Sustainable Manufacturing and Design

Sustainable manufacturing and design research efforts focus on sustainability issues related to product design and polymers.

Tomorrow Needs Intelligent Product Design

Departmental research in sustainable product design investigates life-cycle design with regard to the environment

The goal is to develop methods that support more-sustainable technologies. Integrated product-service systems are also emphasized. Researchers characterize value behavior across multiple life cycles; perform modular design to facilitate assembly, maintenance, and disassembly/remanufacturing; and feature and material selection via multiple criteria design.

The Future of Polymers

Departmental research in polymers investigates the design of plastic parts, the effect of elongational viscosity on polymeric flows, and the estimation of elongational viscosity for polymeric melts.

Researchers employ polymer-processing computer simulation, 3-D simulation of the flow in ceramic-injection molding, the mixing of polymers, and the optimization of die geometry for polymer extrusion.

The Automation in Manufacturing and Industrial Systems (AMIS) Lab conducts fundamental and applied research in the interdisciplinary fields of manufacturing and industrial systems to develop novel solutions to real-world problems.

Solvent-targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP) Application is for applying restoration of contaminated plastics to their original state of use.

Faculty + Research = Discovery

Our department boasts world-class faculty who have access to numerous innovative research labs and are committed to discovery and learning.

This encompasses a range of research areas, experiences, and expertise related to sustainable manufacturing and design. Learn more about our faculty and their research interests:

Research Projects

Our faculty engage in a number of research projects, many of which are publicly funded.

A sample listing of recent research projects appears below. You can also view a broader list of research projects taking place across the mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics department.

Past Projects

“We're seeing a manufacturing renaissance in this country right now.”Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) on UP innovation