Jian Cao, Ph.D. - US grants

Sheet metal forming is one of the most fundamental manufacturing technologies used in the production of numerous goods including hundreds of automotive components, consumer appliances, and beverage cans. The occurrence of wrinkling on a part could be either acceptable or unacceptable based on the product specifications. The ability of predicting such behavior is essential for shortening the development cycle and reducing manufacturing cost. This research project will numerically and experimentally address the onset, post-buckling and secondary buckling behavior of thin sheets buckled into a wide range of wavelengths under in-plane compression with or without normal constraints. This research project may reduce the computation time of Finite Element Analysis by about eighty percent while accurately predicting the onset of wrinkling. The success of this project will be extremely beneficial to product and process development at early design stage. This is a collaborative research project between the University and an industrial partner.

Tailor Welded Blank (TWB) Forming is an important manufacturing process to perform precision automotive assembly. Currently, the wide usage of TWB is hampered by many difficulties on the control of the forming process. This research project investigates a methodology to effectively control the welding movement during the forming process and improve the formability. The investigator will develop both undergraduate and graduate curricula and integrate them with the research activities. In addition, this CAREER plan will explore the teaching techniques and encourage women and minority students to participate in engineering and research. This is a NSF CAREER award to support multidisciplinary research and education activities for faculty in their early academic career years.

Structural or continuous fiber composites possess the unique qualities of high strength, high stiffness, and lightweight, as well as tailorable thermal and electrical properties. Despite demonstrated success in low volume aerospace and defense applications, structural composites remain at the periphery of high volume industries such as construction, automotive, and consumer goods because of long cycle time. Stamping, the target manufacturing process of this project, provides a means of making composite sheet products at rates ten to a hundred times faster than any existing continuous fiber processes. However, to make composites stamping a viable process, one must understand how the fibers deform, what causes defects such as wrinkling and tearing, and how process parameters such as temperature, stamping rate, and boundary constraints all affect the material response. These challenging issues will be addressed by collaborative research between two universities and Ford. The investigators will apply their collective knowledge in the areas of sheet metal stamping, textile mechanics, and composites forming.
The primary goal of this research project is the development of a composite stamping model to assist designers with optimizing material selection and tool/blank/process design for manufacturing. This knowledge will create opportunities for stamped structural composites to be utilized in high volume applications. The knowledge gained in this research will have not only a substantial impact upon industry but will be widely disseminated to industry practitioners and graduate and undergraduate students.

0084582
Cao
Model-Based Simulation (MBS) has provided designers with flexible and cheaper means to explore design alternatives before physical part deployment. However, question of the confidence level on a particular model considering the full range of uncertainties in prediction and in physical tests has hampered wide applications, especially when dealing with real-life engineering problems. This collaborative research represents the joint efforts from two universities and General Motors for the development of a rigorous and practical approach for model validation (Model Validation via Uncertainty Propagation -- MVUP). The approach will utilize the knowledge of system variations along with computationally efficient uncertainty propagation techniques to provide a stochastic assessment of the validity of a modeling approach. The proposed methodology will be demonstrated through validating the simulation models for sheet metal forming processes.

The research is expected to lead to a model validation procedure that can provide a general-purpose stochastic assessment of model validity with the least amount of statistical assumptions and possibly one physical experiment. The research results developed will have an immediate impact on simulating springback in sheet metal forming process. It is our expectation that it can be generalized to other engineering problems and will make a significant impact on how we view numerical simulations by considering all the physical and numerical uncertainties. The research results will also contribute to the development of new courses on model-based simulation, modeling and optimization of manufacturing processes, and uncertainty analysis in engineering design.

This collaborative research between University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University is funded under NSF 00-26, Exploratory Research on Model-Based Simulation.
***

The aim of this Workshop on Composite Sheet Forming is to address key issues related to improving the viability of the composite sheet forming process in manufacturing. To accomplish this, the workshop will provide a forum for experimentalists, modeling specialists, statisticians, material suppliers and end users with the goal of formulating a feasible and representative benchmark and organizing for its execution. The benchmark will be used to standardize materials testing procedures for this new class of materials and to examine the current state-of-the-art in simulation. It is expected that the workshop will have significant international representation and will stimulate this kind of research in the U.S., which is unfortunately less active than our counterparts in Europe and Asia.

Composite sheet forming has demonstrated great potential as a valuable alternative to provide high-strength and low-weight products at a much-reduced manufacturing cost. This cost reduction is due primarily to significantly shorter cycle times and parts consolidation. Over the past several years, an international group of academic and industry researchers has conducted studies of the material behavior and the forming process, in conjunction with fabrication of prototype parts. The outcome of this work is a substantial body of experimental and modeling data. However, as the research in this area is still relatively new, as compared to the longer history of sheet metal forming, much of these results have lead to more questions than answers, which was well echoed at recent technical conferences. The state of the research efforts in composite sheet forming are at a critical point where benchmarking will lead to major advances in our understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing experimental and modeling approaches.

This research project aims to provide experimental data on material resistance to wrinkling under various loading conditions and to provide a reliable and robust tool for simulating wrinkling in sheet metal forming processes, which will dramatically increase the confidence level on simulation results and therefore, be extremely beneficial to product and process development. The increasing environmental concerns and global competition have pressured the auto industry to aggressively search for thinner, lighter and stronger materials. As the thickness of sheet metal decreases, the tendency towards wrinkling increases significantly. It is therefore essential to have a good understanding of the onset of wrinkling and its post-buckling behavior of sheet metal so that the development time of bringing these new materials to final goods can be minimized. The experiments will include a newly developed wedge test, a shrink flanging test and forming of an irregular three-dimensional shape.

The test results will be used to verify the computability of a new simulation tool, finite element methods with meshfree-enrichment (FEMME), which is believed to be able to capture local deformation effectively without the need of remeshing. The methodology and associated software routines will be posted on our website for easy public access.

This objective of this collaborative research project will be to design test apparatus to examine yarn slippage during thermostamping, to formulate material constitutive and interface models to capture macroscale behavior while considering the microscopic constituents; to propose failure criteria linking to the formability of this material (woven architecture and matrix constituents). The overall objective is to create design rules to best utilize the material potential. These challenging and fundamental issues will be addressed in collaboration between Northwestern, U Mass-Lowell, industry, and international researchers.

