Their proposal, dubbed the Additive Manufacturing Forward Engine (AMFE), was selected as one of 16 finalists for a 10-year type-2 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s inaugural Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. The potential award is the largest NSF has ever offered.��

“UofL is proud to partner on this work to advance use of additive technology in manufacturing through workforce development and research,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “Together, we can put these innovations to work to exponentially grow our nation’s additive manufacturing capabilities.”

AMFE is led by the , and partners include UofL and other universities and trade organizations throughout Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Together, they will work to improve use of and innovation in additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3-D printing, which can help manufacturers reduce part lead times, material costs, energy usage and waste. Louisville alone more some 2,400 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 82,500.

As part of AMFE, UofL will leverage its top-notch degree and technology badging programs to build a qualified workforce and its research and innovation strength to further technological innovation. This includes connection to the UofL-based statewide resource center, along with labs, inlcuding the multi-disciplinary .

“This recognition [being selected as a finalist] speaks to the immense impact additive manufacturing can have both regionally and nationally,” said KSTC President and AMFE project lead Terry Samuel. “This project forges strong partnerships among research institutions, nonprofit organizations and industry leaders to bring innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions as well as high-paying manufacturing jobs to our local, regional and national economies.”�� ��

UofL and partners also were recently awarded a $1 million type-1 NSF Engines grant, dubbed Generate Advanced Manufacturing Excellence for Change (GAME Change), aimed at securing economic competitiveness throughout the Southeastern Commerce Corridor (SCC) of Kentucky and Tennessee, with a focus on next-generation and advanced manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, more durable and sustainable materials and more. Type-1 awards are meant to help applicants prepare for a type-2 proposal.��

Launched by NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022,” the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact regional economies, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs.

Awarded type-2 proposals will receive up to $160 million over 10 years, with each awardee receiving $15 million for the first two years. NSF anticipates the list of awardees will be announced this fall.

Alumnus Collie Crawford (BSEE ’18, MEng IE ’19) has the distinction of being the first graduate of GE’s newest workforce development program, Industry 4.0 Development program, or I4DP. The two-year program was created in 2019 to address a growing business need – a stable of technical engineering talent with the depth and breadth of Industry 4.0 skills that can support GEA’s smart factories. The four hands-on rotations for I4DP include highly-specialized, in-class training in industrial controls, robotics, testing and data visualization.

While Crawford had previous co-op and industry experience in controls, he was intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about the other three areas.

“I loved learning from the engineers during my rotations and finding new applications and ways to do things,” he said.

Trenton Ingrim, senior director of Advanced Manufacturing of the program, also a Speed School graduate (EE ’95, MEng EE ’98), said Crawford has been “fantastic.”

“His structured and logical approach to the work is a credit to him – plus he can definitely see the connections between systems,” Ingram said. “Completing the program, we want them to understand how a smart, interconnected factory works, and identify what they like most and feel the strongest about as they look for their first assignment off program.”

For Crawford, that first assignment has been taking a controls engineering position in dishwasher manufacturing and hitting the ground running.

He said Speed School established a solid foundation that helped him to pursue his career goals.��

“I enjoyed the capabilities the co-op program gives you to go out in the field while also learning in school, and applying your problem solving skills while also learning some parts of the trade that are more technical,” he said.

Crawford also cited the Capstone course as a continuing influence.

“It was a really good course that held us to the fire of doing everything properly, and it was a great experience there that I still use frequently,” he said.

In addition to Crawford, the program’s first graduate, two other current I4DP participants, Lana Chausenko (CSE ’17) and Jordan Klotz (EE ’18, MEng EE ’19) are Speed School alumni.

Chausenko said I4DP was an amazing opportunity she couldn’t pass up, and it included robotics, which she said she fell in love with after taking classes with Dan Popa at Speed School. But for her, the program also offered a way to understand operations from a macro view.

“I’ve always thought before you start your main position, that understanding the system and how it all works together is very important, to get all the perspectives,” she said. “That’s what I’m experiencing right now.”

For Jordan Klotz, the master’s program at Speed School was the most valuable experience to prepare him for his future career path.

“The opportunity to work in a lab at UofL was wonderful,” he said. “It was one of the most diverse places I’ve ever worked, with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met from all over the world – China, India, Romania, everywhere. The professors at UofL are top minds in their field and great teachers. That is one of the strengths of Speed School and one of the things that helped me the most – getting involved and asking the right questions.”��

Trent Ingrim said Speed School talent has been instrumental for GE Appliances.

“In the Industry 4.0 program, three of the four assignment leaders for the participants graduated from UofL,” he said.

“It’s easy to get excited about the bells and whistles, the machine learning, the AI,” said Ingram. “But we need people who can understand the fundamental building blocks and different components – what they are – what they do – and how to put them together,” said Ingrim. “It’s a good partnership with Speed School and I look forward to what the future holds.”

The , held this year from July 31 through August 1 at the UofL Swain Student Activities Center, will showcase the latest research and advances from in and around Kentucky, including work in 3-D printing and manufacturing at the micro/nano-scale.

“Kentucky has always been a manufacturing state, but we need to innovate and continue to advance,” said Dr. Kevin Walsh, associate dean of research and facilities at the UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who’s leading the event. “This forum provides a way for us to annually get together, discuss new findings, share results, showcase capabilities, generate ideas, debate the future and network with one another.”

The conference also includes hands-on workshops on additive manufacturing, roll-to-roll printing and micro-fluidics. The symposium will feature nationally-known keynote speakers, poster presentations, facility tours, networking, a cocktail reception and an investor forum backed by the .��

The event’s keynote speakers are: Harold Sears, a Ford Motor Company rapid manufacturing technical leader often called a “3-D printing futurist;” Dr. Edward Kinzel, an aerospace and mechanical engineering professor at the University of Notre Dame; Dr. Philip Rack, a professor of materials science at The University of Tennessee, and Dr. Placid Ferreira, an endowed professor of material science and engineering from the University of Illinois.��

The annual conference is a��partnership between UofL and the University of Kentucky. Together, they offer a collection of advanced manufacturing core facilities open to industry and academia, called the Kentucky Multi-Scale Network.��

Attendees can tour UofL’s multi-scale facilities, including the Micro-Nanotechnology Center (MNTC) cleanroom, the Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) and the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research. Those facilities work with industry on a variety of projects, from to��saving energy when manufacturing cement.

Kentucky Multi-Scale is part of the , which consists of 16 academic sites across the U.S. with similar advanced core facilities. Some of its other members include Harvard, Stanford and Cornell universities.

You can register to attend the 2019 Nano+AM Symposium ��