Understanding structure-property relationships for polymer nanocomposites is one of the primary challenges in discovering new, light weight, multifunctional advanced materials. Polymer nanocomposites are a class of advanced materials comprised of soft polymer matrix and nano-filler inclusions. While it has been found qualitatively that enhancements of material properties could be achieved...
Topology optimization is a powerful tool for maximizing structural performance, enabling multifunctionality of the structure, and reducing the materials waste and cost for sustainable manufacturing. However, current topology optimization tools are limited to a few scales, and the potential of nested topology optimization in engineering design has yet to be...
The tension-spoke bicycle wheel owes its stiffness and strength to a cooperative relationship between the rim and the spokes: the rim holds the spokes in tension to prevent them from buckling under external loads, while the spokes channel external forces to the hub and prevent the rim from becoming severely...
Using carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) to reduce vehicle weight has received growing attentions because it can effectively curtail greenhouse gas emissions and slow down global warming. The thermoforming process is among the most promising techniques for mass production of CFRP parts because it is highly automated and has relatively...
Friction modulation technology developed over the past decade now enables the creation of rich textural effects on flat haptic displays. However, an intuitive and manageably small design space for construction of such haptic textures remains an unfulfilled goal for user interface designers. In this thesis, I explore perceptually relevant features...
Recent advancements in processing and manufacturing techniques have spurred an exponential increase in use of polymer nanocomposites in a variety of applications. A key challenge in using these nanocomposites effectively is the dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Matrix-free assemblies of polymer grafted nanoparticles, called hairy nanoparticles assemblies(aHNPs) have...
Two major areas of research in the field of manufacturing are miniaturization and 3D printing. The trend towards miniaturization stems from the desire and need for additional functionality and improved performance for products with ever-smaller footprints. Miniaturization opens manufacturing to new applications such as tissue engineering and surface texturing. Meanwhile,...
Additive manufacturing is a promising process that has the capability to build components with complex geometries for structural and biomedical applications. Due to the rapid and localized directional solidification of molten metallic alloys, unique phase transformations occur at the melt pool that can provide for components with greater strength and...
In recent decades, metal additive manufacturing has seen rapid advancements, offering promising applications across various industries. However, addressing existing challenges in metal AM, such as process stability, defect avoidance, and quality control, is essential for fully exploiting its potential in fabricating parts with a desired geometry, as well as tailored...
Manufacturing processes are known for their intricacies in changing material shapes and properties. New generations of manufacturing technologies, known as flexible manufacturing, are moving toward design freedom, which allows producing parts with optimized geometries and high customizations at an affordable cost even for low-volume productions. Two prominent flexible manufacturing processes...