The broader impacts of this research are numerous. The environmental concern for reduced emissions and fuel consumption has created enormous opportunities for introducing woven-fabric reinforced composites into high-volume consumer products as they possess outstanding structural (car bodies, floor pans, truck beds) and energy-management (for crash situations) properties. Thermostamping has demonstrated its potential as the means to reduce manufacturing costs for mass-production applications. The PI will coordinate an international benchmarking program on material tests, thermostamping tests and modeling methods among researchers in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a critical step in the early stage of cancer. Better understanding of the mechanism of EMT will foster the development of inhibitors to prevent cancer progression. Considerable evidence has implicated membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in EMT and conversion to aggressive cancers. MT1-MMP activation of proMMP-2 and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components are involved in cancer progression. MT1-MMP also cleaves numerous cell surface proteins, growth factors, and chemokines. We recently demonstrated that MT1-MMP: 1) cleaves E-cadherin at the cell-cell adherins junctions;2) promotes cell migration/scattering in 3D type I collagen gels; 3) regulates cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo;and 5) changes cell morphology in 3D type I collagen gels. We also demonstrated that the hemopexin (PEX) domain of MT1-MMP plays a crucial role in cancer cell migration and pinpointed the regions required for MT1-MMP-mediated cell migration. Targeting the PEX domain with recombinant MT1-MMP PEX protein resulted in interference with MT1-MMP-induced cell migration. The primary goal of this grant is to define the involvement of the catalytic and non catalytic activities of MT1 -MMP in EMT. This characterizationwill facilitate our development of specific non-catalytic domain inhibitors of MT1-MMP that will be employed to interfere with cancer progression. To achieve this aim, the function of MT1-MMP in EMT in 3D cultured cancer cells will be examined. EMT-related transcription programs and signaling pathways will be evaluated. Based on a computational model of MT1-MMP and similarity with other MMPs, minimum motif(s) in the PEX domain of MT1-MMP required for cancer cell migration will be identified using a mutagenesis approach. Formation of homodimer and/or heterooligomer of MT1-MMP through PEX domain will be determined. Based on the identification of crucial PEX motifs, specific MT1-MMP inhibitory peptides will be designed and characterized using analytical chemistry and cell biological approaches. Functional inhibitory peptides will be produced and evaluated in an in vivo cancer model. The long-term goal is to develop a lead compound that will be modified to produce a MT1-MMP inhibitory drug with minimal side effects for treatment of cancer. I propose that the current project will help us to better understand cancer progression and lead to the development of novel basic tools for treatment of early stage cancer.

The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) Collaborative Research project is to invent a new sensing system integrated with stamping press to significantly improve the observability and controllability of the stamping process. The objective will be achieved by investigating the geometrical scalability of draw-in sensors that are based on the principal of mutual electrical inductance, and wireless pressure sensors that communicate with remote ultrasound receivers through acoustic waves. The new sensors will be embedded within the stamping tooling without interfering with high-rate operations, thus providing an enabling tool that is not yet existent in the state-of-the-art stamping industry within or outside of the US. The intellectual contribution of this project will be extending fundamental laws of physics on electromagnetic coupling and acoustic telemetry to guide the functional and parametric design of the envisioned sensors such that they can accurately and reliably measure the required process parameters, given the significant impact forces and interferences typically associated with the stamping operation, thus advancing the science base for stamping process monitoring.

The broader impact of this research includes creating means for direct comparison between physical measurements and numerical simulations through tooling-embedded sensors, such that monitoring and control of the process are integrated with, and therefore, taking advantage of, the advancement in numerical tools. Research results will be shared with both the academic and industrial communities through open-house demos and a short course. Joint seminar series and student exchange are also planned.

The research objective of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER)/Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)/collaborative research project is to validate the feasibility of a novel hybrid manufacturing process which has the potential to generate complex three-dimensional thinsection parts using a three-axis CNC machine. The new hybrid process, which integrates machining and single point incremental forming into a single CNC machine tool setup, is called Deformation Machining. Combining these processes will enable new part geometries to be created that are not currently possible, and allow some complex parts now requiring a 5-axis machine tool to be fabricated using a 3-axis machine.

This new process can enable the flexible and rapid fabrication of lightweight structural components. Potential applications of this process span industries from aerospace to automotive and beyond. Aerospace applications include parts such as bulkheads, frames, spars, stringers, and wingribs. In the aerospace industry alone recurring savings will be substantial. The savings come from three areas: reduced equipment costs, reduced component weight, and increased part accuracy. These savings have been estimated based purely on replication of existing part geometry. However, even greater benefit is expected to arise because designers will gain the ability to conceive new structures which only become feasible using the advantages of deformation machining.

Abstract
The objective of this instrument development proposal is to build a state-of-the-art laser-based surface-texturing instrument for surface engineering research in nanoscale science and engineering, and manufacturing from nano-scale to micro/meso to macro-scale. This instrument uses laser to pattern or texture submicron to micron feature sizes onto an object surface, flat or curved, external or internal, with nanometer positioning precision. The object can be a conductor or an insulator.

Successful development of the proposed laser surface-texturing instrument will provide an opportunity for collaborative research among investigators in mechanical engineering, materials science and manufacturing. There is a good possibility that the proposed instrument may be developed into a commercial tool, thus providing commercialization opportunities and wider access to the community, both for basic research and industrial applications. Once developed, this instrument will be made available to research community for their surface engineering needs.

The objective of this proposal is to establish the NSF Summer Institute on Nano-Mechanics, Nano-Materials and Micro/Nano-Manufacturing. The major activity of the Institute is to offer short courses on fundamental concepts and tools in nano-mechanics, nano-materials, and micro/nano-manufacturing, typically two per summer. Additional courses may be offered in collaboration with professional societies. In addition, the principal investigator and his coworkers will select specific modules from these short courses and develop them into web-based courses suitable for self-learning and integration into existing university curriculum. A secondary objective is to provide networking opportunities among participants, researchers and leaders in the field to promote collaborative educational and research endeavors.

One important impact of the proposed summer institute is the multiplying effect. It is expected that participants trained in these areas will in short order launch their own initiatives in the subject areas, such as new research programs, products or processes, curriculum development or enhancement, etc. These will in turn spur other ideas and activities. Further, nano-mechanics, nano-materials and micro/nano-manufacturing will undoubtedly have a broad impact on medicine, electronics, and materials in the next two decades. These short courses provide the much-needed training for practicing scientists and engineers. As such, the proposed summer institute will facilitate the realization of practical nano-sciences and nano-engineering by turning these new technologies into real-world products.

This CI-TEAM Implementation Project will deploy a collaborative online learning laboratory that utilizes a shared set of cyberinfrastructure-based repositories, design tools, and teaching materials to support educational initiatives and outreach rooted in engineering dissection. The collaboratory will support both physical and virtual dissection of engineered products and systems in 41 engineering, computer science (CS), and information sciences and technology (IST) courses at 9 different universities: Penn State, Bucknell University, Drexel University, Virginia Tech, Northwestern University, University of Missouri-Rolla, University at Buffalo, Sweet Briar College, and Norfolk State University. The project involves 32 faculty at these universities from 12 different disciplines in engineering, engineering education, computer science, information sciences and technology, education, and psychology. The collaboratory will leverage several ongoing cyberinfrastructure-related activities to deliver sustainable learning and workforce development for current and future generations of educators and engineers in multiple disciplines as well as computer scientists and those involved with information sciences and technology.

