The Coordinate Metrology Society and UNC Charlotte have won an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department.
The grant is dedicated to accelerating the growth of advanced manufacturing in the United States. These industry-driven coalitions will focus on developing and executing strategic plans to solve common technology challenges.
The CMS-UNC Charlotte team will form a consortium for large-scale, precision manufacturing innovation (CLPMI). The group will identify and prioritize the technology needs of the aerospace, defense, energy and other industries that manufacture large-scale, high accuracy parts and products.
"The Coordinate Metrology Society is a natural partner in the field of large-scale metrology," explained Ed Morse, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at UNC Charlotte and deputy director of the University’s Center for Precision Metrology. "Using the society's large membership base, we can gather input from the full array of stakeholders in large-scale manufacturing and metrology processes and use our expertise in technology selection and management to guide the development of the initial roadmap for advancement in this area."
The area that Morse is talking about—large-scale, close-tolerance measurement achieved through the use of portable 3D equipment—requires the special focus and attention of industry experts due to the nature of the work and the challenges that metrologists encounter.
“The CMS-UNC Charlotte alliance is a natural progression of our charter to foster the advancement of three-dimensional measurement throughout industry. The Coordinate Metrology Society is the one association that connects all of the industry players ¾ end users, OEMs, software developers and service providers ¾ involved in large-scale manufacturing endeavors," stated Ron Hicks, CMS past chair and AMTech committee chair. "In partnership with UNC Charlotte, we can set an exciting course toward solving technical obstacles and breaking ground for future innovations. We look forward to the next two years and the practical knowledge to be gained during this trailblazing project."
Established in 2013, the NIST AMTech Program reinforces strategic partnerships between U.S. industry, academia and government. The program strives to form new industry-led consortia and strengthen existing ones with the aim of tackling shared technical barriers to the growth of advanced manufacturing.