MSU ACI Engineers and JuggerBot 3D at RAPID 2024 in Los Angeles, CA.
From left to right, Hunter Watts (MSU ACI), Matthew Roberson (MSU ACI), Easton Williams (MSU ACI), Zac DiVencenzo (JuggerBot 3D)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Hunter Watts, a Research Engineer and Lead Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites Institute (ACI) have been selected as key technical partners in JuggerBot 3D LLC’s hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) project, backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The $4 million project, funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology, aims to advance large-scale hybrid AM for faster and cheaper production of tooling for the Defense and Aerospace industries.
The project focuses on integrating resin-based and pellet-fed material extrusion technologies, utilizing advanced thermoplastic and thermoset materials. ORNL will contribute expertise in software and tool path development, while MSU ACI will lead system validation through material testing and assessment. The project aims to shorten production timelines, reducing the cost of producing aerospace tools from months to weeks, offering critical benefits to U.S. defense capabilities. Completion is targeted for December 2025, and the technology promises long-term impacts on aerospace manufacturing by delivering more efficient, durable tooling.
https://www.voxelmatters.com/ornl-and-mississippi-state-to-join-juggerb…