The results of this collaborative implementation project will establish a unique closed-loop application of cyberinfrastructure that combines not only engineering and CS/IST in CI-related activities but also examines the implications of the availability of the proposed collaboratory. The project will have significant and broad impact, as more than 12,000 engineering and CS/IST students will participate in the collaboratory. As part of the project, the educational impact and CI competency of the 12,000 participating engineering and CS/IST students, including user adoption of the materials available through the collaboratory, will be assessed. The project will also foster the inclusion of diverse groups of people and organizations in cyberinfrastructure activities by working with two outreach partners: Sweet Briar College, an all women's college, and Norfolk State University, an Historically Black University. Targeted recruiting plans for REU students along with existing K-12 partnerships and future RETs will further increase the participation of underrepresented groups to promote a diverse CI-savvy workforce. To promote long-term sustainability of the collaboratory, an engineering dissection textbook based on the educational materials that will be developed, a national training workshop for engineering and CS/IST educators will be organized, and a national supercomputing center will help provide long-term storage and security of the repository data.

Incremental forming deforms a flat sheet metal into a three-dimensional geometry using a Computer-Numerical-Control (CNC) controlled tool without a supporting die. The research objectives of this collaborative international project are to understand the failure mechanism in the incremental forming (IF) experiments; to create a double-side incremental forming technology, such that incremental forming is no longer limited to producing components of geometrical features only on one side of the initial sheet plane; and to discover the potential of generating micro-features on macro-scale curved panels using this new forming process. Our approach is based on the mechanics understanding of failure mechanism in the incremental forming process considering both nonlinear strain paths and local contact pressure. Experimental work will be conducted to verify our failure model. The tool path design will be using a newly proposed inverse strain mapping and minimum damage method. The achievable tolerance and multi-scale feature sizes will be studied here using both experimental and numerical methods.

This project will lay down the solid scientific and technological groundwork for regarding the incremental forming process as a valid means for small-volume productions. This project will also demonstrate a successful model for international collaboration and its effort to enhance the global view of our U.S. students. Co-sponsored by MPM and OISE, this project will support our graduate and undergraduate students to be at Indian institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK), for several months during the project period. Faculty and students of IITK will visit NU funded by Indo-US forum or other India funding sources. Students will be involved in both research projects and the development of manufacturing class projects. Research results and collaboration model will be disseminated via publications, seminars and workshops.

This award supports the conduct of an Early Faculty CAREER proposal writing workshop. The workshop will be held at Northwestern University in March, 2008. It is expected that there will be about 150 attendees. The workshop will have a one-and-a-half-day format including a training session on good proposal writing practices, testimony from previous CAREER awardees, a mock CAREER proposal panel review and a review session during which the attendees will have a chance to obtain reviews on their draft proposal summaries. The attendees will also have an opportunity to interact with NSF Program Directors both one-on-one and in the mock panel.

This workshop will help to prepare young faculty for careers in education by giving them tools and skills of good proposal writing and by preparing them to write and submit better CAREER proposals. The results of the workshop include training for young faculty, better opportunity for young faculty with an emphasis on women and minority faculty, higher award success rates for the attendees and ultimately better research resulting from better written proposals.

The research objectives of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) collaborative project are (1) to provide fundamental theoretical and experimental understanding of the newly proposed deformation machining process, (2) to establish efficient numerical modeling and simulation methodologies, and (3) to integrate the fundamental understanding and modeling with pre-process and in-process strategies for process planning, part repeatability, part accuracy, and design guidelines. The approach for the simulation will be an adaptive finite element method that will significantly reduce computation time, thereby allowing the study of various process combinations and sequences. Particular emphasis will be placed determining residual stresses and fatigue life through experiments and simulation. Numerical and experimental analysis will be used to study material deformation behavior, to predict fatigue life, and to design workable operational sequencing to achieve process repeatability and accuracy.

If successful, the benefits and broader impacts of this research will come from the greater reliability and improved design freedom. This new manufacturing process will permit new structures, geometries, and products that are not feasible using current manufacturing processes. The theoretical understanding, experimental techniques, and new simulation methods will provide new insights. As a result, enhanced product capability as well as new flexibility and functionality in terms of manufacturability and product features will be possible. Finally, in the academic and educational environment, the proposal of a new hybrid process opens the door for collaboration between research communities that traditionally do not interact. The education plan will encourage students with diverse backgrounds to collaborate, and it will provide them with new opportunities and mentoring from the team members. The close interaction among students and faculty from each university, government laboratory personnel, and industry personnel, will result in rich, cross-disciplinary educational experience.

ABSTRACT
A Bayesian Treatment of Uncertainty in Simulation-Based Methods for Enhancing Process and Product Robustness

This grant provides funding to create a Bayesian methodology for managing various forms of uncertainty when using simulation-based methods for enhancing the robustness of manufacturing processes and manufactured products. Three types of uncertainty that will be treated are parameter uncertainty, simulation uncertainty, and model uncertainty. An example of parameter uncertainty is variation in material properties in stamping processes. Simulation uncertainty results from limitations on the number of input variable combinations at which one may conduct computationally expensive simulation runs. Model uncertainty results from differences between the simulation output and the physical world. A Bayesian framework will be used to quantitatively represent the effects of all three forms of uncertainty, in terms of their impact on the robust design objective. This objective-oriented representation will form the basis for a Bayesian methodology for supporting critical decision making, such as guiding the simulation and physical experiments to provide the greatest information for optimizing the design, deciding whether current information is sufficient to terminate simulation and confidently optimize the design, and ensuring that the design solution truly results in robustness to all three forms of uncertainty.

Robust design based on physical experimentation is firmly established practice. However, to reduce development cycle time or when physical experiments are impractical, computer simulations are increasingly important replacements for or supplements to physical experimentation. If successful, the results of this research will provide much needed tools for efficiently achieving robust design optimization based on computer simulation. Because this research is not restricted to a particular type of simulation code and allows the user to choose from a variety of probabilistic objective functions, with or without constraints, it is expected to find widespread application. Development of easy-to-interpret graphical displays for visualizing the analytical results will facilitate implementation of the methodology, broadening its expected impact.

