New Hampshire Innovation Research Center (NHIRC) is excited to share that Turbocam Energy Solutions, LLC, a Dover-based affiliate of Turbocam International, is collaborating with researchers from the University of New Hampshire to evaluate the feasibility of replacing forging and casting with an additive manufactured alloy. This new technology could reduce energy use by 50 percent and reduce material costs by up to 90 percent compared to traditional manufacturing. The new process could improve final product quality, increase product production, and create new high-quality technician and engineering jobs in New Hampshire.
The collaboration is made possible by a Granite State Technology Innovation Grant from the NHIRC which supports developing projects in the private sector. Projects vary from proof-of-concept to a substantial product or process design. This project will push the frontiers of knowledge in additive manufacturing technology and performances of additively manufactured materials to the next level. Dr. Marko Knezevic, the assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at UNH who is conducting the feasibility study, sees this as a clear example of when research results generated at universities directly benefit industry.
Turbocam develops special processes for turbomachinery products, and nearly every manufacturing solution developed by Turbocam since 1985 has reached commercialization, even recently through the slow economic recovery. According to Turbocam’s general manager Jonathan Bicknell, this study will enable Turbocam to launch new products for their aerospace, industrial, and automotive customers.
The grant could also produce sufficient preliminary results that will enable the University of New Hampshire to apply for a federal NSF grant to support transformative research beyond what industry would normally fund.
The NHIRC is a win-win program for New Hampshire companies, academic researchers, and their students. To learn more about the NHIRC and how to apply for funding, visit http://www.nhirc.unh.edu, or contact me at gretchen.smith@unh.edu or (603) 862-0123.
Gretchen Smith, NHIRC Program Director
