[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 66 (Thursday, April 28, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H2071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PENN STATE'S CONTRIBUTION TO CYBER AND DIGITAL MANUFACTURING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I am very excited to be on 
the floor this morning to talk about digital manufacturing and how that 
impacts the things that we make. This is a quantum leap in 
manufacturing: allowing objects to be rapidly printed and, in the case 
of cyber manufacturing, printed remotely.
  Since 2009, I have proudly represented Pennsylvania's Fifth 
Congressional District, which is the largest geographically in the 
Commonwealth. It is also the home to Penn State University's main 
campus in State College, Pennsylvania, as well as to the Behrend campus 
in Erie County, and the DuBois campus in Clearfield County.
  Over my time in Congress, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand 
how the university is leading in the field of digital manufacturing in 
areas that range from 3D bioprinting to cyber manufacturing--robotics 
and automation.
  Portions of the Fifth Congressional District have a long history in 
the powdered metal industry. In fact, St. Mary's in Elk County, as well 
as in Cameron County, an adjoining county, have been known for years as 
the powdered metal capital of the world. A few months ago, I visited 
Penn State to take a look at their work in the field of additive metal 
manufacturing, which takes place in the university's applied research 
laboratory CIMP-3D lab. It was amazing to watch metal parts be created 
using what amounts to a 3D printer, and it is easy to see how this new 
technology will revolutionize careers in the powdered metal industry, 
which has meant so much to our region.
  In the same vein, I have been so impressed with the university's 
efforts in hosting an additive manufacturing challenge for small 
businesses. The challenge will award five companies $40,000 to work 
with faculty and staff at Penn State CIMP-3D on projects to demonstrate 
this amazing technology.
  Mr. Speaker, beyond the dividends that these new innovations are 
paying for the industries which drive America's economy, this research 
is also benefiting our national defense. Penn State is currently 
working with the United States Naval Air Systems Command to 3D-print, -
qualify, and -certify a critical safety item--in other words, an 
important part of a Department of Defense vehicle--in titanium. This 
part will be flown in an aircraft next month and will be the first 3D-
printed part to have gone through the entire process to become flight 
certified and tested in the military.
  Now, I commend the pioneers of this exciting new technology from 
universities such as my alma mater, Penn State, but also universities 
such as Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, along with companies such as 
the aircraft engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, in helping students 
prepare for what are certainly the careers of the future.
  Mr. Speaker, as co-chairman of the Congressional Career and Technical 
Education Caucus, I spend a lot of time visiting schools, visiting our 
high schools, secondary schools, and post-secondary schools that are 
providing training to greater opportunity. It is exciting to go into 
specifically high schools and see where this digital manufacturing--
this additive manufacturing using the 3D printers and various types of 
materials--is now present in our high schools.
  I appreciate the partnership that Penn State has had working with not 
just business and industry, but the collaborative work with our high 
schools to begin to introduce and to grow this new innovation in 
manufacturing and to introduce this to young learners, many of whom, I 
believe, are going to go on and will find great family-sustaining jobs 
through that type of career and technical education training, being 
exposed to the very newest form of innovation for manufacturing.
  Some of them will go on to work for businesses and industries. Who 
knows? Some of them will become entrepreneurs and return to a day of 
cottage industries. Some of our most amazing discoveries have happened 
in basements, garages, and spare bedrooms where entrepreneurs have 
developed and invented. With the use of digital manufacturing, a return 
to cottage industries is, quite frankly, something that I think is 
going to happen in an overwhelming way as often entrepreneurs take that 
innovation and are able to do some very specific product development 
and manufacturing targeting, maybe some specific niche markets.
  So I am very excited in how technology relating to career and 
educational training and information technology, as it relates to 
digital manufacturing or additive manufacturing, is going to have a 
very positive impact on our citizens, our families, our businesses, 
and, quite frankly, the competitiveness of our Nation.

                          ____________________