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

The research objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award is to explore the scientific bases and technologies for fabricating precision metal micro-features through the micro-stamping process. This research is motivated by increasing demand for low-cost, high-precision metallic components to satisfy the requirements of efficiency, strength, temperature and/or corrosion resistance in the areas of electronics, medical devices, energy generation and heat exchangers, etc.. To accomplish this goal, four research tasks are planned: (1) Mechanical characterization of thin metal sheets to accurately model the nonlinear kinematic hardening behavior; (2) Experimental and numerical analysis of springback in thin sheets; (3) Friction characterization in micro-stamping; and (4) Exploratory study of process control in micro-stamping to minimize variations in micro-stamping. Thin metal sheets less than 300 µm in thickness with feature sizes less than 500 µm are of interest to this work.

If successful, the results of this research will enhance the fabrication capability of thin precision metallic parts; thus, establishing new opportunities for less energy consumption due to part miniaturization and efficient energy generation. For example, a 70% reduction in hard disk size leads to a 75% reduction in energy consumption; micro-channel heat exchangers (with a characteristic length of 100 µm) have demonstrated heat fluxes 3 to 5 times higher than conventional heat exchangers; sub-millimeter needles increase patient comfort during insertion, etc.. The research is a collaboration between Northwestern University, Intri-Plex, Inc., and an international partner from the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan. This team provides a nurturing environment for the training of the next generation of post-doctoral fellows, graduate, undergraduate students and junior high students through advising, short courses, early exposure to industry, and opportunities for international collaborations.

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project--a Type II (A:B) partnership between Purdue University, an NSF PFI graduated grantee (0538786)in collaboration with participants from another NSF partnership supported program, graduated I/UCRC Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology (9214605/9909226), at Northwestern University--focuses on developing systematic and scientific models of laser-based manufacturing processes through combined analytical and experimental investigations so as to facilitate industrial innovations and commercialization. One of the more rapidly emerging and innovative technological arenas in the global economy is laser-based manufacturing and materials processing. Recent years have seen a steady erosion of manufacturing industries at an alarming rate. Many traditional manufacturing processes are now performed in less developed countries where costs are low. Thus, in order to maintain or regain the competitiveness in manufacturing, advanced manufacturing techniques must be developed. The research will provide useful understanding of laser-material interaction, which is a common problem for other laser processes. The projects proposed, involving laser-assisted machining, laser shock peening, laser cladding and laser surface texturing, constitute an opportunity to test the assertion that fundamental mathematical modeling is an effective component of technology development and can make progress more quickly and cost effectively than empirical approaches.

The project will result in a broader use of laser-based manufacturing and materials processing technologies in the key U.S. manufacturing companies and commercialization activities. The project will also provide education and training of a diverse workforce, including graduate students, undergraduates, and high school teachers. The principles and results of laser-based manufacturing processes will be incorporated in various undergraduate and graduate classes. Involvement of underrepresented students will be pursued through existing programs such as the Women in Engineering Program (WIEP) and the Minority Engineering Program (MEP). The development of K-12 outreach materials will be embedded into the undergraduate curriculum through the highly acclaimed Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Program investigations so as to facilitate industrial innovations and commercialization.

Partners at the inception of the project are Academic Institutions: Purdue University (lead institution), and Northwestern University; Private Sector Organizations (Industrial): Baker Hughes (The Woodlands, TX); Ford Motors (Detroit, MI); General Electric Aviation (Cincinnati, OH), Nanohmics (Austin, TX), and Optomec (Albuquerque, NM); Also Additional Industrial Collaborators (providing cash and in-kind support): LSP Technologies, Adiabatics, Chrysler, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, and Weir Minerals. Also as collaborator, Academic Institutions: Florida International University and Bethune Community College

The objective of this instrument development proposal is to build an integrated state-of-the-art laser micro-machining and surface engineering system (LSES). This instrument integrates a pico-second laser with the technology of numerical-controlled precision machining and high-speed and high-sensitivity instrumentation. The system will enable (i) rapid physical and chemical texturing of micron-sized features onto arbitrary three-dimensional object surfaces with sub-nanometer precision, (ii) direct visual and spectroscopic observation of the workpiece surface and the laser plume, (iii) temperature and strain measurements of the workpiece at high temporal and spatial resolution, and (iv) post-texturing surface measurement.

Successful development of the proposed LSES will open new opportunities for fundamental studies in understanding how surface (physical and chemical) texture of different length scales may affect friction, wear, lubrication and energy dissipation under different contact conditions. More importantly, surface texture has a major role in reducing energy consumption. Various initiatives are proposed to make this instrument available to other researchers, to encourage participation of woman and under-represented minority students, and to enhance education, training and technology transfer.

Support is provided to partially cover the travel expenses of selected US participants of the 2010 International Symposium on Flexible Automation, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan on July 12-14, 2010. The funds will support a total of about 20 researchers from the US to attend the symposium. The Symposium will consist of three days of technical presentations and keynote speeches, followed by post-symposium technical tours to major university research laboratories and industry production facilities in Japan. This grant will stimulate the technical discussion among researchers in the field and foster future collaborations. The benefits to the U.S. researchers attending the symposium will include the knowledge gained from the technical presentations and discussions on various processes and systems and underlying principles of flexible automation.

Japan is one of the world leaders in nano-manipulation, nano-machining, robotics and control, sensors, system analysis and integration, the support will enable many researchers (faculty, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students), scientists and engineers from U.S. to gain the first-hand knowledge of research, development, and implementation of flexible automation technologies in Japan.

This grant provides funding to partially cover the travel expenses of selected U.S. participants of the 2011 International Conference on Micromanufacturing, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan on March 7-10, 2011 at Tokyo Denki University. The funds will support a total of 15 researchers from the U.S. to attend the symposium. The conference will consist of three days of technical presentations, panel discussions, and keynote speeches, and a technical tour to RIKEN - The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Ohmori Materials Fabrication Laboratory. The focus of panel discussions will be on energy and sustainability in micromanufacturing, which requires global collaboration to address this challenging issue.

This grant will stimulate technical discussions among researchers in micromanufacturing and foster future collaborations. The benefits to the U.S. researchers attending the Conference will include knowledge gained from the technical presentations and discussions on various micro processes, systems and applications. Japan is one of the world leaders in micro-manipulation, micro-machining, and micro-forming, hence, the requested support will enable many researchers (faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students), scientists and engineers from the U.S. to gain firsthand knowledge of research, development, and implementation of micromanufacturing technologies in Japan.

