The Virtual Foundry, a pioneer in metal 3D printing, has signed a collaboration agreement with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), an agency of The Texas A&M University System. Dr. Chukwuzubelu Ufodike will lead the collaboration, which will investigate the effect of sintering temperature and time on the mechanical properties and microstructure of 3D-printed titanium alloy parts using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology.
Dr. Chukwuzubelu Ufodike expresses his enthusiasm, stating, “This collaboration represents a significant step in advancing our understanding of sintering processes in 3D printing.” We intend to push the boundaries of material development in additive manufacturing in collaboration with The Virtual Foundry and TEES.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Dr. Chukwuzubelu Ufodike and TEES. Their expertise will be instrumental in closing the gap between inexpensive titanium 3D printing and the current process of sintering it, which today is out-of-reach for the average user.”
– Tricia Suess, President at The Virtual Foundry
Benefits of the Collaboration
A better understanding of the intricate relationship between sintering temperature and time in the context of FFF 3D printed titanium components.
- Variations in sintering parameters provide insights into microstructural evolution and mechanical behaviour.
- Improved understanding of how sintering parameters affect dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
The Virtual Foundry, 2023 Wisconsin Innovation Award winners, offers the only metal 3D printing technology that can be sintered in-house without cloud software. Total control and flexibility in Metal AM. The Virtual Foundry is used in defence, academia, and radiation shielding. The Virtual Foundry has developed more 3D printable high-tech materials than any other Additive Manufacturing material developer by partnering with research labs, universities, and Partner Innovators worldwide.
About the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station: The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is the university’s official research agency and vital to interdisciplinary research. To benefit Texas A&M Engineering faculty and researchers, TEES manages research grants and contracts, addresses complex engineering problems, and actively promotes industry, government, and academia partnerships.
About Dr. Chukwuzubelu Ufodike: Dr. Ufodike is an Assistant Professor and Charlotte and Walter Buchanan Faculty Fellow in Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. He directs the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Digital Manufacturing and Distribution Lab (DMD); Professor Ufodike Research Group (PURG) studies AI-Enhanced Adaptive Additive Manufacturing for Precision Engineering. One of the world’s leading teams in computational and numerical modelling of polymer flow in Material Extrusion MatEx-FFF Additive Manufacturing is Dr. Ufodike’s. By integrating novel experimentation, theoretical, and computational models for additive and conventional manufacturing processes, Dr. Ufodike’s team has advanced challenging multidisciplinary research fields.
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