Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory and Sciaky, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries will establish the Center for Innovative Metal Processing through Direct Digital Deposition as a Manufacturing Demonstration Facility under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Open Manufacturing Initiative. The project will receive $3.8 million over four years.
Direct digital deposition is a manufacturing process using complex computerized descriptions of objects to directly create objects by gradually depositing a variety of materials in specific locations to build up complex and often hard to manufacture items. The process can be used in on-demand production of high-value components with complex shapes and minimizes material waste. Direct digital deposition shortens the time from design to manufacture.
Richard Martukanitz, head and assistant director and Shawn Kelly, research associate, both in ARL's Laser Processing Division and Timothy Simpson, professor, mechanical engineering and industrial engineering, will co-direct the center.
The center will also include an educational and training component overseen by faculty in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The College of Engineering's Learning Factory will also help in technology transfer through the Senior Capstone Design Program.
An important aspect of the center will be advanced design and simulation tool in a shared network that will allow industry participants to evaluate the technology. Industrial users will be able to develop, demonstrate, test and assess direct digital deposition quickly and inexpensively.
For more information on the center please contact cimp3d@arl.psu.edu or go to cimp3d.arl.psu.edu.