I/UCRC Phase III: Collaborative Research Program for I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas

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Southern Methodist University (SMU) has been a university site in the I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas, led by the University of Virginia, since 2005. SMU has played a major role in promoting R&D work in laser-based materials processing driven by the need of its industrial partners. The mission of SMU's site is to promote and apply R&D work in laser materials processing that is of interest to industry and to promote the conditions to educate and train new generations of engineers and researchers capable of responding to the technological challenges of 21st century. This work has been supported by well-equipped laboratories and well-trained research teams that consist of graduate students and research engineers. The presence of industry through the I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas has been changing the culture in the education of engineers and researchers at SMU. The Center has been used for recruiting undergraduate and graduate students in the mechanical engineering program as well as for building a strong relationship with industry.For the last 15 years, there has been a huge advancement in manufacturing of high-power lasers of high-quality beam with improved reliability and energy efficiency. A new generation of lasers such as fiber lasers, disk lasers, and fiber coupled diode lasers have been finding applications for welding, cutting, heat treatment, additive manufacturing, repair, etc. There is a gap between the speed of development of the new generation of lasers and the capability of industry to integrate this development in their production lines. There is also lack of qualified personnel capable to introduce this new technology. The I/UCRC for Lasers and Plasmas for Advanced Manufacturing has undertaken an effort in providing R&D work in laser-based material processing of interest to its industrial partners, in training industrial leaders, designers and manufacturing engineers, as well as in educating a new generation of engineers and researchers in order to speed the acceptance of this new technology by relevant industry. The researchers and graduate students in direct cooperation with practitioners from diverse industry will work on the understanding of interaction of high-energy beams with different materials, and on the development of sensing and control systems to control laser-based material processing techniques, on the development of new technologies for welding difficult-to-weld and dissimilar materials, and on the development of new surface treatment technologies capable of protecting high-value components against heat, wear, erosion, and corrosion.