University of Nebraska–Lincoln (May 17, 2018) — A new lab space places Nebraska Engineering on the cutting edge of 3-D printing capabilities.
The Nebraska Engineering Additive Technology Labs feature two Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 metal laser sintering hybrid milling machines that can add or subtract a variety of materials — from plastics to titanium — to create complex three-dimensional designs.
The Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 combines selective laser sintering (SLS) along with high speed milling (HSM) commonly called Hybrid AM.
“This is incredibly rare, unique equipment that we’re now able to access,” said Michael Sealy, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.
The Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 integrates a fiber laser for state-of-the-art metal sintering and a machine center to perform high accuracy, high speed milling, and the sintering of complicated mold dies. The LUMEX Avance-25 significantly reduces the required designing and production time of mold dies.
Located in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Scott Engineering Center, the lab allows Husker researchers and students to create projects using highly reactive materials. This process accommodates for creation of intricate geometries, such as lattice structures and complex internal cooling channels for aerospace applications.
The printing possibilities could transform many industries, especially paired with the quality control systems development research of Prahalada Rao, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering and recent winner of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
“Nebraska is positioning itself as a hub for additive manufacturing in a variety of industries, including agricultural equipment, manufacturing and biomedical,” Rao said. “If this research is successful, it will have a huge impact on how quickly and reliably we can turn around new products and designs, spurring innovation in Nebraska.”
Sealy said students are also excited about getting to use the printers. Also, a new additive manufacturing course, which will be taught by Sealy and Rao, has been added to take advantage of the new technology.
“It gives students exposure to research problems as opposed to just the design problems that we get a lot of in our undergraduate curriculum,” Sealy said. “There’s lots of opportunities for students to get access, whether through student groups or our additive manufacturing class. That’s something we’re pushing — for them to get exposure and experience.”
An open house for the new NEAT Labs is planned today during the Great Plains Additive Manufacturing Symposium in the Scott Engineering Center.
The symposium features presentations by experts from the Boeing Company, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Edison Welding Institute, National Nuclear Security Administration-Kansas City campus, Air Force Research Laboratory, America Makes and Navajo Technical University.
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since 1935, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. delivers unmatched excellence in 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor, multi-tasking CNC machine tools and machines with a powder bed metal AM platform with machining capability. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business. For more information on Matsuura LUMEX products, contact: [email protected] or visit: www.matsuurausa.com.