Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) announced today in a press release that the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $3,087,090 to Auburn University “for research and the development of techniques to improve the additive manufacturing industry.”
Additive manufacturing is a more accurate term for the professional process known as “3D printing.”
“Auburn University has become a national leader in the field of additive manufacturing,” Shelby said. “This NIST grant will provide Auburn the unique opportunity to innovate and empower engineering industries, boosting efforts to promote the continued economic growth of our manufacturing sector. The research, training, and development that will take place as a result of this funding will allow the university to advance additive manufacturing and continue competing on a national stage.”
Auburn University President Steven Leath praised Senator Shelby for his tremendous leadership for the state of Alabama.
“Additive manufacturing is revolutionizing industries ranging from aviation to medical instruments to automotive,” Leath said. “Thanks to Senator Shelby, the State of Alabama is providing national leadership in developing and refining these technologies that foster economic opportunity, improve quality of life and strengthen our country’s infrastructure.”
Auburn University, with the help of this NIST award, will work to address various issues challenging the additive manufacturing industry. The initiative will “conduct cutting-edge research, train and educate graduate and undergraduate students, and develop and promote technological innovations that advance the pace of the additive manufacturing industry. ”
The $3 million in new funding will allow Auburn’s National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) to expand its footprint to include new research on metrology – which is the measurement and characterization of 3D printed parts – and advanced process models that will allow engineers to predict the properties and performance of these parts.
Shelby said the research made possible by this grant will have a “strong technical and economic impact” on various industries in Alabama and across the nation.
The NCAME was founded last year through a collaboration between Auburn and NASA, and is currently performing groundbreaking research and development that will “advance additive manufacturing technology, provide appropriate standards to help this new manufacturing sector grow, and develop the workforce needed to keep manufacturing industries productive and profitable.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