The research objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award is to significantly enhance the formability of thin sheet metals and the dimensional accuracy of formed features at the micrometer scale by integrating high-density electrical current with mechanical deformation through an instrumented desktop rolling mill. Two fundamental questions will be addressed in achieving the objectives: (1) how electrical current affects the plasticity and residual stress of metals subjected to deformation; and (2) how to realize in-process measurement for effective microrolling process control. The planned research tasks are: (1) Experimental characterization and constitutive modeling of material behavior subjected to mechanical and electrical loading; (2) Multi-physics modeling of mechanical stress, thermal and electro-magnetic fields in the microrolling process and mill structure; (3) In process sensing and data mapping for process characterization; and (4) System integration.
If successful, the new hybrid process will reduce process design complexity, reduce energy consumption, and reduce chemical wastes in achieving thin metal foils with desired surface finish. The new sensing methods and instrument design will push the current limits of the rolling process in terms of size, precision, cost, and energy efficiency. One of the many uses of the metal foil is micro-electrodes and contacts for the next generation of bio-implants, such as pacemakers for treating heart disorders, deep brain simulation electrodes for potentially treating Parkinson?s disease, depression, dystonia or chronic pain, and artificial pancreas for monitoring and developing new therapeutics that regulate Type 1 Diabetes. Device miniaturization enabled by microrolling will benefit patients by improving their quality of life. The collaboration between academic institutions and industry will inspire the innovations and talents needed for U.S. manufacturing companies to remain competitive. The project will provide training to graduate and undergraduate students and practitioners through research opportunities, class projects, short courses, and internships.

The research objectives of this EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award are to explore how emerging next-generation information technologies (IT) can be used to transform current and suggest new manufacturing service scenarios for increased accessibility, flexibility, efficiency and quality in the manufacture of single components and comprehensive products; and to identify current bottlenecks and suggest possible solutions for a significantly higher degree of utilization of these technologies in manufacturing. Several plausible futuristic manufacturing scenarios under the theme Cloud-Manufacturing, will be explored. The planned research tasks are: (1) Detailed delineation, characterization and quantification of manufacturing scenarios; (2) New network protocols; and (3) Semantic manufacturing-web and cloud computing requirements and advances.

If successful, this project will bring together experts in the area of manufacturing, computer networks and web-based programming to lay out a blueprint of enabling technologies and architectures for the envisioned futuristic Cloud-Manufacturing paradigm. The work will define future needs for Cloud-Manufacturing in terms of communication, data storage and processing needs. These needs will, therefore, pertain to both software and hardware developments. The work will stimulate more exciting research in the manufacturing, electrical engineering and computer science communities that could potentially lead to new manufacturing paradigms and many start-up companies. This project will offer graduate students multi-disciplinary training and collaborative experiences. Results will be disseminated through workshops, conferences and archival publications.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is an unmet need to develop novel chemotherapeutics that enhance selectivity and specificity for targeting chemo-resistant tumors. In particular, new strategies that attack chemotherapy-insensitive cancer stem cells/tumor initiating cells (TICs) are lacking. The goal of this proposal is to understand the interplay between TICs and their microenvironment during the transition to invasion and metastasis, as well as to develop a novel treatment reagent to specifically induce invasive TIC death in a preclinical setting. Our central hypothesis is that a cell surface-anchored protease, matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), is a key molecule capable of executing the switch in epithelial TICs from quiescent to invasive cells, thereby controlling metastasis. Development of reagents to selectively and specifically target invasive TICs utilizing an MMP-14 binding peptide will facilitate prevention of cancer dissemination. The rationale for this project is that the development of a specific tumor-homing vehicle that carries inhibitory peptide and cytotoxic drug will allow us to not only block cancer invasion but to also induce cancer cell death. Furthermore, this study will advance our understanding of how the microenvironment influences quiescent TICs to give rise to metastases. We plan to test our hypothesis by pursuing the following three specific aims:1) Elucidate the role and mechanism of MMP-14 in conversion of quiescent TICs to invasive cells under hypoxic conditions; 2) Define the mechanism of action of an MMP-14 homing peptide; and 3) Develop a bi-functional reagent that specifically targets cancer invasiveness and induces cancer cell death. With respect to the expected outcomes, the work proposed in this application will potentially result in development of a bi-functional reagent capable of delivering a potent chemotherapeutic drug to invasive TICs. This project is innovative because it utilizes novel peptides specific for MMP-14 to selectively target invasive TICs. The proposed research will have significant future implications because it is expected to vertically advance our understanding of how quiescent TICs become reprogrammed into invasive TICs in a hypoxic environment. The developed bi-functional reagent will have a positive impact on future cancer prevention/treatment and could eventually improve the outcome of patients with cancer.

The research objective of this award is to formulate a methodology and system for the micro-manipulation of a waterjet serving as a laser beam waveguide leading to the development of a new multi-functional hybrid waterjet-guided laser micro-manufacturing process and machine capable of laser ablation, micro-cutting, surface micro-texturing and modification and micro-incremental forming. The salient characteristic of the envisioned process rests in the possibility of simultaneously using thermal and mechanical actions with different attributes in controlled proportions. The approach will be the use of a controlled electrostatic field generated by a multi-pole actuator to bend the waterjet waveguide and, thereby, control the spatial orientation, the position of impingement, direction of lasing action and the force the waterjet exerts on the workpiece. The principal tasks will be: (1) waterjet waveguide characterization; (2) waterjet bending and control through an electrostatic actuator; (3) waterjet-guided micro-incremental forming process development; and (4) construction of an experimental prototype machine to serve as a vehicle for process model and technology verification.

If successful, this research will lead to a new ability to manufacture three-dimensional micro-features on metallic and non-metallic parts without relocating the part, which will lead to enhanced precision. The physical interaction of the waterjet and laser beam will open process windows for achieving deformation, cutting, and surface treatment of the workpiece material in a single hybrid integrated manufacturing machine. Process productivity will be considerably enhanced because of the anticipated high process bandwidth. The project will provide training to a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students and practitioners through research opportunities, course projects and short courses.

The focus of this research is to gain deeper insight into the physics of the new process of Laser Induced Plasma Micromachining, which promises better and faster micro-feature fabrication as compared to conventional micro-machining with a focused laser beam. Physics-based models will be formulated for the investigation of the mechanisms of plasma generation, plasma-matter interaction, and the prediction of machined feature geometry. New optical techniques and unique enhancements to this process, based on the optical manipulation of the shape of the plasma into plasma patterns rather than a spot, will be explored. This will increase process productivity and speed by at least one order of magnitude, and facilitate the fabrication of two- and three-dimensional geometries and patterns. Comprehensive experiments involving all aspects of the mechanics of the process will also be performed to validate the models developed.

If successfully realized it is anticipated that the technology created by this project will enable major advances in critical areas of miniaturization technologies, given its multiple concomitant advantages such as its multi-materials capability, low heat-affected zone, high throughput, greater in-process flexibility and, most importantly, its pattern or feature/area-based rather than spot-based or writing nature of machining. This latter ability will result in significantly increased process throughput as compared to current focused laser beam based micro-manufacturing processes. Process capabilities will include the ability to generate high-accuracy features such as deep channels, dimples, through holes and other freeform structures on a variety of materials including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites and other transparent, reflective and brittle materials. The obtained results will also open doors for new research on non-lithography based single-step micro-manufacturing techniques for building and generating micro/meso-scale devices and patterns.

