Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh, The New Home Of 3D-Printed Steel
Metal 3D printer by SPEE3D at HAMR Inc., a resident of metal additive manufacturing industrial park … [+]
Innovation and technological advancement — plus location and workforce — made Pittsburgh the “Steel City” in the late 1800s. And while steel mills no longer smog the skies, new advancements in metal fabrication are revitalizing this integral part of the city’s identity.
A project on 10 acres of Pittsburgh International Airport’s Innovation Campus, with room to occupy 185 more acres, has brought together six companies developing and producing metal 3D printed parts. The goal is to expand to 30 or 40 companies establishing this stretch of Pittsburgh as a global hub of 3D-printed steel (and titanium, aluminum, nickel, and copper).
Called Neighborhood 91, this first-of-its-kind manufacturing campus aims to accelerate the adoption of metal 3D printing technology in the U.S., displacing some older technologies and reshoring a large chunk of metal part fabrication from overseas.
Recently, Neighborhood 91 celebrated the total occupancy of its first building and ground-breaking on its next. Already, thousands of metal 3D printed parts flow out of this facility, destined for machine makers and auto plants, and installed on locomotives, spacecraft, and airplanes.
“When we say this is happening in Pittsburgh, people say, yeah, that makes sense,” says John Barnes, co-founder of Metal Powder Works at Neighborhood 91 and one of the founding architects of the project. “So it’s almost like this is the thing that Pittsburgh was meant to do.”
The Remaking of a Metal City
John Barnes, right, of The Barnes Global Advisors presenting metal 3D printing to Airmen of the … [+]
First conceived in 2019 by the Allegheny County Airport Authority in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh and The Barnes Global Advisors, the goal of Neighborhood 91 was to revolutionize the metal AM industry by bringing together key supply chain components in one centralized location.
Pittsburgh wasn’t selected to become the home of metal additive manufacturing (AM) — the industrial name for 3D printing — solely because of its history in metal fabrication. The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have two of the country’s most renowned metal AM facilities, and the entire supply chain for metal additive manufacturing had already sprung up around the greater metro area.
But metal 3D printing in Pittsburgh wasn’t connected in a way where key players could drive economic advancements, say Barnes. “If all we did was connect that supply chain, we could bring really great efficiency to metal additive and not only reduce the entire time to produce metal parts, but also reduce the expenses associated with it.”
Outside of universities and military facilities, there hadn’t been a central hub of activity focused on metal production manufacturing, until Neighborhood 91. Today, neighbors include companies using metal AM to make parts for their own products, make metal AM parts as a service, develop metal AM technologies, and supply raw metal materials, part testing and analysis, along with R&D.
Aiming to be the Silicon Valley of metal additive manufacturing, Neighborhood 91 companies can now develop and apply metal AM on a campus that offers them shared resources and opportunities to collaborate.
“The companies that come here want to be part of an ecosystem,” says Barnes. “They want to work with their neighbors and figure out how to do things better, faster, and cheaper together.”
The first company to locate at Neighborhood 91 was locomotive manufacturer Wabtec, which uses the space to house its innovative aluminum 3D printing for locomotive braking systems. Its 12,000-square-foot space houses several large-format laser powder bed fusion 3D printers that the company uses to manufacture its Metroflexx and Regioflexx brake solutions for mass transit, intercity, regional, and high-speed trains.
Metal AM enables Wabtec to make more efficient brakes that are lighter, easier to repair, faster to fabricate, and sustainable in that the process significantly reduces energy consumption compared to casting and forging, the company says.
The next company to move into the neighborhood was contract additive manufacturer Cumberland Additive. With headquarters in Texas, Cumberland joined Neighborhood 91 to expand its capability to deliver 3D-printed serial production parts to its aerospace, defense, and space-sector customers.
Series production metal 3D printed parts produced by Cumberland Additive at Neighborhood 91 using … [+]
Employing four at its 17,000 square-foot space with plans to grow headcount, Cumberland says it will be able to tap into a skilled workforce that is part of Pittsburgh’s manufacturing culture to quickly grow its production capacity.
“Another advantage to 3D printing that Cumberland is unlocking at Neighborhood 91 is digital transparency,” says Bill Freyvogel, Cumberland Additive’s VP of business development, meaning the company can collaborate with its Texas site and leverage resources remotely across various locations.
