Penn State researchers received a grant worth approximately $535,000 to install a state-of-the-art, super-finishing laboratory for 3D-printed metal parts. The machinery will provide the subtractive processing capability necessary to transform printed parts into components ready for product assembly.

The new lab will complement the existing subtractive processing technology in the Factory for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) lab within the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. The equipment in the FAME Lab will be used for both the instruction of engineering students and academic research.

Funding for the one-year project, titled “Super Finishing of Printed Metallic Parts for High Performance Naval Systems,” is being provided by the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, which operates through the Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research.