College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

New project will explore manufacturing in space

A mechanical engineering professor will establish a new research program to study ways for manufacturing polymer-based structures in space for space applications with the help of a new grant from the Iowa Space Grant Consortium.

Montazami

Reza Montazami, associate professor in mechanical engineering (ME), received funding from the Iowa Space Grant Consortium for a project titled “Mechanics and Manufacturing of Polymeric Structures for Harsh Extraterrestrial Environments and Applications.”

Montazami will work with his team of student researchers, both undergraduate and graduate, to explore manufacturing of mechanical structures in weak gravity using polymer-based materials. The team will apply materials knowledge along with ME methods such as advanced manufacturing, 3D printing and mechanics of materials. They will also collaborate with colleagues from NASA to realize this goal.

Research on this project will start in January 2020, and funding will continue through June 2020. Montazami said that if the research finds that the concept is feasible, he and the team would collaborate with NASA to explore realization of the concept.

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