Cumberland houses a Nikon SLM Solutions’ 500 quad-laser metal 3D printer and late last year partnered with JEOL, a Japanese equipment manufacturer, to install another metal 3D printing technology, an electron-beam metal 3D printer to offer additional material diversity. A relative newcomer to the additive manufacturing machine market, JEOL’s collaboration with Cumberland represents the North American debut of its electron beam metal AM technology, which will focus on fabricating parts in titanium, nickel, and copper.
HAMR Inc., a materials-focused R&D company, focuses on transitioning academic and early-stage metal technology out of the lab and into the hands of its Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and commercial partners. HAMR brings materials development expertise to Neighborhood 91, along with a large format cold spray metal 3D printing system from SPEE3D.
HAMR says it become a neighbor not only to leverage other tenants’ capabilities but to take advantage of the legacy capabilities of the broader Pittsburgh region, including universities, manufacturers, and other government and research entities now exploring metal additive manufacturing.
Current residents also include custom signet ring company The Future of Jewelry and metal part testing and analysis company RJ Lee Group.
Consolidated Metal Innovation
Locomotive manufacturer Wabtec occupies 12,000-square-feet of Neighborhood 91 to house its aluminum … [+]
What Neighborhood 91 offers these and future residents goes beyond collaboration and shared infrastructure, like conference room and shop air.
“We’ve learned a lot about what an advanced manufacturing campus needs to look like,” says Jennifer Coyne, director of programs at The Barnes Global Advisors, which serves as strategic consultants for the project. “There are heightened efficiencies in how the building are designed and organized.”
The campus is becoming the focus of government funding, such as the new, multi-million-dollar Department of Defense project called Resilient Manufacturing Ecosystem (RME) to prove the concept of a self-contained metal fabrication facility that could be readily duplicated domestically or abroad to meet the DoD’s mission and supply chain requirements.
Manufacturers in automotive and other industries are touring the campus to see metal AM’s capabilities first-hand.
Unlike facilities at metal 3D printer makers, Barnes says part of the appeal of Neighborhood 91 is that it embraces all the various technologies in the field and can provide an agnostic opinion on metal AM and how to apply it.
Rather than a showroom, Barnes stresses that Neighborhood 91, above all else, is a production environment. “At some point, you have to sell 3D printers based on the fact that you’re making parts,” he says. “Part manufacture is where the innovation is going to come from. The rapid innovation that we saw in printers is going to taper off, and it’s all going to be about producing parts better, faster, cheaper.”
Despite the fact that Neighborhood 91 had planned to be larger than it is by now, with the pandemic, tariffs, and interest rates impacting its growth, those same pressures affecting the supply chain actually reinforce the goal of the neighborhood; developing a resilient domestic manufacturing ecosystem.
Still, the projections are that this industrial park will create nearly 6,000 jobs over the next decade while generating about $2.2 billion in wages.
In the coming months, the Neighborhood plans to welcome an additive manufacturer that specializes in mass-producing metal parts for the medical industry. “And so the more that we produce on campus, the more it will drive people to the campus,” says Coyne.
With 185 more acres to fill, Neighborhood 91 is seeking out more like-minded companies to join its supply chain ecosystem, manufacture parts, and drive innovation. The next building, a multi-resident twin of the first, is projected to have a workforce development center to keep improving the
“Neighborhood 91 represents a bold vision for the future of manufacturing,” says Barnes, “leveraging collaboration, innovation, and strategic positioning to drive economic growth and establish Pittsburgh as a global leader in additive manufacturing.”
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates sent out one of their relief pitchers, who they had recently moved on from.
The Pirates announced that they traded right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrence to the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations on June 1.
Pittsburgh designated Lawrence for assignment on May 29, as they activated right-handed starting pitcher Jared Jones from the 60-day injured list, making room for Jones on both the 26-man roster and the 40-man roster.
The Twins decided that instead of waiting for Lawrence to go on waivers, they sent cash considerations to the Pirates to get him over another potential ball club.
Overlook at Justin Lawrence’s Tenure With the Pirates
Lawrence struggled for the Pirates this season, posting a 5.32 ERA over 22.0 innings pitched and 23 outings, a 0-2 record, 25 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .244 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.55 WHIP.
He had a solid campaign for the Pirates in 2025, aside from missing four months due to injury, with a 0.51 ERA over 17 appearances and 17.2 innings pitched, where he looked to get even better this year.
Lawrence struggled with his sinker and his fastball, with a .282 BAA and a 44.7% hard hit rate on his sinker and a .353 BAA and a 36.4% hard hit rate on his fastball.
His sweeper was also not effective as it was a season prior, as hitters did have 31.3% hard hit rate, but he still had effectiveness with it, amassing 18 of his 25 strikeouts on it.
