Harnessing ancient materials and AI for sustainable architecture

In the adrenaline-fueled rush of a set-up for their studio review, a team of students pursuing a Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MSD-RAS) assemble layer upon layer of ceramic bricks, securing them in place with a satisfying “clink.” And as the model got taller, the stakes got higher. The breakability of ceramic was not far from anybody’s mind.

Clay is one of the world’s oldest building materials: From adobe bricks to terracotta tiles, clay has been used to construct buildings for millennia. Now, advances in computational design and robotic technology have revolutionized the way these bricks are made, and what forms they can take. Made by extruding layers of clay in carefully defined toolpaths, the students 3D printed their designs using six-axis industrial robots, more easily found in a car manufacturing plant than a design school.

These fully-integrated and automated robots are housed just a floor below the Plaza Gallery in Meyerson Hall, in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s Robotics Lab, which opened in 2019 as part of the Department of Architecture’s Advanced Research and Innovation Lab. They position the School at the forefront of architectural design research that leverages and develops approaches to robotic fabrication. The two-semester MSD-RAS program combines an education in robotics with the tools of artificial intelligence and automated systems, which hold the promise of thoroughly adaptive, sustainable, and intelligent approaches to manufacturing and design.

Robert Stuart-Smith, the program’s director and an assistant professor of architecture, sees the MSD-RAS program in relation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a historic shift in manufacturing that began in the last decade or so with the development of technology like artificial intelligence. One simple example of a semi-autonomous robot application, is a sanding robot, which adjusts its position in response to sensor-feedback to maintain a constant amount of pressure that it applies to the part it is finishing.

“Most architecture is still built by Second Industrial Revolution technologies of mass production,” says Stuart-Smith, “where things are only economical if we make them all the same, and produce these same parts at high volumes of production. But with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we have the capabilities of bespoke production at a scale or volume similar to mass production.” The goal, he says, is to put artisanship back into manufacturing, in a way that’s less expensive and more accessible than ever before, and less wasteful.

For more information: University of Pennslyvania

Image: Offering a robust suite of milling, additive manufacturing, sheet-metal bending, and hot-wire cutting tools, the Robotics Lab in Meyerson Hall brings together faculty and students across the Department of Architecture for studio-based work and funded research.

Stunning discovery: metals can heal themselves

For the first time, scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M. and Texas A&M University, have witnessed pieces of metal crack, then fuse back together without any human intervention, overturning fundamental scientific theories in the process.

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RoodMicrotec and SGA enter into cooperation for ASIC testing

RoodMicrotec, Netherlands, a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, and Svenska Grindmatriser AB, Sweden, a well-established fabless IDM for the development and supply of customized mixed-signal ASICs, started a cooperation for high-volume production testing of SGA’s ASIC products.

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Testing coatings for corrosion protection

To shield steel from the corrosive threats posed by sea air, Sandia National Laboratories researchers tested a variety of nickel mixtures as protective coatings on stainless steel. The researchers found that the specific material applied, and the specific application process used, impacted the properties of the coating, including how protective it was against corrosion.

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Plastometrex continues global expansion with Japanese partnerships

Plastometrex, an advanced mechanical testing technology provider in Cambridge, England, announced its strategic expansion into the Japanese market in partnership with two leading technology companies, Kobe Material Testing Laboratory (KMTL) and AeroEdge. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Plastometrex’s journey towards transforming the global mechanical testing industry.

Since its inception, Plastometrex has had a clear mission of delivering simpler, faster, and more insightful mechanical testing to materials science and engineering teams the world over. Following the commercial launch of its flagship product, the Benchtop Plastometer, the company has enjoyed rapid global expansion, partnering with some of the most recognizable industrial organizations and research institutions in the world. That expansion now continues with a move into Japan, as KMTL, a leading independent testing laboratory in Asia focusing on materials testing services, took delivery of the country’s first Plastometrex device, as part of the newly formed partnership.

With the Plastometer, KMTL will now be able to obtain metal stress-strain curves, measured by the device from indentation test data, in less than 5 minutes. This unlocks unprecedented testing speed and flexibility for users at all stages of the product lifecycle, from alloy design through to failure analysis. KMTL has now added the Plastometer to its comprehensive range of testing services, further strengthening the organization’s position as a technology-forward testing partner.

“We are delighted to be able to introduce the Plastometer to our client base across Japan,” said Nobuhito Tsurui, Executive Vice President, KMTL. “The technology will allow our customers to measure critical mechanical property data from small and challenging-to-test samples for the first time. This will enable them to design, manufacture, and repair their products with greater efficiency and confidence.”

AeroEdge, an engineering services company specializing in machining and additive manufacturing (AM) technology, will be among the first to use KMTL’s new Benchtop Plastometer. Having significantly grown its capability in the printing of aerospace materials, specifically complex titanium aluminides for demanding high-temperature applications, the Plastometrex technology will enable AeroEdge to accelerate the development of these complex AM materials and parts.

“Plastometrex’s novel testing technology enables us to optimize our AM materials with much less material and in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods,” said Kazuhiro Mizuta, Managing Director, AeroEdge. “We are excited to support the introduction of this transformative testing technology to the Japanese market where it will play an important role in supporting the continued adoption of AM in the region.”

“This strategic collaboration with KMTL and AeroEdge is a testament to our commitment to innovation and to our continued global expansion. Japan represents a vibrant and dynamic market, and our partnership with these two esteemed companies will allow us to deliver cutting-edge solutions that drive progress and transformation in metal testing and additive manufacturing.” Mike Coto, CCO, Plastometrex.

 

 

For more information:

AeroEdge

https://aeroedge.co.jp/en/

 

Kobe Material Testing Laboratory

https://en.kmtl.co.jp/

 

Plastometrex

https://plastometrex.com/

Probing subsurface materials via atomic force microscopy

A new nanoscience study, led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, takes a big-picture look at how scientists study materials at the smallest scales. Their research in subsurface nanometrology, the science of internal measurement at the nanoscale level, suggests quantum sensing could become the foundation for the field’s next era of discoveries.

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