According to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Grainger College of Engineering is launching a new center to develop additive manufacturing methods for large metal parts. The center has a $9.06 million budget, including $8.15 million from the US Department of Defense. The goal is to enable the military to quickly manufacture large parts for ground vehicles, making its supply chain more agile, efficient, and secure.

Led by mechanical science and engineering professor Bill King, researchers will collaborate with the US Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) and Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA-JMTC). They will explore foundational questions and develop scalable processes for large-scale metal AM.

“We are building the world’s first university research center focused on large metal additive manufacturing,” said King. “We will conduct fundamental research on material properties and part quality, and we will have a factory demonstration facility to develop new processes and technologies. Grainger Engineering is uniquely positioned to lead this center with our expertise across multiple engineering disciplines and our proven track record of delivering working solutions.”

“At GVSC, we remain at the forefront of advancing Army readiness by pushing the boundaries of Advanced Manufacturing. Partnering with Grainger Engineering gives us access to world-class research that will help us answer fundamental questions about large-scale metal additive manufacturing and bring those answers to bear on real-world applications,” said David Gorsich, Chief Scientist at GVSC.

“With today’s announced funding, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will be at the forefront of cutting-edge education, research, and development that fortifies our national defense,” said US Senator Dick Durbin. “By supporting large metal additive manufacturing research in collaboration with Rock Island Arsenal, this project will reduce US dependence on foreign manufacturing for metals, contribute more resilient ground vehicles for the Army in the future, and create jobs for Illinoisans. I will continue to push for federal funding that supports national defense operations in our state.”

The center will address key questions about large part fabrication and include a demonstration facility with two large metal printers. Co-leads Sameh Tawfick and Magdi Azer will join King in driving this next-generation manufacturing research forward.