The program is located at The Pennsylvania State University’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL). Program Administration REPTECH is managed by the Office of Naval Research Manufacturing Technology Program. Benefits of the program apply to all systems command within the Navy and the Marine Corps. REPTECH Management Structure
Naval Systems Command and Marine Corps Systems Command Participation The tasks of REPTECH are identified and prioritized by the REPTECH Working Group within the strategic themes for sustainment by the Joint Director Laboratories for Manufacturing Science and Technology. Following the theme "Improve manufacturing and remanufacturing methods, strategies, strategies and equipment of maintenance operations," the REPTECH Working Group evaluates, selects, and funds projects that address the top priority issues and thus offers advanced solutions to the most pressing repair technology needs in U.S. Naval shipyards and depots. Process Description:
Issue Submission Process
Charter:
Stakeholder Industry Participation Travel to REPTECH |
REPTECH applies appropriate technologies to improve capabilities of the remanufacture and repair community and plays a central role in utilizing emerging technologies to improve the repair process and the affordability of Navy and Marine Corps repair facilities.
