This is a proposal to renew the Southern Methodist University's (SMU) participation in the Lasers and Plasmas for Advanced Manufacturing center, an I/UCRC center that was created in 2002. The center was initially established as a single university center and currently has grown to a multi-university center with participation from the University of Virginia (lead), the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Illinois. The main focus of the center's research is in laser applications for advanced manufacturing.
The SMU site has built an R&D infrastructure that consists of the most advanced research equipment and well trained teams. The research and development efforts of the Center/site are focused on projects of interest to a number of different industrial sectors including defense, automotive, energy, transportation, and others. A few examples include: laser processing of materials, laser micro-machining and welding , laser ablation and multi energy processing, laser cladding and others.
The proposed site brings diverse industrial partners, diverse equipment and software that complement the research capabilities of the other IUCRC sites of the Center. The Laser and Plasma site at SMU helps train and educate a new generation of engineers in areas of advanced manufacturing that are of interest to various/diverse industries. The integrated effort of multi-university center for laser applications provides a great benefit to the society in terms of helping US industries to be more competitive in advanced manufacturing.
In 2005, Southern Methodist University (SMU) joined the University of Virginia as a lead university and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor as a site university in the NSF I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas for Advanced Manufacturing. In 2008 and 2014, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of North Carolina State University joined the I/UCRC, respectively. In 2010, SMU was awarded the grand to continue with the Second Phase of the I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas. This is a Report on outcomes of the Second Phase of I/UCRC for Lasers and PLasmas. The industrial members of SMU's site are: General Motors, LLC, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Halliburton Energy Services, Trinity Industries, Inc., National Oilwell Varco, Coherent, Inc., and TRUMPF. The high concentration of human resources and very expensive equipment from four universities and over 20 industrial members have been organized under one umbrella in the I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas. SMU's I/UCRC site has been unique in providing R&D work in high-power laser material processing as well as providing an environment for the education and training of new generation of engineers and researchers capable of responding to the technologiocal challengines of 21st century. The researchers and graduate students in direct cooperation with practiciners from diverse industries have been working on the understanding of the interation of high-power lasers with different materials, on the development of sensing and control systems to control laser-based materials processing techniques, on the development of new technologies for welding difficult-to-weld materials and dissimilar materials, and on the development of new surface treatment technologies capable of protecting high-value components against heat, abrasion, erosion, and corrosion. SMU's I/UCRC site for Lasers and Plasmas has become one of the best equipped centers for high-power laser materials processing among educational institutions in the country. SMU's I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas has been playing a major role in promoting R&D work in laser-based materials processing driven by its industrial partners that are representing diverse industries such as oil and gas, automotive, defense, transportation, and eqipment manufacturers. SMU's I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas has graduated 22 Ph.D. candidates and has published over 100 research papers in technical journals and has given over 100 presentations at national and international conferences. The presence of industry through the I/UCRC Program has been changing the culture in the education of engineers and researchers at SMU. The I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas has been used for recruiting undegraduate and graduate students in the mechanical engieering program as well as for building a stronger relationship with industry.
