NSF Award
2209616
Metal forming processes are among the most efficient, economical and environmentally-friendly high-volume manufacturing techniques, creating products by re-shaping the input feedstock, with limited waste, and oftentimes at room temperature. Approximately 5.8% of the U.S. GDP ($21.4 trillion in 2019) is tied to industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, materials, electronics and biomedical, all extensively utilizing metal forming processes. Therefore, the estimated economic impact of metal forming in the U.S. society is in the hundreds of billion $. This award supports the planning phase of the proposed Center for Industrial Metal Forming (CIMF). The mission of the Center, which is comprised of Ohio State University (OSU), Oakland University (OU), North Carolina State University (NCSU) and University of New Hampshire (UNH), is to perform cutting-edge, pre-competitive fundamental research in metal forming science and engineering and to create the next generation of industry experts. CIMF will conduct industry-driven transformational research in novel bulk and sheet forming processes; Integrated Computational Metal Forming (ICMF) and the sciences that tie into it, such as plasticity and fracture; advanced equipment and die technologies; and the application of sensors and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in metal forming. This effort will necessitate an interdisciplinary approach with experts from manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, numerical methods, data analytics and experimental mechanics. Therefore, CIMF activities will create a highly-competitive, diverse workforce to support the growth of U.S. industry and expand manufacturing employment, while also contributing to the Nation’s supply chain resilience and global market competitiveness. <br/><br/>CIMF is designed around integrating the core competencies of its four sites with the industry needs identified during the extensive customer discovery. The fundamental research at CIMF will be based on three pillars: 1) computational and material enhancements in forming; 2) innovative forming processes; and 3) equipment and die innovation. These pillars blend with the unique expertise of each site: Integrated Computational Metal Forming (ICMF) for OSU; shearing processes, IIoT in stamping and equipment and die innovation for OU; forging, hybrid forming processes and tribology for NCSU; and material and process modeling and flexible forming for UNH. Vertical, fundamental advances will be achieved by employing innovative approaches in sheet metal/tube forming, forging and extrusion processes, improving material formability, advancing methods for virtual process design, and employing new die materials, coatings, lubricants and metal forming equipment. Specifically, the industry-focused projects will target process innovation (e.g., hydro-forging, flexible forming), forming control based on IIoT, energy-efficient forming machines, enhanced performance of Additively-Manufactured dies, etc. The results will be advancements in material utilization, final part performance and weight reduction, industry-friendly computational tools for process design, metal forming dies with extended life and industrial metal forming processes of increased productivity, across a range of advanced material systems and industries, e.g., automotive, aerospace, and biomedical. In particular, the major directions at OU site will be in breakthrough technologies of trimming, punching and blanking of Ultra High Strength Steels, fundamental understanding of die coatings and lubricant performance, innovative sensors and data processing algorithms controlling stability of sheet metal inflow into the die cavity and distortion of sheet metal parts after stamping in high volume production. Collaborative CIMF projects with other sites will benefit from access to Automotive Tribology Center, automated stamping equipment, and state-of-art electron microscopy and nano-indentation lab. The OU site of CIMF will involve faculty with expertise in process innovation, tribology, sensors, modeling of contact problems, data analytics and IIoT.<br/><br/>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.
