MateriAlZ Seminar: Anson Ma
Friday, April 22, 2022, 11:00 a.m., AZ Time
Anson Ma
Associate Professor
Chemical Engineering and Polymer
University of Connecticut
"Additive Manufacturing of Functional Materials: From Electronics to Edible Products"
Zoom Link | Passcode: 121204
MateriAlZ Seminar website | YouTube | Twitter
Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) uses computer-aided design to build objects layer-wise or drop-wise. AM complements more conventional subtractive manufacturing methods, where unwanted material is removed from a piece of feedstock material by cutting, drilling, or grinding. AM has been successfully used to create complex, topologically optimized parts that are otherwise extremely difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional methods. AM is especially well-suited for distributed manufacturing, mass customization, reducing tooling costs, and minimizing material wastage. This presentation will highlight some of our recent AM research activities, spanning from printing polymer composites, sensors, and magnets to food and drug tablets, using a variety of techniques, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), digital light processing (DLP), direct ink writing (DIW), and binder jet printing (BJP). While the need for 3D printing is motivated differently by the specific applications, the key to success is founded on understanding the fundamental science and underlying physics of AM processes. In addition to using several turnkey instruments, two AM platforms have been specially designed and custom-built to enable multi-material and pilot-scale printing. Key lessons learned in transitioning from turnkey printers to custom-built printers will be shared. Our longer-term research goal is to accelerate the development of new AM materials, improve the robustness of AM processes, and ensure the reliable production of AM products by imparting intelligence to existing print platforms through seamless integration with in-situ metrology and machine learning methods.
Bio
Dr. Anson Ma is an associate professor of chemical engineering and polymer at the University of Connecticut (UCONN ). Dr. Ma currently serves as the UConn Site Director of the National Science Foundation (SHAP3D Center for additive manufacturing. His research group focuses on understanding and pushing the envelope of 3D printing technologies. He has received several awards, including the Distinguished Young Rheologist Award from TA Instruments, NSF CAREER award, Arthur B. Metzner Early Career Award from the Society of Rheology, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, Early Career Award from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) UConn Chapter, UConn Polymer Program Director’s Award for Faculty Excellence, and U.S. Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship.