Enhancing Metal Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing Research at NTU
Abstract
The proposal titled ÒEnhancing Metal Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing Research at NTUÓ requests funding to support Navajo Technical UniversityÕs (NTU) acquisition of a Zeiss Sigma Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and a ÒconnectedÓ Zeiss Smartzoom 5 digital microscope (DM) to perform microscopy analysis primarily for metal additive manufacturing (AM). The SEM will be outfitted with an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector as well as an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) detector. This request will provide equipment that nearly every major university in the US has to perform basic material science research but is currently not present at any Tribal College and University (TCU). The acquired equipment will greatly enhance Navajo TechÕs capacity to not only participate in DoD research programs and activities but also increase the number of TCU students graduating with undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields relevant to research areas of interest to the Secretary of the U.S. ArmyÕs Directive 2019-29 Enabling Readiness and Modernization Through Advanced Manufacturing. NTU is the nationÕs largest and only ABET-accredited TCU with a comprehensive Metal Advanced Manufacturing (AM) laboratory. The SEM/DM system requested will provide NTU students the ability to capture microstructure images of metal AM parts, analyze metal AM powder, conduct fracture analysis, conduct Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis, and elemental composition analysis as well as basic microscopy. The SEM/DM system acquisition will strengthen NTUÕs capacity in STEM research and education in additive manufacturing, an area in which NTU is gaining national recognition. The requisite Zeiss Sigma Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Smartzoom 5 Digital Microscope (DM) will augment NTUÕs Center for Advanced Manufacturing instrumentation by providing deeper analytics of materials microstructure and the crystallization growth of metal materials that are created through metal AM processes. In January 2021 The Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering released its ÒAdditive Manufacturing StrategyÓ stating Òthe digital manufacturing revolution has far-reaching implications for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the defense industrial base.Ó Recognizing the urgency of training AmericaÕs AM workforce, NTUÕs Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NTUCAM) has established the nationÕs only comprehensive TCU AM laboratory which houses a suite of pre-processing, processing, post-processing, and inspection/validation equipment. The SEM equipment will augment NTUCAMÕs existing capabilities in the area of metallurgical and composites research and education, advance the AM research interests of DoD by augmenting NTUCAM investigators ability to perform microscopy analysis and enhance TCUÕs engineering studentsÕ comprehension of material science thereby promoting increases in STEM degree completion of underrepresented Tribal students. NTU has an extensive outreach program that engages underserved high school students in STEM activities. These programs include bringing Tribal students to campus and engaging them within the Center for Advanced Manufacturing through hands-on projects in the area of metal additive manufacturing through grants with NNSA and NASA. A partnership with the New Mexico Math Engineering Science Achievement organization will also bring underserved high school students to the Center to engage them with hands-on activities on NTUCAM equipment as well as providing virtual demonstrations which have been extremely popular over the past challenging year of pandemic induced hybrid education.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 02, 2022
- Source ID
- W911NF2210135
Entities
People
- Harold Halliday
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Navajo Technical University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense