Acquisition of Advanced Manufacturing Processing Equipment for Intelligent Manufacturing System
Abstract
This proposal of acquiring intelligent manufacturing system is to enhance Virginia State UniversityÕs research capability to be aligned itself with the goals of the DoD HBCU/MSI program. This goals are (i) to enhance research programs and capabilities in scientific and engineering disciplines critical to the national security functions of DoD; (ii) enhance the capacity of HBCU/MSI to participate in DoD research programs and activities; and (iii) increase the number of graduates, including underrepresented minorities, in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) important to the defense mission. Our proposal addresses the needs of our College of Engineering and Technology to strengthen its capability for research in manufacturing system area and graduate students with the skills demanded by rapidly changing advanced technology. This proposal is for a set of advanced manufacturing equipment to build an intelligent manufacturing system to let faculty and students to develop and test models for mass customization, better quality, and improved productivity. The cell will be composed of a CNC vertical mill, a CNC turning lathe, an additive machine, material handling robot, and a coordinate measuring machine. A manufacturing cell control system will be used to solve the technical and scheduling problems of the system. Manufacturing in the United States is a vital sector of the nationÕs economy in terms of total output and employment. Industryweek reports that 89% of small manufacturers could not fill all job openings. The main reason for not filling the positions was shifting skill sets due to advancing technologies1. The same report also indicates that over the next decade (2018- 2028), 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 2.4 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap. Manufacturing education has difficulty to catch up with industrial demand for highly skilled workers. Such challenge stems from the fact that most educational institutions lack adequate adavced manufacturing lab infrastructures. At present, there are only nineteen ABET accredited Manufacturing engineering programs in the nation. The Manufacturing Engineering (MANE) program at VSU enrolled its first class of students in 2001 and has continuously grown since then. Over the years, the MANE curriculum has continued with the goal of giving a strong foundation in STEM education to the students and nurtured them with concepts critical to manufacturing to be successful in their career in this field. The MANE program emphasizes the four pillars of manufacturing defined by Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) i) material and manufacturing processes, ii) product, iii) manufacturing systems and operations, and iv) manufacturing competitiveness. While the program has strong laboratory facility for manufacturing process and product design, the proposed equipment for intelligent manufacturing will help to bring manufacturing research and teaching capabilities to the same level. Due to highly advanced nature of the proposed system, other programs within the College of Engineering and Technology can use the system in their labs and project courses as well.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 25, 2021
- Source ID
- W911NF2110281
Entities
People
- Nasser Ghariban
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Virginia State University