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MATERIALS PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURING (MPM)
Dr. Jian Cao, Program Director
jcao@nsf.gov
Phone: (703) 292-7088
William W. Foster, III, Program Assistant
Phone: (703) 292-5311 |
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NEW
MPM
Plans in FY05.
A joint panel review involving the Materials Processing and Manufacturing Program (DMII Division) and the Surface Engineering and Material Design Program (CMS Division) will be conducted in January 2005. This cooperation is in recognition of the need of joint efforts in fundamental mechanics study and process innovation. Examples include, but are not limited to: coating and deposition, friction and wear, and tribology. Due to the mis-match of proposal acceptance windows between the two divisions (DMII: 1 Sep thru 1 Oct & 1 Jan thru 1 Feb; CMS: 1 Nov thru 1 Dec), it is highly recommended that proposals in this specific topic should be submitted to either the MPM program by 1 October 2004 or the SEM program by 1 December 2004. No specific funding has been allocated to this joint panel review. However, it is expected that the two programs will co-fund up to four (4) proposals from this joint-review.
For PIs who are working in the area of polymer processing: The MPM program and the DOE Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies intend to co-sponsor proposals addressing fundamental research issues in polymer processes such as injection molded short and long fiber composites, liquid molding, compression molding, thermoplastic liquid molding, and injection-compression molding. Specifically, proposals aiming for predictive modling and design that integrate processing, material structure, and product performance for both thermoplastic and thermoset matrix materials are of interest. This joint effort is a direct outcome of the workshop on Future Modeling in Composites Molding Processes. Interested PIs should consider submitting proposals to the MPM program during the unsolicited acceptance window of 1 January thru 1 February 2005. Up to four (4) proposals from the panel review (to be conducted at the end of March 2005 or the beginning of April 2005) will be eligible for the co-funding (pending availability of funds). NEW
Workshop
Announcement: CAREER Proposal Writing
Workshop, November 13-14, 2004, Radisson
Hotel Maingate-Anaheim, CA. This
workshop aims to provide future CAREER proposal submitters (assistant
professors, post-doctoral fellows and near-graduation Ph.D. students)
with proposal review experience and interactions with NSF program director
and recent CAREER awardees. Contact Prof. Z.J. Pei at zpei@ksu.edu
for more information.
Workshop Announcement: WTEC kickoff workshop on micro-manufacturing, was held on August 12, 2004, at NSF. The US baseline study workshop is part of the international assessment of R&D in micro-manufacturing co-sponsored by NSF, ONR and DOE. Here, the focus is on the creation of high-precision 3-dimensional products using a variety of materials and/or a new generation of small portable equipment. Speakers include top representatives from Fortune 500, small businesses, government labs and academia. For more information, see http://www.wtec.org/micromfg/us_workshop/ .
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MATERIALS PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURING PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In
materials processing, discrete parts are manufactured from a variety of
materials to meet defined product specifications. Global competitiveness
demands that a spectrum of issues regarding performance, cost, and environmental
impact be addressed for viable product realization in the marketplace.
Novel processing methodologies or the processing of new materials can
open up opportunities for new product development, for research leading
to next-generation machines, for improvements in product performance and
cost, and for minimizing the environmental impact through the complete
life-cycle.
The
Materials Processing and Manufacturing Program advances the fundamental
knowledge base that is needed for the realization of desired product attributes
(such as forms or functions) through the application of the systematic
integration of processing - material- performance relationships.
It supports analytical, computational and experimental research that leads
to the generation of such fundamental knowledge. Also of interest are
research activities that address optimizing resource use through the application
of environmentally benign manufacturing principles. Research activities
in basic materials processing that also incorporate connectivity to sensing
systems for process control are encouraged.
Relation
to Other DMII Programs
This
Program (MPM), the Manufacturing Machines and Equipment Program (MME),
and the Nanomanufacturing (NM) Program are closely linked. The three Program
Directors collaborate on proposal review processes as well as future program
directions. Proposals on materials removal processes (e.g., machining,
grinding, polishing, EDM), additive processes (e.g., Solid Freeform Fabrication),
and Rapid Prototyping / Rapid Manufacturing should be submitted to MME.
Proposals on manufacturing processes involving feature size less than
100nm should be submitted to NM.
Relation
to Other NSF/ENG Divisions
Many
research issues are interdisciplinary in nature, requiring expertise from
several perspectives. Proposals of this type may be co-sponsored by the
appropriate programs, such as the Thermal Transport & Thermal Processing
Program (CTS Division), the Mechanics and Materials Program (CMS Div),
and programs in the Division of Materials Research (MPS Directorate).
PIs are encouraged to contact appropriate program directors in these programs
before submitting a formal proposal.
Research
activities which are NOT supported by the Materials
Processing and Manufacturing Program include those addressing continuous
chemical synthesis and processes (CTS); materials characterization, surface,
or tribology investigations not directly related to processing issues
(CMS); semiconductor materials and processing (ECS) and material development
(DMR).
