Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP)
Background
Materials processing and manufacturing, through which raw materials are converted into finished products, are of fundamental importance to aerospace, automotive, communication, computer, electronics, and numerous other high-technology industries. Consequently, the requirements of industry have resulted in the advent of new materials and the demand for advanced processes to establish and maintain quality. The competition among manufacturing nations to provide this quality has intensified greatly in the past few years, underlining the need for on-going, state-of-the-art research in these areas.
Ohio University's Center for Advanced Materials Processing was established in 1992 to address this need. The center focuses on interdisciplinary manufacturing applications for both traditional and new, high-technology materials. In the use of traditional materials, the center explores various applications of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) as a tool for optimizing product, process, and quality control., thereby increasing productivity and reducing costs. However, with high-technology materials such as composites, powder metallurgy alloys, intermetallic compounds, and polymers, the center concentrates on researching the behavior of these materials in production, since many must be processed within narrow temperature and deformation ranges to prevent the formation of defects. Hence, the challenge for the Center of Advanced Materials Processing lies in gaining an understanding of the mechanical and thermal characteristics of a wide range of materials and designing processes which accommodate these characteristics.
The center draws upon the expertise of faculty and graduate students from the College of Engineering and Technology, as well as from other colleges within Ohio University. These interdisciplinary activities are also supported externally by industry and government agencies with similar interests.
Inquires about the may be directed to:
Director, Center for Advanced Materials Processing
College of Engineering and Technology
256 Stocker Engineering Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701-2979
Phone (740) 593-0476
Mission Statement
The Center for Advanced Materials Processing has been established to enhance the research base and training facilities of Ohio University in materials processing science and technology.
Objectives
The goals and objectives of the Center for Advanced Materials Processing are:
to provide a center of expertise in advanced materials processing
to provide R&D and material testing services to government groups and private industry through funded research projects
to provide experience, training, research opportunities, and assistance to graduate and undergraduate students
to increase the knowledge and productivity of manufacturers
to provide financial and research opportunities for faculty
to strive for national and international prominence
Research Sponsors
Research has been sponsored by agencies and organizations such as National Science Foundation, U.S. Air Force, Office of Naval Research, NASA, Edison Material Technology Center (EMTEC). Industry Sponsors include General Electric, ASI, UES Inc., McDonnell Douglas (Boeing), and a number of automotive research laboratories.
Equipment and Facilities
The following equipment has been acquired by the center since its inception:
50,000 lb MTS computer-controlled testing machine for material characterization
5 KW Ameritherm induction heater
125-ton hydraulic forging press and associated equipment
Thermal Analysis Laboratory, which includes the following equipment:
Ultra high vaccuum PVD system
Ring Rolling Mill
The value of the above equipment is over $400,000. In addition to the equipment above, faculty and students working in center projects have access to materials processing and analysis equipment, including the following:
Bridgeport three-axis CNC milling machine
Mazak CNC turning center
EASCO EDM
6-ton, 36-inch broaching machine
Twin screw polymer extrusion unit
Injection molding machine
Metallography Laboratory
25-ton hydraulic extrusion press and associated equipment
Scanning electron microscope
Scanning tunneling electron microscope
175,000 lb Stanat rolling mill 10-ton radial ring rolling machine
CVD reactor
Non-ferrous casting equipment
CAD/CAM system and associated software valued at over $300,000
Direct network access to State of Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC)
Pentium-based PC's running AutoCad, Solid Edge and other software
The internet/Web page address is:
http://webme.ent.ohiou.edu//mat/