WPI to take part in White House manufacturing initiative
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is home to one of four facilities that will be part of a White House initiative focusing on revitalizing American manufacturing, the school announced.
WPI’s Metal Processing Institute (MPI) will be part of the $148-million American Lightweight and Modern Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute initiative. According to WPI, the institute is one of the largest industry-university consortiums in North America, with more than 80 members, and is intended to advance state-of-the-art metal processing and materials recovery and recycling. Two of MPI’s industry-funded research centers are the Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC) and the Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE), and WPI said it will “contribute its unique expertise in lightweight metal casting and heat treatment reflected in the missions of two of its industry-funded research centers.”
Lightweight metals include aluminum, titanium, magnesium, and high-strength steels. WPI said using these metals instead of heavier steel in cars, trucks, aircraft, and ships can result in significant fuel savings. For example, WPI said it has been estimated that each 10-percent reduction in vehicle weight produces a 5 to 7 percent increase in fuel economy.
"The pioneering work of WPI researchers in materials science and engineering, and metals processing in particular, is recognized internationally," said David Cyganski, dean of engineering at WPI. "I am delighted that our research expertise and leadership can contribute to this important national effort and help make the United States, once again, a center for innovation in manufacturing."
According to WPI, the initiative, launched by President Obama in 2013, is expected to create more than 10,000 metals manufacturing jobs, spur research and development on lightweight metals processing and manufacturing, and help train hundreds of engineers and skilled trade workers. Its headquarters will be in the Detroit area, led by EWI, a nonprofit manufacturing innovation company in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the University of Michigan and the University of Ohio.
The initiative is a consortium of businesses, universities, government agencies and laboratories, and will be funded by $70 million from the Department of Defense. That will be matched by $78 million from the consortium partners. Other facilities for the initiative are in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the University of Michigan will provide materials processing and characterization facilities; Columbus, Ohio, where EWI and Ohio State University will make available advanced manufacturing equipment and facilities; and Golden, Colo., where the Colorado School of Mines has facilities for technology development in thermo-mechanical and other lightweight materials processing.
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