By David Goddard.
This summer, UT, the University of Kentucky, and the US Army announced a five-year, $50 million advanced manufacturing project aimed at developing the next generation of military equipment, with several MSE faculty set to play a major role.
The project will focus on improving materials and manufacturing methods that could significantly advance capabilities of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory, including developing the next generation of vehicles, increasing the distance of its long-range arsenal, and exploring designs for vertical lift vehicles of the future.
“Being able to provide research and open new avenues of discovery in ways that impact our national security is a challenge that we take with great pride and honor,” said Matthew Mench, dean and Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the Tickle College of Engineering. “Having the ability to create a team that draws upon expertise from across our university is a testament to the work we’re already doing, and a solid foundation for what we hope to accomplish.”
The project will not only enhance military capabilities but also contribute to civilian applications and workforce training that will spur economic development in key industries in the region, including aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and energy production.
UT will be working on three areas of focus: hybrid manufacturing methods that combine additive techniques and machining, measurements using advanced metrology approaches, and new materials processing techniques for metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites.
MSE Assistant Professors Eric Lass and Katharine Page are involved. They join an overall UT team that includes two UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chairs and several faculty members from the Tickle College of Engineering, the UT Space Institute, and the Department of Chemistry.
UT and UK will each develop and test metallic hybrid materials, finding the optimal blend of additive and subtractive manufacturing and flash processing of steels with unique properties like enhanced ballistic resistance.
“The exciting thing about this program is that it is combining fundamental research from universities with the cutting-edge R&D of small companies along with knowledge and expertise from defense contractors and the leadership of Army scientists,” said Bryan Cheeseman, one of the Army’s co-leads on the project. “The teamwork and collaboration are key to accelerating innovation and rapidly transitioning the latest technology to the Warfighter.”
“This is a momentous collaborative research effort among two flagship universities, regional industries, and the Army Research Laboratory,” said Jian Yu, the ARL cooperative agreement manager for UT. “Unlike other governmental grants, this program offers a fast track for new technology development and transition to the Army applications, executing the Army Future Command’s modernization vision. At the same time, the program also develops the next generation of civilian workforce for advanced manufacturing in the Tennessee Valley region.”
In short, the project will help secure both the nation and the economic future of its citizens.