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Automation Alley urges state investment to expand Project Diamond statewide
Summary
Automation Alley told the Michigan House Economic Competitiveness Committee that Project Diamond, a network of distributed 3D printers, has completed more than 51,000 revenue-generating prints and should be expanded statewide to help small manufacturers shorten lead times, lower costs and keep production in Michigan.
Lansing — Automation Alley told the Michigan House Economic Competitiveness Committee that Project Diamond, a distributed network of 3‑D printers and training resources, has produced measurable commercial output and should be expanded statewide to reach an additional 1,000 manufacturers.
"Project Diamond gives every Michigan manufacturer, from Marquette to Monroe, the tools, training, and network effects to thrive," Tom Kelly, chief executive officer of Automation Alley, said during testimony. Kelly said the network has completed 51,153 prints as of Aug. 12, 2025 and that counties and the governor have endorsed taking the program statewide.
Project Diamond began in 2020 as a pandemic-era effort to place 3‑D printers with small manufacturers so they could produce critical parts on demand. Automation Alley said the project matured into a commercial infrastructure: phase 1 deployed equipment to roughly 300 small and medium-sized manufacturers in Oakland and Macomb counties and connected the machines into a centrally orchestrated, secure network. Wayne…
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