MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., announces a strategic alliance with Auburn University, Alabama, to accelerate additive manufacturing research and test development.
The complexity of additive manufacturing processes can yield varying mechanical properties depending on the component size, geometry, orientation, and build strategy. To understand how the manufacturing process impacts the material properties, and ensure consistent in-field performance, it is important to conduct mechanical testing to the appropriate standards. Auburn’s NCAME and MTS are working together to identify the mechanical testing advancements necessary for further adoption of additive technology.
Auburn University is home to the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME), which is a founding partner of the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE). As part of the alliance agreement with the university, MTS will supply test equipment to Auburn’s NCAME mechanical testing lab and share expertise to advance mechanical testing methods for additively manufactured materials and components.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Graves, MTS President and CEO, “Our applications expertise combined with deep knowledge of testing practices in the automotive, aerospace, and biomedical industries, brings a unique perspective and set of qualifications to advance additive manufacturing test methods and systems.”
Adds Nima Shamsaei, NCAME Director, “If we better understand and improve the mechanical performance of additive products, we can overcome a major barrier against the widespread adoption of this increasingly essential technology.”
