9730123 SUN This award provides funding for an Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program/Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) Program Partnership between the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Manufacturing at Purdue University and the Crest Center for Innovative Manufacturing of High Performance Materials at Tuskegee University entitled "Design, Analysis, and Manufacture of Connectors Joining Components of Advanced Composite Materials." Purdue's ERC and Tuskegee's CREST share a common interest in the manufacture of advanced materials and structural components. While Purdue focuses on developing close collaboration with industry in conducting the research, Tuskegee places more emphasis on enhancing its research capability and on its equallu important objectives in education. This project will provide a meaningful linkup between these two Centers, from which both Centers will benefit in fulfilling and expanding their goals. The research proposed is to develop connectors for joining composite structural components which calls for an integrated design, analysis, and manufacture of efficient and effective connectors for tubular and sandwich composite structures.
