ISE puts best foot forward during symposium

The Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University played host to industry representatives Oct. 16-18, bringing in world-renowned speakers and showcasing the renovated labs and state-of-the-art equipment in Daniels Hall on NC State’s main campus.

The department hosted the Additive Manufacturing Consortium’s fall meeting Oct. 16 and an Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Symposium Oct. 17-18.

Both events gave the department a chance to show the kind of innovative work in additive manufacturing that is being done at NC State. Additive manufacturing processes like 3-D printing make products by putting down successive layers of material rather than cutting material away using saws or drills. NC State researchers and students produce custom pieces that have been used in the veterinary and medical fields and applications for additive manufacturing cross multiple industries.

“The symposium and reception events gave us the opportunity to show to visitors from industry, government and academia the capability of our new laboratories as well as display some of our ongoing research,” said Dr. Russell King, a professor in ISE and director of the Furniture Manufacturing and Management Center.  “Just as important, we were able to have detailed conversations about the kind of research that industry feels is important and what role that our group can play in solving these important problems.”

World-renowned experts Dr. Anthony Atala and Terry Wohlers were keynote speakers for the symposium, which largely focused on challenges facing the defense/aerospace and medical industries in adopting additive manufacturing practices. The event was held in the Research Triangle Park.

Atala is the W.H. Boyce Professor and chair of the Department of Urology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He is also director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.  Atala is a practicing surgeon and leading researcher in the area of regenerative medicine, the creation of human tissue and organs using the body’s own healthy cells.

He is also on ISE’s advisory board and he and has his staff have been frequent collaborators with the department.

Wohlers is a consultant, analyst, author and speaker in the areas of rapid product development, additive manufacturing and 3-D printing. He is president of Wohlers Associates, Inc., a consulting firm he started 27 years ago. His Wohlers Report publication is essential reading for anyone with an interest in 3-D printing and additive manufacturing.

During an open house held Oct. 16, participants were treated to tours of ISE’s Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics on the first floor of Daniels Hall. The laboratory can provide fabrication and prototyping services for NC State projects and outside customers along with testing services. During the open house, students provided demonstrations of the lab’s capabilities and information about their research projects.

The Oct. 16 event hosted 80 people; around 75 people attended the symposium held Oct. 17-18. Attendees included academics, along with representatives of companies that make additive manufacturing equipment and manufacturers that are using 3-D and additive processes.