New Additive Manufacturing Center established, receives $1.5 million grant

Auburn University has established a new Center for Industrialized Additive Manufacturing and selected Tony Overfelt, William and Elizabeth Reed professor of mechanical engineering, as its inaugural director. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, is a growing sector of the manufacturing industry. Using this advanced technology, manufacturers can save time and money by printing objects out of plastics, metals and other materials and using them in the manufacturing process. The center has also been awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to research ways for smaller manufacturers to use additive manufacturing for reliable, high-volume production of metal parts.