This grant provides funding to support the Workshop on Future Research Needs in Advanced Manufacturing from Industrial Prospective; August 11-13, 2013; Arlington, Virginia. This workshop aims to provide a forum for leaders in industry and academia to formulate the long term research goals in the area of manufacturing, particularly innovative manufacturing processes and equipment, and to enhance respective process capabilities while taking into account impacts on industrial ecology, for example, raw materials consumption and environmental impact. A diverse group of individuals from both academia and industry will come together to discuss the future manufacturing challenges and research needs from industrial perspective. Major activities of the workshop include presentations by industrial leaders and NSF program directors, as well as interactions among workshop attendees.

The workshop will create a long-term impact on the future research needs and directions. The expected outcome includes outlook to manufacturing research, suggestions of future research directions, and an establishment of a channel for long term dialogue between industrial leaders and academic researchers. Results from this workshop will be disseminated at a public website and to professional societies, and will be presented at manufacturing conferences.

MRI: Development of an Additive Rapid Prototyping Instrument for Advanced Manufacturing Research

Additive manufacturing (AM)-- the process of making a three-dimensional object from a digital computer model-- has the potential to revolutionize the way things are made. It enables design-driven and personalized manufacturing and the production of complex parts and structures. This rapidly evolving technology is being used by companies in industries ranging from healthcare to national defense but with current AM processes there are limitations in the accuracy and quality of the parts that can be made. This Major Research Instrumentation award will support the development of an integrated Additive Rapid Prototyping Instrument with multiple AM operations and real-time advanced sensing and control functions. This will enable fundamental research on the fabrication of products from different materials with intricate features and enhanced mechanical properties. This award advances the frontiers of AM and fundamental multidisciplinary research and education and promotes technology transfer to enhance the competitiveness of the US manufacturing sector.


The significant feature of this instrument will be its ability to realize multi-physics, multi-material and multi-scale processes for improved accuracy, surface finish, and properties. This multi-functional modular system will perform laser-engineered net or powder bed fusion, with subsystems for accuracy and property enhancements, and process monitoring, operating in a common command-and-control environment. The instrument will integrate several processing energy sources with computer numerically-controlled precision and high-speed high-sensitivity instrumentation. The dominant scientific and technological challenges to be addressed are the realization of the integrated system and the understanding and modeling of hybrid processes and process chains in such an environment. Incorporation of sensors and instrumentation for in situ real-time measurements of relevant physical process parameters as a function of time and position will be crucial to the understanding of interactions that take place between processing energy sources and the workpiece. This fundamental knowledge provides a key stepping stone in advancing the frontiers of additive manufacturing.

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating an innovative dieless forming technology to fill the need for rapidly producing three-dimensional sheet products either for prototyping or for real-applications. The project will result in a desktop prototype machine ? hybrid tri-pyramid robot - for the double sided micro-incremental forming process. This tri-pyramid robot has the following unique features: the ability to manipulate an object by generating three orthogonal translational output motions in space and the ability to provide an adaptive clamping mechanism on the workpiece material. These features provide the following advantages: a machine with higher load/weight ratio, stiffness and accuracy when compared to the leading competing technologies; and a flexible forming center that does not require geometric specific tooling, which has not existed in this market space. This project addresses the following technology gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: a novel translational parallel manipulator, an integrated model of combined meso-micro positioning system, and an adaptive clamping mechanism.

The project engages Scimplicity LLC to perform technology demonstration using commercial products that are currently made with the traditional deep drawing or stamping process in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.

The hybrid tri-pyramid robot is important because it will be able to rapidly produce products with micro-complex-precision features such as fuel cell bipolar plates, membranes, heat exchanger plates, spray nozzle heads, etc. The ability to create such features/products will find applications in aerospace, medical instruments, electronics, fiber optics, precision laboratory equipment, etc. In addition, the potential economic impact is expected to be expanded to areas of high precision milling, positioning stages, high speed manipulation for pick-place operations, and general robotic assembly operations in the next 3-10 years, which will contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in manufacturing.

This award supports fundamental research to advance capabilities of the Near Field Electro-Writing process towards three-dimensional hierarchical structures with sub-micron resolution through innovation in spatial control of the jet. The working principal of this electro-writing process is based on near-field electrospinning process, in which a continuous polymer fiber is electrostatically jetted from solution or melt to a collector in close proximity. Unique to this new process, a piezo-actuated auxiliary electrode will be added near the spinneret to focus and precisely manipulate the jet; conductivity of polymer inks will be monitored; and instability analysis and fiber diameter modeling will be conducted to unlock the fundamentals of this new process. The three PIs will combine their expertise in device engineering, machine dynamics, materials chemistry and processing, mechanics, and instability analysis to analyze the fundamental process mechanics.

The new process could create complex hierarchical structures with unprecedented accuracy that will benefit many applications in biomedical, micro-electronics, and energy fields. The knowledge obtained from the modeling work will add to the understanding of the physics of sub-micron fiber generation/evolution, its interaction with receiving base and its manipulation and control through external electric fields. Both graduate and undergraduate students will be trained through research and education activities to become the next generation work force implementing the new tools and capabilities in industry. Electrospinning techniques will be introduced to undergraduate courses as a platform to support student-driven innovations for course projects, which can be spun off to undergraduate research. Results will be disseminated to the community through publications and public lectures.

Products with micron- and sub-micron-sized features find widespread applications in the electronic, biomedical, aeronautics, and energy industries for enhanced efficiency and functionality, yet existing techniques are limited in their ability to generate complex structures with the required features. The goal of this project is to enable a new micro-additive manufacturing process in which an electric field guides the deposition of particles into three-dimensional structures. The process is characterized by micron-level resolution, wide material selection, and superior processing time. The scientific findings of this work can also potentially contribute to overcoming challenges related to contact handling of micro-components and offer a new tool for contactless micro-assembly. This interdisciplinary research will promote the training of new generations of engineers and scientists with broad and deep knowledge in modern micro-manufacturing science and technology, which will have derivative effects on the US economy.

