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:
- Research on composite materials, coatings and processes for complex shapes and high production processing volumes
- Real-time data collection and inspection during automated manufacturing of composites, coatings and binders used in materials
- Improved materials, coating 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