By Sarah Bentley, Office of Army Prize Competitions and Army SBIR Program

The U.S. Army xTech Program knows there is a broad innovation base beyond the U.S. market. To learn from and collaborate with these global integrators, xTech launched its international competition series in 2021. Now, the competition is a staple of the xTech Program — with the fourth iteration launched in January 2024.

Magnus Metal, first-place winner of xTechInternational Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, is leveraging relationships made during the competition to spearhead further maturation of its novel, automated additive manufacturing technology with the Army.

Anticipating $150,000 under a Foreign Technology Assessment Support program, sponsored by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Forward Elements, Magnus Metal, based out of Tzora, Israel, aims to achieve a successful technology assessment of its digital casting solution — a tool bringing metal casting further into the digital era by offering the benefits of 3D printing with the capacity and economics of traditional sand casting.

By supporting the high-volume production of large, complex load-bearing metal parts, Magnus Metal’s digital casting technology could transform Soldier readiness by reducing development time and improving equipment reliability. To meet modernization goals and equip Soldiers with the best technologies industry has to offer, the Army seeks the demonstrations of solutions as they emerge from nontraditional innovators in the U.S. and internationally. Magnus Metal’s FTAS is an example of how the Army, via the xTech Program and its international reach, is accomplishing this mission.

View the full Magnus Metal snapshot here.

According to Ardy Johnson, Magnus Metal’s vice president and general manager of U.S. operations, the company’s participation in the xTechInternational competition spurred the connection to DEVCOM. It was at a reception following the xTechInternational competition in London that Johnson met a DEVCOM contact. After multiple meetings, including a visit to the DEVCOM facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Johnson and his team secured approval for FTAS funding. This, alongside its participation in xTechInternational, helped put Magnus Metal on a trajectory to receive follow-on venture capital investments valued at $74 million via Series B funding.

The FTAS program provides funding for subject-matter experts to conduct technology assessments on unique, innovative foreign technologies addressing the Army’s modernization efforts. This award could drive DEVCOM to buy and install a Magnus Metal machine, equipped with its own personal team that would continually update and maintain the system in support of the Department of Defense’s expanding strategic manufacturing needs.

“The DoD considers additive manufacturing a strategic manufacturing technology for the future,” Johnson said. “Magnus’ unique position to support this strategy, specifically for iron-alloy parts, enables the firm to enjoy a very receptive audience.”

About the xTech Program

Established in 2018, the Army xTech Program offers vendors opportunities for direct exposure to laboratories, program executive offices and program managers across the Army. Participants receive detailed feedback from Army DoD stakeholders and have access to training, mentorship and networking opportunities.

This feedback guides businesses through the competition to determine where their solutions best align with Army priorities. The xTech Program holds several competitions per year. These include open-topic competitions such as xTechSearch and other technology-specific competitions that target key Army challenges.

To learn more about current and upcoming competitions, please visit the xTech website at www.xtech.army.mil. You can also navigate to the bottom right of our homepage to sign up and hear about how your small business or academic institution can develop game-changing technologies to address Army challenges.