Planning IUCRC at Georgia Institute of Technology: Center for [Digital Composite Joining and Repair]

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports a planning workshop for a new Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) aimed at improving composite material joining and repair (CJAR) technologies. Composite materials are vital to the health and competitiveness of several important industry sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, energy, and aerospace. As composites involve different compositions and element concentration/orientation and tolerances that vary widely, current CJAR practices are highly specialized, labor-intensive, and require experienced technicians to complete the critical inspection, maintenance and repair jobs. Partner institutions including Georgia Institute of Technology, Oakland University, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville will work collaboratively with various industrial companies, in the automotive, aerospace, energy, and bio-medical sectors of the US economy. The Georgia Tech Site of D-CJAR will primarily work with firms in materials (Chomarat, Henkel, Owens Corning), aerostructures manufacturing (Boeing, Fokker Aerostructures, Lockheed Martin), system operators/maintenance providers (AFSC-Robins AFB, Delta), and equipment vendors (Optomec, Siemens). Faculty and student teams at the partner universities will work with industry members to conduct precompetitive research to develop and disseminate basic and applied technologies/knowledge to facilitate rapid, reliable, and cost-effective composite joining and repair, with an overall goal of significantly reducing costs, cycle time, and variation of CJAR operations within ten (10) years. With the goal of transforming the current labor-intensive and specialized processes into science-based, automated, digital CJAR processes, the Georgia Tech Site of D-CJAR will primarily focus on developing CJAR technologies for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aerostructures, automobiles, and infrastructure. We expect advances in several fields and knowledge domains around CJAR, including (1) design and analysis, (2) materials and process engineering, (3) testing and NDE, and (4) data analytics. We will apply diverse advanced digital techniques, including advanced computational modeling, sensing, materials characterization, and machine learning to practical CJAR cases that will also advance the education and workforce preparedness of students working on projects at the partner universities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.