Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is redefining all aspects of our lives. Although additive manufacturing has been around for decades, technological advancements have led to new interest in this technology throughout the industry. Through a process involving fabricating components by joining materials such as plastics or metals layer-by-layer from a sliced 3-D computer-aided design model, Auburn engineers are examining how manufacturers can 3-D print complex components on site, thus reducing the supply chain, eliminating waste and maximizing profits.
At Auburn, research in this arena is supported by high-profile funding agencies including the Department of Defense, the United States Army, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and others as faculty strive toward solutions that can improve manufacturing in the present and in the future.
Related Centers
The Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems
Through the Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS), Auburn is aiding small- and medium-sized manufacturers looking to remain competitive in the Industry 4.0 age. Through awards from the Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Policy’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, ICAMS is leveraging its research and outreach efforts promoting advanced manufacturing in small and medium manufacturing operations in the defense industrial base.
National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence
NCAME strives to be a transitioning mechanism from fundamental to applied research aligned with the need of industry. NCAME directs and conducts research in several additive manufacturing (AM) thrust areas of immediate importance to industry and standardization communities, including AM: design, new materials development, process monitoring, post-processing, microstructural characterizations, material properties, fatigue, fracture mechanics, failure analysis, qualification/certification, NDE, and more.
