Los Angeles

Materials Science and Manufacturing Research at Cal State LA Has the Right Moves

Engineering

 

 

​​At his Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Laboratory (AM2L), Dr. Mohsen Eshraghi has the right moves for materials science and manufacturing. The associate professor’s broad base of research spans from computational materials science to 3D printing. 

Cutting-edge cameras can zoom in to capture the details of jet engines, but they don’t have the capability to see the microstructure of the metallic components. A team of researchers at Cal State LA is using computer models to simulate how microstructures evolve in materials during manufacturing processes. The team has obtained two competitive grants from NASA to work with Marshall Space Flight Center and the International Space Station on simulation of microstructure formation during solidification of alloys. 

Solidification is a critical step of all manufacturing processes. Understanding solidification phenomena will help to produce parts with superior properties. This research studies solidification microstructure in space where gravity is absent and compares it with solidification on earth in the presence of gravity. This would be useful for in-space fabrication as well as manufacturing processes on earth. Whether the alloys are made by casting, welding or 3D printing, this research work will apply to all industrial manufacturing processes that involve solidification. 

​​​​​Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies, aka 3D printing, provide new opportunities for materials customization, improvements in product performance, multifunctionality and lower overall manufacturing costs because of their unique capabilities. Students at AM2L have designed and built a Wire Arc Metal AM system from scratch. Two graduate students are now developing processing parameters for high-temperature alloys using that system. They have also developed in-house systems for selective laser sintering (SLS) and AM process monitoring. A team of undergraduate senior design students is now developing a large-scale system for concrete 3D printing. In addition, another team is working on multiscale modeling of metal 3D printing processes. This research will provide a better understanding of how changing process parameters affect the microstructure formation and properties of 3D printed materials. Currently, six undergraduate students, five graduate students and a visiting scientist are working on a variety of projects at AM2L. 

AM2L is a unique facility occupying a standalone building next to the Engineering and Technology building at Cal State LA, with two areas for Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) research activities. The AM lab is equipped with AM technologies (including SLS and Wire Arc AM systems) and is used for AM research and education. The other area houses the ICME lab, which houses powerful workstations for Dr. Eshraghi’s ICME research activities and also computers equipped with CAD software for AM design applications. It also includes a virtual reality station to promote the AM 2 L’s ​​​​​​​​​research projects with NASA and the International Space Station. 

Eshraghi is also serving as the director of the newly established materials science and engineering program at Cal State LA. The MS Program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is designed to be an interdisciplinary program providing a rigorous education in materials science and engineering. The curriculum includes a core of materials science courses covering the structure, properties, processing and performance of materials. The program prepares students to practice as engineers and scientists and build a better tomorrow through innovations in materials science and engineering.​​