Fac-a-thon 3.0 took place Friday, May 19 to explore the National Science Foundation Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers Program (NSF IUCRC) proposal development process and plan an industry-focused Fac-a-thon 4.0 meeting for June 27. The Fac-a-thon is an AMP SoCal initiative dedicated to facilitating collaboration between industry and faculty researchers to solve A&D research issues. The previous meetings on February 10 and April 7 yielded 5 different aerospace industry research areas for further exploration, including:

1. Research on composite materials, coatings and processes for complex shapes and high production processing volumes
2. Real-time data collection and inspection during automated manufacturing of composites, coatings and binders used in materials
3. Improved materials, coating and inspection to extend the life of machine tools
4. Designing and testing novel materials resistant to decomposition as well as energy storage for batteries, allowing UAVs and other platforms to extend their distance and commercial use
5. Training to existing workers on smart manufacturing, recycling and robotics

• Click here to review all notes from the April 7 Fac-a-thon meeting.