The technical approach is based on the use of electrophoretic deposition in which an externally applied electric field governs the movement, agglomeration, and deposition of dispersed particles in a solvent, without requiring expensive and complex tooling and processing equipment. This research will provide the knowledge needed to establish the new micro additive manufacturing technology by completing the following tasks: creating reliable models for force field control of particle trajectories in a dielectrophoretic deposition process with arrays of micro electrodes; understanding the underlying physics behind the guided self-assembly of the particles in the deposition phase of the dielectrophoretic deposition; establishing a numerical model to characterize the influence of the electric field on the already deposited structure's stability; and verifying the developed model on a laboratory-scale prototyping system. The control of the force field will be based on an extended effective field method that is based on the modified Nernst-Planck equations to account for particle and particle charge concentration. Particle adhesion to the substrate surface and consecutive self-organization mechanics will be modeled as an electric charge redistribution and energy minimization problem, respectively. A streamlined numerical model for structural stability of the particle layer during new layer deposition will be implemented to characterize the deposited layer as a new deposition surface. The numerical models will facilitate the optimization of the electrode geometry and electrode array topology with respect to process accuracy, repeatability of the builds, and electrode durability.

Laminated metal composites are critical to reducing the weight and energy demands of transportation vehicles. However, the manufacture of these composites is difficult, costly, and energy intensive. To make laminated metal composites, existing methods involve applying large stresses or pressures to bond multiple metal sheets through a deformation process. Using heat can soften the metal sheets during manufacturing, reducing the amount of required force. A potentially cheaper, less energy intensive, and more controllable approach is to use applied electrical current instead of pure heat. The act of driving electrical current into a metal part during deformation can localize the heat to exactly where it is needed, temporarily softening the metal during a manufacturing process. However, how and why local current flow softens metals is not completely understood, particularly when force is simultaneously applied. This award supports fundamental research to provide the understanding of how metals soften and bond under simultaneous electrical current and pressure. Such understanding will enable the development of manufacturing processes that produce cheaper and high quality laminated metal composites. In turn, this will facilitate low-cost production of transportation vehicles with better fuel efficiency, including aircraft and automobiles.

The research objective is to uncover the fundamental phenomena associated with the reduction of material flow stress under the combined electrical current and mechanical loads through the investigations at the micro- and meso- scales. In this study, electrically-assisted static bonding of laminated metal composites will be carried out at Northwestern University. Laminated metal composites will be fabricated under a range of pressure and continuous electrical current conditions. These samples will then be tested for quality, in terms of bond strength, and analyzed by advanced characterization techniques. These characterization approaches, carried out at Carnegie Mellon University, will use electron microscopy to correlate aspects of the metal microstructure to bond strength and to determine electrically-assisted deformation mechanisms. Furthermore, experiments will be conducted inside the microscope in order to visualize the dynamics of metal deformation under in situ applied continuous electrical current and pressure. Such experiments will provide new understanding on the effects of electrical current on microstructures, deformation behavior, and metal bonding.

Metal deformation processes are ubiquitous manufacturing techniques used in many industrial sectors such as automotive, medical and electronic devices, oil and gas equipment, and aerospace industries. The processes are involved in approximately 7% of the US Gross Domestic Product. Advancement in metal deformation technologies can address key national needs such as defense, energy independence and efficiency, homeland security, and health care. The objective of the project is to conduct a planning meeting to establish an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) on metal deformation processes, which will provide intrinsic value to industry. The goal of the Center is to deliver pre-competitive, fundamental knowledge to industry for improved product performance, enhanced productivity, workforce development and economic growth. The Center will provide a forum for collaborations among academic, industrial, and national laboratory researchers to perform fundamental, pre-competitive science and engineering research of metal deformation technologies.

To create a robust and sustainable I/UCRC Center across several industrial sectors, the academic partners of this project, University of New Hampshire (UNH), Northwestern University, and Texas A&M University (TAMU), will work collaboratively to provide: a) innovative metal deformation technologies, e.g. flexible dieless forming, ultrasonic-assisted forming, electrically-assisted forming, and geometric texturing of workpiece and tooling surfaces for friction control, b) closed-loop process control through novel in-process sensors and advanced control algorithms, and c) process modeling and material characterization for forming. The Center will have three technical thrust areas (with each university Site leading one of the areas): modeling and material characterization (UNH), advanced metal deformation processes and sensing (Northwestern), and product/process optimization and standardization (TAMU). Each institution will also focus on specific industries based on past collaborations and regional interests: UNH, aerospace and electronic devices; Northwestern, automotive and medical devices; and TAMU, oil and gas industry. The collaboration among the institutions and industrial members can effectively and efficiently address the industrial research and development needs. At the planning meeting, a total of 60 participants is expected. The Center projects will be determined by systematic mapping of the industrial needs to the capabilities of the I/UCRC Sites. More specifically, Northwestern University brings their excellent capabilities in advanced forming processes and sensing and the support of their unique facilities for metal forming research.

Rapid and customized part realization in all industrial sectors imposes stringent demands on part attributes, e.g., mechanical properties, microstructure, surface finish, geometry, etc. However, part attributes can very rarely be directly measured and/or controlled in the production process. Instead, measurements are taken of accessible and measurable primary process responses that are known to influence the part's attributes. These primary process responses are then controlled through the manipulation of a set of controllable process parameters. This widely used strategy is based on the assumption that the proper control of the primary process responses will implicitly yield the desired part attributes. The current work aims to replace this implicit assumption by a model-based explicit evaluation of the part's attributes that uses newly established process models, available measurements of process responses and historical data from a data base that is continuously updated. In effect, this approach implies a direct instead of an implicit control of the part's desired attributes and, as such, also moves a step closer to rapid part certification.

The research will establish the scientific and technological foundation for a manufacturing platform in a distributed network that seamlessly and efficiently integrates physical processes and numerical simulations in a fast predictive framework. The platform is envisioned as a multi-loop simulation and control environment consisting of four control loops running at different time scales. Two of the control loops, similar in structure to conventional controllers, act at the hardware-level and are devoted to the physical control of the relevant process variables while the other two are devoted to the software-level model-based evaluation of the desired part attributes. The latter two instruct the hardware-level controllers on required changes in their behavior that are necessary to reach the desired part attributes. To enable the integration, a voxel-based geometric model powered by an underlying data structure capable of dynamically generating analysis information, storing experimental information, and encoding the final part attributes obtained from the simulation and measured results will be established. This geometrical representation is well-suited to the use of general purpose graphics processing units (GPGPU) for fast computation of the process models that determine the physical process responses and attributes in arbitrary regions of a part. The researched framework will be validated using the state-of-the art open-architecture Directed Energy Deposition machine at Northwestern equipped with networked real-time sensing and control.

Challenges in the energy, environmental, and health sectors present a growing need for flexible and scalable micro-machining processes for applications such as textured surfaces for tissue adhesion and anti-bio-fouling, reduced wear in tooling and engine systems, and functional surfaces for biomedical devices such as needles and implants. This award funds research on a novel micro-machining process that addresses several existing challenges, namely limitations in the machinability of materials, patterning large areas at economically feasible material removal rates, and generating micro-features of different sizes and shapes. A fully realized magnetically-assisted laser induced plasma micro-machining process will be capable of fast and direct generation of micro-features with controlled geometrical characteristics.