Lawrence had a poor stretch from April 6-12, where he gave up eight runs and six earned runs over 3.2 innings pitched and four outings.
He pitched in two losses to the San Diego Padres at PNC Park, April 6 and 8, and played a role in the Chicago Cubs forcing the game into extra innings on April 11 at Wrigley Field, which the Pirates won, then gave up the tying run in the 7-6 loss to the Cubs on April 12.
Lawrence bounced back with seven straight scoreless outings, before giving up eight runs and four earned runs over four outings from May 8 to May 16.
His last outing came vs. the Cubs at PNC Park, a 10-4 loss on May 27, where he gave up two runs over two innings on a two-run home run to left fielder Ian Happ.
It ends a little more than a year between Lawrence originally joining the Pirates off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies and serves as a disappointing ending from a promising start for the reliever.
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Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Darryl Jones is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal review, Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed on Monday.
Sources say the allegation isn’t criminal in nature. The internal review stems from allegations against the chief involving his management of the fire bureau, sources say.
Assistant Chief Matt Davis will now step up as acting chief.
There is no timeline yet for how long Jones will be out on paid leave, but Pittsburgh’s Office of Municipal Investigations will conduct the internal review.
Like the offseasons that have preceded it, 2027 will be about the quarterback. Do the Pittsburgh Steelers bank on Will Howard or Drew Allar as the future? Is the answer in the 2027 draft? Is there another door to open? Until there’s a long-term solution, it will always dominate the conversation.
Putting aside the obvious, the other top storyline centers on the men asked to protect the quarterback. Pittsburgh’s 2027 offseason will be defined by paying its offensive line, a good but expensive problem to have.
Even knowing Broderick Jones isn’t likely to receive a new deal, Omar Khan will have discussions with virtually everyone else. The 2023 draft class all could be in line for summer extensions: OT Troy Fautanu, C Zach Frazier and OG Mason McCormick. None will hit free agency until 2028, and Fautanu has the fifth-year option, but all three will be first-time eligible for a deal, and deserving of one. The longer teams wait, the more they pay.
McCormick might be the cheapest, but even that is a relative term. The guard market’s heated up the past two offseason cycles. His going rate could be $20 million per season.
Robert Hunt signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in 2024. This past offseason, Will Fries inked a five-year, $87.72 million, that’s $17.5 mil per year, with the Minnesota Vikings.
Given the salary cap’s projected increase, McCormick could be looking at a similar figure. Perhaps a slightly shorter deal, a four-year extension with his final rookie year rolled into the agreement, but a big money pact all the same.
Although McCormick hasn’t received the fanfare of Frazier or Fautanu, he broke out in 2025. His run and pass blocking improved. He was durable and didn’t miss a single snap.
Frazier’s market has spiked. Thank Tyler Linderbaum for that. He didn’t just reset but shattered the center market this offseason, leaving the Baltimore Ravens for the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $81 million deal. His $27 million APY blows away second place Creed Humphrey and his $18 million mark. Now, every center next to get paid will want to get near that figure.
Unless Frazier truly has an All-Pro seasons, he probably won’t surpass him. Something in the 20-million range, say $22 million per year, is realistic. Frazier’s been steady and solid in the middle, and Pittsburgh won’t want to start its pivot search again.
Then there’s Fautanu. Flipping and likely staying at left tackle, he’s playing a premium position. Even if the thinking is antiquated, blindside protectors still get paid more than their right side counterparts. The Colts’ Bernard Raimann signed a four-year, $100 million contract in July, 2025. In January, Charles Cross went for an average of $26.1 million.
Fautanu will be looking for the same if not more. He’ll definitely want more than whatever Frazier commands at center. Fautanu could push for upwards of $30 million per year if his season is good enough.
There is a caveat. Fautanu’s fifth-year option is due next May, and it’s likely to get be exercised. If so, he’ll be the first by a homegrown Steeler since T.J. Watt. But that also could extend out the timeline of an extension by one season. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Watt had to wait one year from their option due dates to receive their extension. If Fautanu follows the same, his contract won’t come until 2028.
It would be rare for Pittsburgh to get a deal done with Fautanu two years out, but the longer the team waits, the more he’ll cost. And if he has a great year, Pittsburgh, under Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy, who have never been in charge of a fifth year option situation in Pittsburgh before, might think about things differently. Age is a factor, too. Fautanu was an older prospect coming out of school. If Pittsburgh waits until 2028, Fautanu will be 27-going-on-28. Hardly old but the sooner he plays out an extension, the better the odds are for the Steelers to get good return on the deal.
