University of Nebraska–Lincoln (October 18, 2019) — The University of Nebraska’s 3-D printer technology will revolutionize the manufacturing industry and expect their $1.5 million investment will be at the forefront.
“We have instruments here that are not found anywhere else in the world,” said Jeff Shield, department chairperson of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
The Nebraska Engineering Additive Technology Lab (NEAT) features three cutting-edge 3-D printers that can build a variety of materials — from plastics to titanium — to create complex three-dimensional designs.
“We can build if from aluminum, all the way to titanium, tungsten, you name it,” Mechanical and Materials Engineering Associate Professor Prahalada Rao said.
Located in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Scott Engineering Center, the lab allows Husker researchers and students to create projects using highly reactive materials. This process accommodates for creation of intricate geometries, such as lattice structures and complex internal cooling channels for aerospace applications.
“This is incredibly rare, unique equipment that we’re now able to access,” said Michael Sealy, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.
These printers have the ability to produce military aircraft parts near combat zones and build a hard to find replacement part to an old farm tractor within hours.
“It has the capabilities to make complex parts easier,” Shields said.
3-D printers use a third of the material used in normal parts production, can be done automatically within hours, and the specifications are simply loaded into a computer.
Sealy said students are also excited about getting to use the printers. A new additive manufacturing course, which will be taught by Sealy and Rao, has been added to take advantage of the new technology.
According to Rao, the University will use the printers to do research on the technology and hopes this will spark collaborations with businesses and industries.
“Nebraska is positioning itself as a hub for additive manufacturing in a variety of industries, including agricultural equipment, manufacturing and biomedical,” Rao said. “If this research is successful, it will have a huge impact on how quickly and reliably we can turn around new products and designs, spurring innovation in Nebraska.”
Applying “local” changes between the layers of a 3D printed part can have an impact on its “global” properties says Dr. Michael Sealy. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he is leading research to apply this “glocal” mindset with hybrid manufacturing.
The Nebraska Engineering Additive Technology Labs feature two Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 metal laser sintering hybrid milling machines that can add or subtract a variety of materials — from plastics to titanium — to create complex three-dimensional designs.
The Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 combines selective laser sintering (SLS) along with high speed milling (HSM) commonly called Hybrid AM.
“This is incredibly rare, unique equipment that we’re now able to access,” said Michael Sealy, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.
The Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 integrates a fiber laser for state-of-the-art metal sintering and a machine center to perform high accuracy, high speed milling, and the sintering of complicated mold dies. The LUMEX Avance-25 significantly reduces the required designing and production time of mold dies.
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since 1935, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. delivers unmatched excellence in 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor, multi-tasking CNC machine tools and machines with a powder bed metal AM platform with machining capability.
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business. For more information on Matsuura LUMEX products, contact: [email protected] or visit: www.matsuurausa.com.
