CAREER: Pushing the Boundaries: Advancing the Science of Micro-Additive Manufacturing

该学院早期职业发展(Career)计划奖的研究目标是研究下一代微添加剂制造科学和技术，以实现微尺度的高保真3D打印。阻碍这一范例进步的障碍源于缺乏设计、建模和控制新流程的标准。这项研究通过描述关键的设计标准、工艺参数和环境条件来解决这些障碍。这三个领域提供了建模和控制规律的基础，这些规律将在微观尺度上提高3D打印的性能。教育目标是向学生、教师和家长介绍不同智力的制造业领域，强调先进制造业范例的跨学科性质。这将通过为家庭和K-12学生量身定做的互动式外联活动和讲习班、将研究成果纳入本科生和研究生课程的课堂单元以及为代表性不足的学生提供研究机会来实现。研究结果将直接影响美国在微尺度上制造功能电子器件、生物传感器和光学器件的方式。这项研究通过改进基础科学并为在微观尺度上推进3D打印技术提供使能工具，符合国家在制造业的利益。3D打印可以作为一种低成本、灵活的制造替代方案，无需在洁净室环境中进行制造。教育计划和外展计划将通过与当地科技博物馆合作开展的独特互动计划，招募、教育和留住下一代制造工程师。研究成果将通过旨在接触当地、全国和国际受众的出版物进行传播。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to investigate the next generation micro additive fabrication science and technology to enable high fidelity, 3D printing at the micro-scale. Barriers that preclude advancements in this paradigm stem from a lack of standards for designing, modeling, and controlling new processes. This research addresses these barriers through the characterization of key design criteria, process parameters, and environmental conditions. These three areas provide the foundation for modeling and control laws that will improve the performance of 3D printing at the micro-scale. The educational goal is to introduce students, teachers, and parents to the intellectually diverse field of manufacturing with emphasis on the cross-disciplinary nature of the advanced manufacturing paradigm. This will be accomplished by developing interactive outreach activities and workshops tailored for families and K-12 students, integrating research findings into classroom modules for undergraduate and graduate courses, and providing research opportunities to underrepresented students. Research results will have a direct impact on the way the U.S. manufactures functional electronics, biosensors, and optics at the micro-scale. This research aligns with national interests in manufacturing by improving the fundamental science and providing the enabling tools for advancing 3D printing technology at the micro-scale. 3D printing can be used as a low-cost, flexible alternative for fabrication without a cleanroom environment. Educational initiatives and outreach programs will recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of manufacturing engineers through a unique interactive program conducted in collaboration with local science and technology museums. The research results will be disseminated through publications aimed at reaching local, national, and international audiences.