Key
Issues
There are three priority issues that are important considerations to advancing
all fundamental materials processing research and a number of key areas
of research that are addressed in the Materials Processing and Manufacturing
Program. The three priority issues are:
Environmentally Benign Manufacturing
– the role of materials processing within the life-cycle for avoidance
of waste. This provides a significant means of addressing NSF Review Criterion
2: Broader societal impacts, in addition to education and industrial relevance.
Also see solicitation on BioComplexity in the Environment (BE): http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?ods_key=nsf03597
Virtual Manufacturing
– modeling and simulation of processes for predictive capability of performance
and producibility related to material microstructure and processing conditions.
Development of portable algorithms / models for integration within
design decision-making methodologies. Any analytical models or computer
simulation must be verified through experiment or existing accessible
data.
Novel Hybrid Processing
– new processes of marrying of existing processes / sequences that optimize
materials and energy use to achieve net shape product with superior quality
and performance attributes.
Research
areas that are fundamental to Materials Processing and Manufacturing are
described below:
Netshape processing of metals and metal-matrix
composites -- Netshape processing
through phase-change or deformation, which seeks to produce high quality
products requiring minimal postprocessing, can provide performance and
cost benefits in manufacturing. Processes include casting of complex geometries
and continuous strip; welding and joining; bulk forming processes; sheet
forming processes. Projects that address process modeling, design synthesis
and process optimization for predictability (microstructure development),
producibility (geometric capabilities, surface and microstructure), or
productivity (processing parameter effects upon stability and repeatability)
issues, are encouraged.
Polymer and polymer-matrix composite processing
-- Advances in the structural properties
of polymers, copolymers, and polymer-based composites have created new
opportunities for the use of these materials and new challenges for innovative
processing of the constituents. Research areas include rheological control
including the use of non-toxic solvents; mold filling and cycle times
of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers; defect and waste reduction through
process optimization; infusion and shape control for complex geometries
of fiber, braid or mat composites.
Electronic, optic and photonic materials
processes -- The processing of semiconductors
and microelectronic devices is NOT supported by this
program. Research is supported to advance fundamental knowledge of processing
issues related to electronic packaging; fiber optics drawing, coating,
bundling and joining; controlled fabrication of electronically conductive
polymer composites; and the processing of high temperature superconducting
wires. Scaling, produciblity, and productivity issues that can be enhanced
by better understanding of the manufacturing process will be considered.
Suggested
Research Topics
Research
proposals addressing any of the above issues or other fundamental issues
in materials processing and manufacturing are welcome. Priorities will
be given to those approaches that integrate rigorous scientific principles
and mathematics as the basis to develop methodologies and predictive models
that address manufacturing issues related to the wide variety of materials/processes.
All proposals will be evaluated in terms of the two NSF review criteria.
Broader societal impact can be addressed in terms of educational activities
at all appropriate levels, industrial relevance or support, and consideration
of the relative economic, environment, and/or energy impact. Please
contact the program director with questions regarding appropriate areas.
The NSF website includes an awards database ( www.fastlane.nsf.gov
) where abstracts of all funded
research is posted. Suggested areas include, but are not limited to the
following:
Netshape processing modifications to reduce
solid waste
Joining of dissimilar materials at micro/
meso / macro scales
Fabrication of bio-compatible materials
and structures (implants, restoration)
Processing of multi-layer and/or multi-component
materials for enhanced mechanical, electrical, biological functionality
Processing issues of materials substitutions
for EBM
Sensing and control issues in dealing with
uncertainties and variations
Small
Group Proposals: Proposals from small, multi-disciplinary groups
are encouraged. A broad disciplinary base is sought, bringing expertise
from multiple engineering fields as well as non-engineering fields such
as mathematics and computer science. Many relevant theories exist in the
various fields of engineering as well as other fields. A goal of this
program is to bring extant and appropriate theories from various engineering
and non-engineering fields to address fundamental issues in manufacturing
processes, leading to the development of the next-generation machines
and processes as well as optimal utilization and new applications of present
manufacturing processes. Investigators seeking funding for small
group awards are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the program director.
References
and Links
Workshop
reports:
·
Workshop on Science and Technologies
for Manufacturing Machines and Processes (Fall, 2004)
·
Workshop
on WTEC Micro-manufacturing (August 12, 2004)
Workshop:
Future of Modeling in Composites Molding Processes (June, 2004)
WTEC
Environmentally Benign Manufacturing
(April 2001, Adobe Acrobat format, 3.5 MB)
·
MEMS
Workshop Report (November 7,
2000)
·
EBM
for the Transportation Industries
(September 26-28, 2001)
Other
sites:
·
Sandia
National Laboratories
·
National
Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
·
Air
Force Research Laboratory - Materials & Manufacturing Directorate
·
Office
of Naval Research (ONR)
· Department
of Energy (DOE) |