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More than a century ago, a visitor to Henry Ford's new badembly line in Highland Park, Michigan, could see workers build automobiles from interchangeable parts and witness a revolution. manufacturing in progress.
Today, someone who wants to see the future of the manufacturing sector should go to John Hart's lab. Through projects including new-generation 3D printers, carbon nanotube fibers for use in electric motors and lightweight composites, and printing of flexible materials for medical devices, Hart and his research group are developing technologies to rethink how things are made. on the scale of the world economy.
Hart, an badociate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and director of the Manufacturing and Productivity Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Additive and Digital Production Technologies, is an expert in 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, which involves – filing guided layer-by-layer material in precise three-dimensional shapes. (Conventional manufacturing typically involves making a workpiece by removing material, for example by machining or forming the workpiece with the aid of a molding tool.)
Hart's research includes the development of advanced materials – new types of polymers, nanocomposites and metal alloys – as well as the development of new machines and processes using and shaping materials, such as l & # 39; High speed 3D printing and graphene roll to roll. growth and manufacturing techniques for low-cost sensors and electronic components.
"In my laboratory, through our industry partnerships and the start-ups I'm involved in, we're trying to redefine large-scale manufacturing and rethink how resources are dedicated to manufacturing throughout the entire period. product life cycle, "said Hart. "One of the main goals is the creation of new types of 3D printers. These printers are 10 to 100 times faster, more accurate and treat both well-known materials and unprecedented materials. "
An emphasis on applications and scale
Hart grew up in the Detroit area – one of the country's major manufacturing centers since Henry Ford – and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan. He spent the summers doing an internship at General Motors. When he began his master's program in mechanical engineering at MIT, he thought that he would eventually return to the auto industry.
Once in Cambridge, new horizons opened up. "Coming to MIT, I just enjoyed the environment, the sense of challenge, the learning and the open mind," he says.
Hart's work with his consultant, Alexander Slocum, a professor of mechanical engineering, has sparked interest in the production of nanomaterials. He decided to pursue a thesis on new methods to build carbon nanotubes, long molecules stronger than steel and more conductive than copper.
When he returned to MIT in 2013 as a new faculty member, after several years as a professor at the University of Michigan, he began exploring another new frontier: 3D printing.
As director of the new MIT Center for Advanced Digital and Additive Production Technologies and co-founder of two 3D printing startups in the Boston area – Desktop Metal and VulcanForms – Hart is advancing this border on multiple fronts, by through education and entrepreneurship. and engagement with the industry.
Although the research projects conducted in his laboratory extend from the nanoscale to the macroscopic scale, he has a trained eye on an overview. With advances in computing, digitization and automation, as well as its own know-how in materials processing and machine design, Hart Group sees the potential of 3D printing to dramatically streamline and accelerate global supply chains. The group is also pursuing a series of projects related to Hart's interest in carbon nanotubes, exploring ways to transform nanotubes into advanced wires, fibers and structural composites.
For Hart, this convergence of digital-based manufacturing technologies is a way to overcome the logistical hurdles of long lead times, complex supply chains, and capital requirements.
And, it is motivated by the search for new applications beneficial to society in general. "This could be a better medical implant or sensor to measure soil health, a more conductive wire than copper, or a new activity made possible by quick access to 3D printing in a dense city or rural environment ", did he declare. said.
"If you want to make a new medical device or even a car part, think about the supply chain you need to understand and manage. Each part requires a lot of details, time and investment to design, validate and finally produce, whether it is manufactured locally or abroad. One of the reasons 3D printing is fundamentally different is that it allows designers and engineers to iterate faster and produce large quantities of on-demand parts in the near future without a fixed upfront investment. "
Seeing the future
True, "3D printing will not replace all manufacturing, or even a tenth of it in the near future," says Hart. "This is the cornerstone of a digital transformation in the way we design, produce and maintain products in a responsive and market-driven way."
As these new technologies become more widely used, the resulting changes in industrial manufacturing processes could have profound implications for future workers, as well as for their training and education. Hart is also deeply involved in these issues.
"We also like to think system-wise, in terms of the economic modeling of new manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, and understand how companies work and the transformations that might be needed in product development processes and in the skills of their employees, "he says.
This research was inspired by Hart's participation in the MIT "Work of the Future" initiative, for which he badembled a team to examine how the demands placed on workers throughout the product lifecycle – from the designer to the engineer, through the rise of automation and digitization.
Hart's workflow has become more and more diverse, in line with rapid developments on the ground. But his teaching, his research, and his work with industry all go together, he says. "Everything is symbiotic. All these activities and interests feed on each other. We also have the primary responsibility to consider the sustainability of the manufacturing technologies we are developing and the implications of more flexible manufacturing – both positive and negative – on the pressure on the planet's resources. "
In addition to his own experience as an entrepreneur – and as a co-inventor of more than 50 pending and issued patents – Hart benefits from the knowledge and energy of the professionals in the industry. teaching and students.
He has received the prestigious Ruth and Joel Spira Award for his distinguished teaching at MIT, as well as the MIT Keenan Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching, for his teaching work of Flagship Course. 2.008 (Design and Manufacturing) of MIT on undergraduate manufacturing. open online course on edX. As a "Czar Maker" of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, he oversees the design and manufacturing workshops used by hundreds of students. It collaborates with instructors and various department heads to ensure that facilities have state-of-the-art equipment and capabilities, and that students become proficient in established and emerging technologies.
He also created and runs a MITxPro course for professionals, "Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production", attended by more than 2,500 participants from around the world who sought to learn the basics and applications of 3D printing and apply that knowledge to their customers. job.
"The experience of teaching and developing courses for the industry, both in person and in digital form, has been incredibly helpful in shaping my vision of how we, at MIT, can contribute to the future of manufacturing, "Hart says.
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