The Louisiana Consortium for Innovation in Manufacturing and Materials (CIMM) will leverage existing and new statewide investments in experimental facilities, computational resources, and intellectual assets toward advanced manufacturing research, education, and workforce development. The project will yield technological advances in manufacturing by designing and maturing multiscale metal forming and feature replication technologies. CIMM will foster the design, fabrication, and marketing of new structures, devices, and systems. The program will improve education, training, and opportunities for industry in LA. The research is integrated with education and training to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce development for the advanced manufacturing industry. CIMM is aligned with the National Materials Genome Initiative (NMGI) and will establish partnerships with hubs in the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).
CIMM research will accelerate advanced manufacturing innovation with a focus on metal forming and replication and three-dimensional (3D) metal printing on multiple scales. Metal-forming processes that will be investigated include coating-substrate interfacial failures and mechanical size effects. Experimental results will be used to validate plasticity and interfacial fracture models and simulation tools to accelerate manufacturing innovation. The project will lead to improved understanding of how thermo-physical properties of metal and metal alloy liquids affect powder synthesis and selective laser melting (SLM) printing processes as well as improved microstructural advancement. Evolution in laser 3D printed metal structures will be advanced and hierarchical models and simulation tools for SLM processes will be created.
