About Us
Specialized. Qualified. Built for the Demands of Defense Manufacturing.
rp+m is a thermoplastic additive manufacturing company specializing in defense and aerospace production. We manufacture parts to customer-supplied drawings and specifications, with the process discipline, quality infrastructure, and technical expertise that defense and aerospace programs require.
What distinguishes rp+m is the depth of knowledge we bring to every job and the rigor with which we execute against the requirements surrounding it.
Technical Expertise Grounded in the Proven Work
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a mature process. What is less common is deep, demonstrated expertise in applying it within defense and aerospace manufacturing environments, where the machine is only one part of a much larger picture that includes material science, specification compliance, process characterization, and quality documentation.
rp+m has been developing and refining that expertise since 2009. We standardized our production platform on Stratasys Fortus 900-series equipment to control what matters:
- Process consistency
- Parameter repeatability
- The ability to qualify our output against the specifications our customers require
Our primary production material is ULTEM™ 9085
rp+m led the foundational testing and data validation project that produced the report underpinning NPS 89085
That history is not a marketing claim.
ULTEM™ 9085: The Material of Choice for Defense and Aerospace
rp+m's technical involvement extends beyond our own production floor. We have contributed to the development of additive manufacturing specifications now used across the defense and aerospace industry, through testing, data generation, and participation in the standards development process.
This involvement includes the data validation project that produced the report underpinning NPS 89085 through the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), and informed the subsequent development of related standards including AMS 7100 and AMS 7101 published by SAE International.
We are also engaged with America Makes
rp+m served as the manufacturing facility for the America Makes program
"High Performance Additive Manufactured Thermoplastics," funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the FAA. The program's goal was to generate a qualification database of material properties for ULTEM™ 9085 — establishing, for the first time, that FFF-based additive manufacturing systems are capable of producing repeatable, statistically reliable results.
The multi-year effort was conducted in accordance with NIAR's NCAMP procedures and CMH-17 methods for statistical data reduction. The qualification data produced at rp+m's facility in Avon Lake, Ohio provided the technical foundation for the industry specifications that defense and aerospace suppliers reference today.
It was the work that changed the industry's understanding of what additive manufacturing could reliably deliver.
This level of involvement in the standards process is uncommon among production suppliers.
How We Operate
rp+m's approach to manufacturing is built on a straightforward principle: the best time to identify a problem is before it becomes one.
Before we quote a job, we review the drawing. During this review, we’ll analyze a few key areas to identify potential challenges that pose future problems:
If we see a tolerance that may require secondary machining to achieve, we say so.
If we have a question about a specification callout, we ask it.
If we believe a hardware recommendation would improve the outcome, we offer it.
We are deliberate about the work we do.
Build genuine expertise
Earn qualified processor status with defense prime contractors
Develop the supplier relationships that generate repeat business across multiple programs.
Leadership
Tracy L. Albers, Ph.D.
President and CTO
Dr. Tracy Albers has led rp+m's technical and operational direction for over a decade, overseeing the company's growth into a specialized defense and aerospace additive manufacturing partner. Her background spans materials science, additive manufacturing process development, and defense supply chain operations.
Dr. Albers led the foundational testing and data validation project that produced the report underpinning NPS 89085, the published specification governing ULTEM™ 9085 use in defense additive manufacturing. She received the 2019 U.S. Department of Defense Technology Enabler Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the success of the Qualification Framework for High-Performance, Low-Variability, Additive Manufacturing Parts.
Dr. Albers holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. She is active in additive manufacturing standards development and industry leadership, including the ASTM F42 Committee on Additive Manufacturing and the SME Additive Manufacturing Advisory Board, and was recognized as an outstanding manufacturing leader by The Manufacturing Institute through its STEP Awards program. Also recognized in the Ohio Aerospace, women in 3d printing, Crains who to watch in manufacturing (2015), top 40 under 40.
