Research Programs

Research Thrust Areas 

""Additive manufacturing may sound complicated, but the theory isn’t. Instead of building a sandcastle by subtracting sand away from a pile until the structure appears, imagine adding sand beginning at the bottom and moving up layer by layer until a castle is built. In the actual application of additive manufacturing, the grains of sand would be placed one at a time in a specific order pre-determined by enhanced computer design.

Fusion-based AM (melting)

Mixed-phase AM

Solid-state AM

AM via Surface Engineering

Research Project Areas

Understanding of the AM process

  • Fundamentals of laser-materials interactions
  • In situ monitoring and diagnostics of process
  • Multi-physics process modeling

New materials, composites via AM

  • Computational alloy design for AM – thermodynamic and kinetic modeling
  • Structural materials – steels, nickel alloys, titanium alloys, complex concentrated or high-entropy alloys, refractory alloys, intermetallic alloys, ceramics
  • Functional materials – magnetic materials, optoelectronic materials, microelectronic device materials, multi-functional ceramics
  • Composites, hybrid materials – metal-ceramic, metal-intermetallic/metalloid, metal-polymer, ceramic-ceramic, ceramic-polymer
  • Compositionally, functionally graded materials

3D characterization of AM materials

  • X-ray tomography/microscopy
  • Serial-sectioning and 3D reconstruction based on optical microscopy
  • Serial-sectioning and 3D reconstruction using focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy
  • 3D tomography using transmission electron microscopy
  • Atom probe tomography

Logistics & supply chain in AM

  • Decentralized manufacturing structures with reduced inventories and the potential to pool transportation volumes and increased costs.
  • Additive Manufacturing based shift in the traditional operational, process, and business models for logistics and supply chain.
  • Influence of AM technologies on improving value delivery for products within existing supply chains

Cybersecurity in AM

  • Hardware security
  • Design and verification framework for digital components of AM
  • Machine learning and predictive models
  • Blockchain security

Data/decision sciences & analytics in AM

  • Optimized manufacturing processes
  • Intelligent predictive maintenance
  • Accurate real-time detection
  • Precise in-situ monitoring
  • Precise ex-situ process and material evaluations