YSU Lands $2.3M Research Grant for Hybrid Manufacturing Consortium
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Air Force Research Lab in Dayton has awarded Youngstown State University $2.3 million to create a consortium related to hybrid manufacturing.
The consortium, which includes the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (the managing organization for America Makes) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, would focus on advancing work to fabricate, inspect and repair metallic machine parts, molds, dies and components for the defense industry.
“This award is yet another reflection of YSU’s continued national leadership in advanced manufacturing,” said Pedro Cortes, YSU associate professor of Chemical Engineering. “This project will address real world, industrially relevant applications by transforming the manner in which new metal structures are fabricated and repaired.”
The project includes the purchase and installation of a 3D printing laser hot wire cladding Direct Energy Deposition Mazak system at the new Excellence Training Center. YSU is one of just three institutions nationwide using the Mazak system, added Jackie Ruller, YSU’s director of advanced manufacturing research and commercial products.
Cortes, Ruller, and faculty members Brian Vuksanovich, Holly Martin and Kyosung Choo will head the YSU project.
The system provides hybrid technology that combines additive and subtractive manufacturing, Cortes said. The technology uses dramatically less energy than conventional processing, allowing it to create geometrically complex and lightweight products, he said.
This project will leverage multiple hybrid systems at Oak Ridge and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Also supporting the project is the University of Texas El Paso and the Youngstown Business Incubator.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
