When it comes to additive manufacturing, Penn State’s Center for Innovative Metal Processing (CIMP) is a world leader.
“Very few places have the depth and broad range of capacity that we have here at Penn State. No one in the United States is close to our range of abilities,” explains Rick Matukanitz, director of CIMP. “We have a suite of machines that few others have in this extremely competitive arena.”
Located at Innovation Park at Penn State, the CIMP-3D has launched a university-wide initiative to coordinate and exploit the intellectual property created by Penn State research and development.
Tim Simpson, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, is working with CIMP-3D in reaching out to individuals who need to have real results that can be used in various business applications.
“We do additive manufacturing for critical applications,” says Simpson. “Our 3-D printing equipment allows us to ‘print’ metal parts that meet critical standards. They are not plastic.”
CIMP currently works with the aerospace, medical, oil and gas and defense industries.
“Subtractive manufacturing results in the waste of a lot of material,” says Matukanitz. “You take a large piece of metal and create a component from that. In additive manufacturing, we add material and the process wastes far less of very expensive materials.”
The CIMP-3D uses high energy sources — laser beams, for example — and powdered metals to add layer by layer to create a part. Many Pennsylvania-based companies provide the powdered metals used in the CIMP-3D’s equipment.
The center’s metal printers offer several options for creating parts. One printer has a maximum size of 10 inches by 10 inches by 12 inches tall. The other is capable of producing parts that are 30 inches by 20 inches by 20 inches high.
The CIMP-3D is fortunate to have these world-class machines that cost millions of dollars and demand great expertise to operate.
“We are making steel and titanium parts and working with the ‘American Makers’ initiative,” says Matukanitz. “We are a major player in this area and have gotten attention worldwide.”
Simpson adds that “CIMP-3D is utilizing the broad resources of the university, from basic research capabilities all the way through commercial transition. We’ve been doing applied research for many years.”
In the last 12 month, the CIMP-3D has accelerated its production of functional components. “What we are hoping to do is draw new companies in that need additive manufacturing,” says Simpson. “We hope this leads to job creation. We want to act as a magnet, to show companies how to take advantage of the R and D done here. We want to attract industry and lead the resurgence in manufacturing.”
Both Matukanitz and Simpson agree that the CIMP-3D’s location provides a great advantage in supporting their efforts. “We do conferences here at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center,” says Matukanitz. “It’s a huge plus to be here. We have breakfast together and then have a session with business representatives. Following that, we walk them across the street to see our facilities.
“This is the place for us, allowing us to take advantage of the fortuitous meetings that happen here all the time. It’s much more likely that we’ll meet entrepreneurs and startups here in Innovation Park. It provides us with opportunities that we can’t get elsewhere.”
