Michigan Opens Advanced Manufacturing Center Anchored by 475+ 3D Printers

A New Hub for Distributed Additive Manufacturing in the Midwest

Oakland University and Automation Alley have officially opened the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Troy, Michigan. The facility becomes the new home of Automation Alley's Project DIAMOnD Digital Transformation Center, a hands-on lab where Michigan manufacturers can test additive manufacturing technologies, develop new applications, and get technical support without flying to a coastal tech hub.

The Center links Oakland University's engineering research and student talent directly to one of the nation's largest distributed 3D printing networks. Project DIAMOnD already connects more than 500 manufacturers and 475 operational industrial 3D printers across the state. Since launch, the network has produced over 50,000 parts, giving small and mid-size manufacturers a practical on-ramp to additive manufacturing without the capital expense of owning their own industrial systems.

What the Center Actually Does

The facility is designed to move research out of labs and into factory floors. Researchers, students, and manufacturers will collaborate on applied projects, with an emphasis on scaling production from prototype to commercial manufacturing. A key focus is Smart Product Recipes: standardized digital manufacturing instructions that let different factories within the network produce consistent parts from the same design file. That capability matters for supply chain resilience, especially for manufacturers who need backup production capacity during disruptions.

The Center will also support workforce development. Students from Oakland University's School of Engineering and Computer Science will gain hands-on experience solving real manufacturing problems, while the state's manufacturers get access to engineering talent that understands additive manufacturing from the ground up. Automation Alley expects the facility to run industry training programs, open houses, and monthly discussion series for manufacturers looking to adopt digital production tools.

Why It Matters for US Manufacturing

Concentrating 3D printing capability in a distributed network rather than a single facility changes the economics for small manufacturers. A company with a low-volume, high-mix product line can access industrial additive manufacturing through Project DIAMOnD without investing in equipment it would run infrequently. The network model also spreads risk: if one factory has a capacity constraint, another can pick up the work.

Michigan's position as an automotive and industrial manufacturing center makes it a logical place to build this capability. The state already has the supplier base, the engineering talent, and the factory floor density to make a distributed manufacturing network viable at scale. The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence gives that network a physical anchor and a direct pipeline to academic research.

Looking Ahead

Oakland University and Automation Alley plan to announce new research initiatives, workforce programs, and industry partnerships in the coming months. The Center is expected to become a regional hub for metal additive manufacturing, digital supply chain development, and manufacturing education throughout the Midwest.