Either way, there will be at least some level of financial component to Fautanu next offseason. Either just his fifth-year option, an amount likely worth over $20 million, and the chance of a long-term pact.
Naturally, this all presumes McCormick, Frazier, and Fautanu stay healthy and play well this season. Health is unpredictable, but it’s reasonable to think all three will continue thriving on the field. Pittsburgh’s invested so much in its offensive line and deserves credit for it. Soon will come the time to keep the group together. The “retain” part of draft, develop, retain.
Fautanu and McCormick are shifting back to their college homes. Frazier has been nothing but excellent out of the gate. Pittsburgh won’t want to break the band up.
In average value, the deals could look like this:
Mason McCormick: $20 million per season
Zach Frazier: $22-23 million per season
Troy Fautanu: $28 million per season (potentially $30 million-plus if his timeline waits another season).
Big, big money.
They aren’t the only ones to think about. Dylan Cook might be one of the most interesting debates next year. He’s slated to become a restricted free agent that can pay him the first substantial money of his NFL career.
A refresher: teams can place a tender on a RFA: first, second, or original round. The other 31 teams can still submit a contract offer. If Pittsburgh declines to match, they lose the player but gain the pick corresponding to the tender.
Here’s 2027’s tender projections:
First Round: $8.735 million
Second Round: $6.261 million
Original Round: $3.822 million
Because Cook went undrafted, the original round tender would only give Pittsburgh the right of first refusal and the opportunity to match the contract. If not, they won’t receive a draft pick back.
That puts the team in an interesting position. Apply the original round tender and the team could save money. But it also opens themselves to teams submitting an offer for a still-young tackle without getting any compensation in return.
Applying the second round tender makes more sense. But it will cost more. Likely behind Max Iheanachor and Fautanu, he’ll be an expensive backup.
What’s the right answer? Hard to say. But paying for good offensive linemen is worth it, and the money “saved” by declining Broderick Jones’ fifth-year option can be applied to Cook.
There’s other names to consider. Spencer Anderson is in the final year of his rookie deal. Gennings Dunker appears to be the long-term hope, but what if Anderson wins the starting right guard job and holds onto it? It won’t be so easy to just let him walk. Brock Hoffman signed a one-year deal and will be a free agent next year. Will Pittsburgh re-sign him for depth? They could.
Then, there’s Jones. His future with the team looks bleak, but is there a scenario in which he returns? As Dave Bryan outlined on the podcast, Jones’ contract, in theory, could toll and roll over into 2027 if, and it’s a big if, he spends the entire 2026 season on Reserve/PUP due to his neck injury.
If not and he becomes a free agent, would Pittsburgh sign him back as a swing tackle? Probably not, but if Jones walks, and Cook gets poached on the tender, the team’s depth will have taken a big hit.
Pittsburgh’s 2027 offseason could be similar to 2014. That June, Maurkice Pouncey signed a five-year extension to become the NFL’s highest-paid center. Two months later, Marcus Gilbert signed his own five-year deal. It was part of an effort to keep the group intact.
This time around, Pittsburgh could pay three players and for substantially more money. Combined, Pouncey and Gilbert’s contracts amounted to about $74 million. Any one of Frazier’s, McCormick’s, or Fautanu’s deals could surpass that.
These aren’t complaints. Having talented draft picks to pay is welcome news for a team who has missed far too often. Only one selection of the 2020 class, EDGE Alex Highsmith, saw a multi-year second contract.
Ditto with the 2021 group – TE Pat Freiermuth. The 2022 class had none. Opening up the wallet for these names is what a team wants. But it’s a storyline and projection that hasn’t been discussed much, and one worth getting in front of.
It’s also relevant for national talking heads like Colin Cowherd who criticize the team for spending so much on defense. Those scales will tip back if these deals get done.
McCormick. Fautanu. Frazier. Cook. Anderson. Jones. Hoffman. All offensive line decisions to work through.
Answers will come in time. There’s an entire season to play, and what we expect now versus next year’s reality are often different things. But the last time we did this, we noted George Pickens’ future would come into focus in the 2025 offseason. It did by Pittsburgh trading him to Dallas.
General managers have to be forward-thinking, especially with these large contracts that will impact the cap. Having a quarterback on a cheap contract will help, and Pittsburgh should have the money to sign whoever they want.
Next offseason will be a busy one. Quarterback will grab the national headlines, but the offensive line will be where the money, and important decisions, will be made.
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