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New Speed School equipment provides cutting edge technology
This summer, the U of L Rapid Prototyping Center acquired new state-of-the-art equipment that will continue the Center’s precedence for working with and developing cutting edge technology.
The Center, which houses its equipment in the Vogt Building of the Speed School, was the first in the U.S. to acquire a Rapid Prototyping machine in 1993. Since then, the Center has led the field in research and development with the machines, continuously upgrading its facilities.
Differing from the previous machines, which produced prototypes with plastics, the new equipment allows rapid prototyping with metals.
One of only five machines in the world, this cutting edge technology is powered by a 3,000 watt carbon dioxide laser that deposits metals layer by layer in a fully hardened state. Far superior to welding, which actually weakens the metal structure, this process creates a metallurgical bond between the materials.
Possibilities and applications for this technology are virtually endless. Already the university has begun research in new titanium alloys for use in the biomedical field, such as replacement hips, as well as implications for the tooling industry. Possible future research areas include gradient metal structures and anticorrosive coatings on tools and pipes.
The purchase of this equipment was made possible by a generous $500,000 donation from local businessman Al Schneider. However, the University has secured a deal with the company that built the machine to get $250,000 of that back over the next 2 years in return for the research the university will conduct with the equipment.
“We’re really focusing on the research and the technology transfer in the local community,” said Tim Gornett, a U of L graduate and engineer for the Center.
With its 70 industrial partners and countless potential customers, including NASA and the Air Force, the Rapid Prototyping Center at U of L has succeeded in providing a truly unique environment for its students; one that no other university in the nation can.
