Biden’s candle production initiative at the Ohio Metallurgical Company

Hamilton, Ohio (AP) – President Joe Biden traveled to the industrial Midwest on Friday to announce that five major U.S. manufacturers have committed to increasing their dependence on U.S. small and medium-sized 3D printing firms.

The White House said GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy have agreed to participate in the program, which Biden stressed while visiting United Performance Metals in Hamilton, Ohio. The President visited the factory together with the executives, making bold predictions about the future of American industry, which may be possible due to the wider use of modern equipment and domestic manufacturers.

“It’s going to revolutionize the world,” Biden said during the tour.

The promise of 3D printing is that it can undo the outsourcing of factory and industrial production, allowing more components to be produced in the US. An analysis by consulting firm Kearney estimated that the technology could bring economic value of $ 600 billion to $ 900 billion. by increasing domestic production.

The President is pressuring Congress to pass a bill on the cessation of competition and innovation, which, according to the President-Democrat, is crucial for the development of domestic production and assistance in addressing the shortage of semiconductors, which delayed the production of life-saving medical devices, smartphones, gaming and others. modern amenities.

“I am determined to make sure that the United States is in a high-tech position in competition with other countries, especially China, as we move forward,” Biden said this week. His comments regarding the bipartisan innovation law were made during a visit Tuesday to the Lockheed Martin plant in Alabama, which is building Javelin anti-tank weapons systems.

GE Aviation and Raytheon have set a goal of targeting small and medium-sized firms on 50% of their inquiries about product offerings that require 3D printing or related technologies.

Siemens Energy aims to target 20% to 40% of 3D printing parts from the outside and will work with 10-20 small and medium-sized firms to help improve their capabilities. Lockheed Martin has agreed to collaborate with smaller suppliers on research to improve the use of 3D printing as an alternative to castings and forgings. Honeywell offers technical assistance, including parts development, data generation, machine operation, and post-processing to the small and medium-sized vendors it works with.

The problem with semiconductor chips has emerged since the blockade linked to the coronavirus pandemic, more than two years ago the closure of major Asian chips. Now this may continue this year, despite efforts by the semiconductor industry to catch up with demand.

Bipartisan support for increased domestic chip production, but lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives still need to agree on differences.

In February, the House of Representatives passed a version of the legislation that could allocate $ 52 billion in grants and subsidies to the semiconductor industry to help increase U.S. production. Now the bill must be agreed with the Senate version adopted eight months ago.

Democrats in the House of Representatives also included other priorities that raised Republicans’ concerns about the cost and scope of the bill.

The bill provides $ 8 billion for a fund that helps developing countries adapt to climate change; $ 3 billion in funds to make the U.S. less dependent on Chinese solar components; $ 4 billion to help communities with much higher unemployment than the national average; and $ 10.5 billion for states to stockpile drugs and medical equipment.