---
title: "UNF secures NSF grant to tackle defects in laser powder bed fusion"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/unf-secures-nsf-grant-to-tackle-defects-in-laser-powder-bed-fusion/
date: 2026-05-22
modified: 2026-05-22
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "The University of North Florida (UNF) has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop a real-time quality-control system for metal additive manufacturing. Dr. Longfei Zhou, Assistant Professor of..."
categories:
  - "AM Research"
  - "Money & Funding"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NSF-story3.jpg
word_count: 251
---

# UNF secures NSF grant to tackle defects in laser powder bed fusion

The University of North Florida (UNF) has received a [National Science Foundation (NSF) grant](https://www.voxelmatters.com/3-5m-nsf-grant-empowers-multi-directional-3d-printing/) to develop a real-time quality-control system for metal additive manufacturing. Dr. Longfei Zhou, Assistant Professor of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering at UNF, will lead the project alongside a team of student researchers.

[The work targets an issue in LPBF whereby a machine's powder-spreading arm can drag or disturb metal powder during printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/uw-madison-engineers-mitigate-defects-in-lpbf/), leaving streaks that introduce structural flaws. This often forces manufacturers to then discard parts or restart entire builds.

The system Zhou's team is building would monitor each layer as it is deposited and apply targeted corrections only where problems are detected, rather than halting or restarting the entire process.

“I am grateful to share that my NSF ERI grant is awarded,” said Dr. Zhou in a LinkedIn post. “Excited to work with our students and collaborators on this project to improve metal 3D printing processes.”

[![UNF secures NSF grant to tackle defects in laser powder bed fusion](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3d-print-parts-story2.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3d-print-parts-story2.jpg)

[![UNF secures NSF grant to tackle defects in laser powder bed fusion](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3d-print-parts-story.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3d-print-parts-story.jpg)

## Open access and broader impact

Beyond defect reduction, the project is designed to benefit the wider manufacturing community. The team stated it plans to [publicly release datasets, trained models, digital-twin software, and baseline decision policies](https://www.voxelmatters.com/stanford-researchers-develop-printess-a-low-cost-open-source-bioprinter/) so that manufacturers outside UNF can apply the research to their own operations.

The curriculum at UNF will also reflect the project's scope, with new course modules and lab activities covering how data and automation are reshaping production processes.

Three advanced manufacturing engineering seniors — Maria Fernanda Ocrospoma Figueroa, Tessa Baur, and Taylor Uhruh — are part of the research team.