Research
The primary research goal of QCAM is to perform multi-disciplinary research about in- and ex-situ quality control at the graduate and undergraduate levels. We strive to perform this research in close collaboration with ORNL, LANL, and KCNSC staff/scientists by incorporating them as mentors and co-advisors on any QCAM sponsored research. It is our objective to create rich experiences for students in the multi-disciplinary fields related to AM and quality control through scientific journal review, training, and research internships. The R&D that QCAM performs will not only increase our general understanding of in- and ex-situ quality control, but more importantly will increase students’ employability by preparing them with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and other soft skills needed to be excellent candidates to join the industry.
Other QCAM research goals include…
Building capabilities in NDT and sensing for in- and ex-situ quality control of AM for research and education to make QCAM a center for quality control to complement other MSIPP consortiums.
Involving faculty members in multi-disciplinary areas of research with NNSA industry/labs.
Increasing collaboration among academic partners through research projects that require multi- disciplinary knowledge and expertise.
Leveraging the QCAM consortium to pursue additional external funding opportunities (e.g. NSF) by sharing expertise and capabilities built in QCAM.
Enhancing the QCAM, lab interaction, and profile through peer-reviewed publication and conference participation.
Undergraduate Research Projects
QCAM undergraduate research opportunities are provided through several different methods at each consortium university.
One way students can participate in a QCAM-sponsored project at NMSU is through the Undergraduate Research Scholar (URS) program. These semester long projects allow undergraduate students to become familiarized with the technology and techniques that QCAM research is centered around. It is also a great on-ramp to the QCAM pipeline for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in AM or working with NNSA National labs.
At NMSU & PVAMU, students can also participate via their Senior Design/Capstone courses. All QCAM undergraduate research students are mentored by QCAM faculty & NNSA scientists and given the opportunity to pursue internships within an NNSA national lab.
Some examples of previous Undergraduate research projects are…
Material Characterization of Carbon Fiber PEEK Material
Monitoring of Failure Mechanisms in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of Heat Exchanger
Polymer Additive Manufacturing Pressure Vessels
Material Characterization of Polymer Additive Manufacturing FFF process using Ultrasound Time of Flight and Attenuation
Material Characterization of Polymer Additive Manufacturing FFF process using Acoustic emission and thermal imaging
Graduate Research Projects
QCAM Graduate Research Assistants are given the opportunity to work directly with University faculty & NNSA scientists on one of our 3 designated research topics in order to gain valuable hands-on experience, in-depth knowledge, and expertise.
Ultrasound immersion testing of additive components
In-situ quality control of polymer/composite AM
CT Scanning of additive-manufactured components
If you are interested in learning more or joining the QCAM project as a Graduate Research Assistant, complete the form submission below.
Recent Publications
Characterization of nonlinear ultrasonic waves behavior while interacting with poor interlayer bonds in large-scale additive manufactured materials; by Sina Zamen, Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, Helem Al-Beer John Lindahl Ahmed Arabi Hassen; NDT&E international -Volume 127
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963869522000019
“Numerical Modeling of Ultrasonic Assessment in Additively Manufactured Composite Materials” by Mariya Chukovenkova, Borys Drach, Andrei Zagrai
“Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer During Composite Fused Filament Fabrication” by Fidel Baez Avila, Rose Ghasemi, Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, Borys Drach
Performance evaluation and optimization of fixture adapter for oil drilling top drives - Nonlinear Engineering, De Gruyter; L. Chedjou, M. Querol, X. Peng, J. Zhou, J. Park (2023)