In magnetically-assisted laser-induced plasma micro-machining, picosecond laser pulses induce a plasma plume within a liquid dielectric. The plasma plume removes material from the workpiece surface by a combination of thermal vaporization and mechanical erosion to create machined features with desired geometry. This project aims to advance processing capabilities in terms of machining rate and precision by utilizing the external magnetic field's influence on the plasma plume through two mechanisms: (1) by increasing its energy density, leading to increased material removal rates; and (2) by modifying its shape, leading to the nearly direct creation of desired micro-feature geometries. The research objective is to understand the interaction between the electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical mechanisms of the process, i.e., interactions between the laser, dielectric, plasma, magnetic field and workpiece material. Methods to achieve this objective include simulations using magneto-hydrodynamic, particle-in-cell and finite element analysis methods to determine the outcomes of each interaction. Experiments with a wide variety of materials, including titanium alloys, silicon, polymers, and transparent, brittle and reflective materials such as glass, will be conducted using a picosecond laser system with a 532 nm wavelength, a computer-controlled array of electromagnets, and focus variation-based metrology. Experimental results will be compared with simulation results in terms of the depth and shape of the generated features and material removal rate.

The Planning Grants for Engineering Research Centers competition was run as a pilot solicitation within the ERC program. Planning grants are not required as part of the full ERC competition, but intended to build capacity among teams to plan for convergent, center-scale engineering research.

The vision for the Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Democratizing Manufacturing Accessibility for Designers (DEMAND) is offer the potential for every designer to fabricate any product seamlessly and intuitively regardless of: 1) expertise or background, 2) connection with manufacturing firms, and 3) product volume (from one of a kind to millions). This vision will be achieved by breaking the deep information "asymmetry" in the existing manufacturing ecosystem and establishing a new Cloud-centric platform on which the designers' ideas and needs can be matched, in real time, with manufacturers' capabilities and capacities.

The realization of this ERC vision will democratize manufacturing so that designers of all capabilities, including laypeople, will be empowered to see their ideas realized as useful products. Interested parties will be able to engage in manufacturing activities that can help serve the needs of our evolving society. This framework, in partnership with small and medium businesses, will also help to increase manufacturing output and support the engineering education of our future workforce. The convergent research and collective talent associated with the effort will also be used to explore and create an inclusive environment for underrepresented groups and women.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Non-Technical Description:
The Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource NNCI site is the Northwestern University (NU) led collaborative venture with the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility (PNF) of the University of Chicago (UC). SHyNE builds on each institution's long history of transforming the frontiers of science and engineering. Soft nanostructures are typically polymeric, biological, and fluidic, while hybrid represents systems comprising structures and hybrid materials comprising soft-hard interfaces. SHyNE facilities provides broad access to an extensive fabrication, characterization, and computational infrastructure with a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary approach for transformative science and enabling technologies. SHyNE provides specialized capabilities for soft materials and soft-hard hybrid nano-systems. SHyNE enhances regional capabilities by providing users with on-site and remote open-access to state-of-the-art laboratories and world-class technical expertise to help solve the challenging problems in nanotechnology research and development. SHyNE covers non-traditional industries: agricultural, biomedical, chemical, food, geological and environmental, among others. A critical component of the SHyNE mission is scholarly outreach through secondary and post-secondary research experience and integration with course/curricula as well as societal and public outreach through a novel nano-journalism project in collaboration with the Medill School of Journalism. SHyNE promotes and facilitates active participation of underrepresented groups, including women and minorities, in sciences and utilizes Chicago's public museums for broader community outreach. SHyNE leverages an exceptional depth of intellectual, academic, and facilities resources to provide critical infrastructure in support of research, application development, and problem-solving in nanoscience and nanotechnology and integrates this transformative approach into the societal fabric of Chicago and the greater Midwest.

Technical Description:
SHyNE is a solution-centric, open-access collaborative initiative with strong ties with Northwestern University's International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), in partnership with University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. SHyNE open-access user facilities bring together broad experience and capabilities in traditional soft nanomaterials such as biological, polymeric or fluidic systems and hybrid systems combining soft/hard materials and interfaces. Collectively, soft and hybrid nanostructures represent remarkable scientific and technological opportunities. However, given the sub-100nm length-scale and related complexities, advanced facilities are needed to harness their full potential. Such facilities require capabilities to pattern soft/hybrid nanostructures across large areas and tools/techniques to characterize them in their pristine states. These divergent yet integrated needs are met by SHyNE, as it coordinates Northwestern's extensive cryo-bio, characterization and soft-nanopatterning capabilities with the state-of-the-art cleanroom fabrication and expertise also at UC's Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility (PNF). SHyNE addresses emerging needs in synthesis/assembly of soft/biological structures and integration of classical clean-room capabilities with soft-biological structures, providing expertise and instrumentation related to the synthesis, purification, and characterization of peptides and peptide-based materials. SHyNE coordinates with Argonne National Lab facilities and leverages existing super-computing and engineering expertise under Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD) and Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), respectively. An extensive array of innovative educational, industry and societal outreach, such as nano-journalism, industry-focused workshops/symposia and collaborations with Chicago area museums, provide for an integrated and comprehensive coverage of modern infrastructure for soft/hybrid systems for the next generation researchers and the broader society.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the development of an open-architecture, high-throughput, and modular additive manufacturing instrument. This instrument is based on directed energy deposition to enable new research capabilities in revolutionary material design, large-scale data collection, and process artificial intelligence. The new capabilities will set this instrument apart, as the first of its kind. It will have a unique range of functionalities to address the current and future technical challenges in additive manufacturing. It will also serve as a unique tool to probe into the process design and physics of additive manufacturing. The project will enable undergraduate and graduate students to gain exposure to the growing multidisciplinary nature of advanced manufacturing and its adaption of big data concepts. <br/><br/>By developing the capability for rigorous process monitoring, the instrument will enable the real-time study of the influence and consequences of processing methods on defects and ultimate part quality (at length scales that are orders of magnitude smaller than standard instruments today). The research will couple multi-material synthesis capabilities (multi-material printing) with high-precision sensors (acoustic emission sensing, hyperspectral imaging, and multi-wavelength pyrometry) and an in-process metrology vision system to enable closed-loop process modification and data collection. The envisioned hardware and software design will enable an instrument that is not only capable of detecting defects in real-time but can also make the necessary processing adjustments (may they be compositional or processing modifications) to correct these errors. This instrument will substantially outpace the current capabilities of commercial metal additive instruments, thus providing broad opportunities for multidisciplinary research and development of manufacturing processes, methods, and equipment.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.