IUCRC Phase III University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK): Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center (Ma2JIC)

The Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center (Ma2JIC) is a multi-university consortium leading materials joining and metal additive manufacturing research by fostering and translating scientific discovery to application. The Center also educates the next generation of scientists and engineers that will develop new advanced manufacturing technologies and process innovations to rebuild the competitiveness of U.S. domestic manufacturing.

Given the importance of materials joining for the manufacturing of products that are critical to health, safety, national security, and the continuity of multiple industries, Ma2JIC serves multiple sectors of national interest for the U.S. economy and defense. The center provides a highly collaborative research environment among government partners, industry, and university faculty and students to promote the development and application of fundamental knowledge in materials joining and additive manufacturing.

The Center also serves as a platform for the education of a well-trained and diverse scientific and engineering workforce. Ma2JIC’s primary focus on research and development translates into industry members' and consumers' benefit. The coordinated effort across all sites increases public awareness, scientific literacy and a diverse STEM pipeline.

Based on the needs of its large and diverse industrial membership, Ma2JIC supports research in the following three thrust areas: (1) Materials & Joints Performance, (2) Additive Manufacturing, Process Development & Control, and (3) Materials, Microstructure & Weldability & Printability. The Materials & Joints Performance thrust focuses on the effect of materials and manufacturing processes on the mechanical, functional and environmental performance of manufactured or printed components, especially with regard to improved reliability, cost reduction and extension of service life of critical infrastructure.

The Additive Manufacturing, Process Development & Control thrust area addresses fundamental challenges in joining and additive manufacturing (AM) processes, robotics, and control, as well as integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) frameworks for joining and AM. Finally, the Materials, Microstructure & Weldability & Printability thrust area seeks to develop fundamental understanding and testing capabilities to enable evaluation and development of materials more amenable to advanced joining and manufacturing processes.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) site complements collaborative research within the center with its unique research capabilities and infrastructure resources for conducting various characterization studies and a Machine Tool Research Center (MTRC) with milling and additive manufacturing systems.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.