New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently joined state representatives, corporate partners and Rochester Institute of Technology leaders in launching the Additive Manufacturing and Multifunctional Printing (AMPrint) Center, one of New York State's newest Centers for Advanced Technology.
The 3,200 sq. ft. AMPrint Center, located on RIT's Henrietta campus and housed in RIT's Institute Hall, will be under the direction of Denis Cormier, RIT's Earl W. Brinkman Professor and a national expert on additive manufacturing (AM) and the rapidly growing field of multi-functional 3-D printing. Cormier said the AMPrint Center will support the growth and development of the Finger Lakes region's multi-functional printing ecosystem, building on its existing depth and breadth of expertise in print materials, print process systems design, high volume sales and distribution channels and flexible electronics.
"Next-generation multifunctional 3-D printing technologies developed in the RIT AMPrint Center will produce components made from a broad array of materials that will greatly increase their performance," said Cormier, who is also a professor in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
AM and multifunctional 3-D printing refer to processes in which materials are printed, usually layer upon layer, to make objects from 3-D model data. It is most often used for design and modeling, fit and function prototyping and parts production, and can result in savings of time and money, as well as enhanced quality and functionality of products, such as flexible electronics.
These new technologies are capable of blending multiple materials, including metals, ceramics, plastics and composites, within a single component to produce high performance products that would be impossible to produce any other way. Working with industry government and academic partners, the RIT AMPrint Center is developing these next-generation multifunctional 3-D printing technologies.
The new AMPrint Center offers laboratory space, offices and meeting rooms. It is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including an Optomec Aerosol Jet printer, Stratasys AM equipment and a Novacentrix photonic curing system. "Usually found in industry, the Novacentrix is rare in a university setting and will be a resource for both faculty researchers and regional companies creating new devices using metals and ceramics," said a spokesperson.
At the ceremony were several demonstrations of current work underway by RIT researchers and their corporate partners, including:
- A collaboration between RIT and Hardinge Corp., an Elmira, NY, based equipment manufacturing company, to develop hybrid manufacturing equipment that allows fabrication of metallic parts through a combination of laser material deposition and traditional machining. Integration of multiple processes, such as laser AM and milling or turning, into a single platform is a new and rapidly growing field
- The development of intricate nano-structures for a micro-pump implanted system designed to deliver bio-therapies to address hearing disorders
- A project between Sensor Films Inc., a local start-up company; Xerox; and RIT to integrate RIT's Novacentrix system with a large-scale, high-speed material ink jetting system
- A football helmet with 3-D printed, custom protective padding developed by a multi-disciplinary team led by RIT graduate business school student Kayla Wheeler (biomedical engineering).
"RIT is fortunate to have one of the most entrepreneurial and innovative student populations," said Cormier, who worked closely with Wheeler's team on the helmet prototype. He also acknowledged the proximity of several innovative laboratories and entrepreneurial spaces near the center, including RIT's Battery Prototyping Center and The Construct, a student maker-space initiative, as beneficial to the center and new business development opportunities.
RIT's partners in the AMPrint center include Clarkson University, SUNY New Paltz, Xerox, GE Research, Corning Inc., Eastman Kodak Co. and Stratasys. Smaller, regional companies will also collaborate with the center and make use of its equipment on such work as developing next generation polymer, metal and composite technologies; synthesizing advanced functional materials; developing AM technologies; designing novel devices using the new materials and technologies; as well as devising a means to commercialize the materials, processes and applications.
The state is investing in the center to further propel an industry that is experiencing remarkable growth. According to Wohler's State of the Industry Report, 2016, the AM industry, consisting of all AM products and services worldwide, grew 25.9% to $5.165 billion in 2015. For the second consecutive year, the industry grew by more than $1 billion.
The AMPrint Center is one of 15 Centers for Advanced Technology supported through NYSTAR, NYS Empire State Development Division of Science, Technology and Innovation. The centers support university-industry research and technology transfer in commercially relevant technologies. Grants are awarded through a competitive program intended to spur economic growth, promote workforce development and increase the competitiveness of New York companies in the global marketplace. The RIT center was awarded a 10-year designation in 2015, and includes $921,000 per year in funding from the state to support research operations. Additional funding of $500,000 was awarded through the state's Higher Education Capital Facilities Program, and was matched by the university and corporate partners to support construction of the lab. The lab also received $100,000 in round 5 of the Regional Council awards process that was used toward equipping the facility.
New Liquid Metal 3-D Printing System
RIT will acquire the first liquid metal 3-D printing system from Vader Systems, a Buffalo, NY, based company. It will be part of an array of high-tech equipment being used for research and product development through the AMPrint Center.
"We are very proud to have the first Magnetojet printer as part of the AMPrint Center," said Cormier. "It promises to be an indispensable tool for the fabrication of metal parts and will greatly further our capabilities and help our industrial partners. AM and multifunctional printing offer incredible opportunities for start-up companies, such as Vader Systems, and the AMPrint Center is ideally suited to serve as a site for testing and promoting new products and equipment."
"Powdered inks tend to be expensive and the fusion process lengthy," said the spokesperson. "Vader Systems' MK1 system uses an aluminum alloy in an inkjet-style printer to create 3-D print objects. The MagnetoJet technology, in which an aluminum alloy is liquefied in a high-temperature ceramic chamber, should be faster and less expensive to use."
Both Vader Systems and AMPrint Center researchers will continually update the MK1 capacity, specifically exploring a variety of metals and increased number of printing heads.
For more information contact:
Rochester Institute of Technology
One Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623-5603
585-475-2411
www.rit.edu/amprint