3-D printing may still seem to be a truly futuristic technology, but how it will ultimately change product design, manufacturing and delivery remains an exciting horizon we are only starting to fully imagine.

“If you look at the evolution of the smartphone, you can see where 3-D manufacturing is going,” Ken Church, CEO of nScrypt, a high-tech 3-D equipment company, said. “Phones at first were used just for talking, now the smartphone technology has replaced everything from a GPS to a digital camera.” 

New research shows critical changes to the microstructure of iron-based alloys, materials that are important for manufacturing permanent magnets for use in electrical appliances and cars.

Magnetic materials play a crucial role in the progress of industrial growth and societal advancement. They are used in everything from electric motors and generators to actuators and are important in energy conversion.

Jason Maxwell was working on his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in the late ‘90s when the young student he discovered the importance of teamwork. 

“One thing I learned was that it was less about me and more about you, the LMMY principal,” Maxwell said.” Working with others, in school, in a passionate team environment helped drive me further than I ever thought possible. By focusing on the team, and others, I learned it always comes back around ten-fold.”  

In a series of new articles, researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering made new discoveries on the effects of temperature on sustainable polymers. Their findings may help the industry to produce plastics that are more sustainable and better for the environment.

“Plastics made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, remain too long in our land and water when discarded,” Rufina Alamo, chemical engineering professor at the college, says.

A FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researcher, collaborating with a colleague from Howard University, is investigating bacteria-related dynamics in one of two new projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

The NSF has awarded over $1 million for two research grants for bacteria related investigations that have the potential to impact societal health by supporting new diagnosis and treatment methods for diseases.

In the 2021 Best College rankings, FAMU-FSU Engineering moved up to Top 40 public schools nationwide and Top 2 schools in Florida