NSF CAREER Award
This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) project researches into substantially higher accuracy and greater reproducibility in additive manufacturing (AM) processes. In contrast to conventional machining, where parts are made by cutting away unwanted material, additive manufacturing – also called 3D printing – builds three-dimensional objects of unprecedented complexity by progressively adding small amounts of material. Powder bed fusion (PBF), in which new material is added to the part being fabricated by applying and selectively melting a powdered feedstock, is a popular form of AM for fabricating complex metallic or high-performance polymeric parts. This project supports fundamental research to create new thermal modeling, sensing, and control algorithms that will lead to precise and reliable PBF. The modeling task will enable fast and accurate prediction of heat flow and temperature distribution during powder fusion. The resulting knowledge on directing heat flow is essential for achieving a desired three-dimensional shape. The sensing task will formulate new signal processing algorithms that discard unnecessary information to make full use of data-intensive sensor sources like high-speed video. Finally, these results will be integrated with new control algorithms in order to counteract process variations and provide repeatable, low-cost, high-quality parts. AM offers untapped potential in a wide range of products for the energy, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and biomedical industries. PBF parts are increasingly preferred in applications ranging from advanced jet-engine components to custom-designed medical implants. The project creates new knowledge that will facilitate fabrication of products to benefit the US economy and improve quality of life. Broader impacts of the project will be augmented by dissemination of educational results to inculcate skills for innovative problem solving into undergraduate engineering education. Read more here.
The NSF CAREER Award is a prestigious recognition by the National Science Foundation (NSF) supporting early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional potential in integrating education and research. This award fosters long-term, foundational contributions to their respective fields while advancing their institution’s educational mission. Awardees are selected for their innovative research, educational outreach, and potential to lead transformative advancements in science and engineering. For more information, visit the official NSF CAREER Award website: NSF CAREER Program.
