AMP SoCal will be hosting its second Fac-a-thon event on April 7, 2017. Industry representatives and faculty researchers will follow up on the five advanced manufacturing topics identified during the first Fac-a-thon event, in preparation for the submission of a proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Center regarding Future Aerospace Platforms.
The Fac-a-thon is AMP SoCal’s unique version of the more commonly known “hackathon,” except instead of targeting programmers, this event is held expressly for industry and faculty researchers to collaborate on developing solutions for critical industry research issues. This opportunity is available to all interested industry, faculty representatives and their chosen graduate students. The Fac-a-thon’s ultimate mission is to sharpen the competitive edge of A&D manufacturers and their supply chain, which includes more efficient technologies and processes for product development.
On Friday, February 10 AMP SoCal held its inaugural Fac-a-thon, which was attended by industry leaders from MFA Foundry and Mission UAV, as well as University Faculty from USC, Cal State University Northridge, Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, and University of Utah among others. The event took place via telephone conference and included discussions on Battery Technology, Composites and Advanced Manufacturing. Conversations included research goals of improving composite structures and materials by focusing characteristics and performance of high-volume production of metal matrix; extending the life of batteries at a lower cost using readily available raw materials or eco-friendly and recyclable materials; and the different types of materials used in aerospace and defense manufacturing.
The discussion resulted in five research ideas for follow-up:
- Research on composite materials, coatings and processes for complex shapes and high volume production processing
- Real-time data collection and inspection during automated manufacturing of composites, coatings and binders used in materials
- Improved materials, coatings and inspection to extend the life of machine tools
- 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
- Training to existing workers on Smart Manufacturing, Recycling and Robotics.
If you would like to learn more about AMP SoCal and its Fac-a-thon initiative, please visit the Fac-a-thon website HERE.
If you are an industry representative from the aerospace and defense sector, and you would like to participate in the April 7 Fac-a-thon event, please click HERE to register and learn more.