Workshop_in_brief
Strategic and critical materials are vital to national defense and economic prosperity, enabling the United States to develop and sustain emerging technologies and improve its warfighting capability. Mid-scale manufacturing and characterization capacity in combination with modeling and simulation is expected to play a key role in this effort.
On March 4-5, 2025, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Defense Materials, Manufacturing, and Its Infrastructure Standing Committee hosted the second part of a two-part workshop sponsored by the Department of Defense. Through presentations and discussion, participants the availability, access, and economic sustainability of both mid-scale manufacturing facilities and experimental facilities that provide extreme environment characterization, with particular attention toward defense-specific applications. The workshop events also explored state-of-the-art approaches used to evaluate data, models, and simulations for scale up.
19 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99362-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29151
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mid-Scale Manufacturing and Characterization Capacity for Department of Defense Critical Materials Supply Challenges, Part 2: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Nanotechnology, the science and technology of objects and phenomena at the 1-100 nm length scales, is an iconic example of how the United States has leveraged national science and technology policy to lead in the highly competitive global research market. Two decades after authorization of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, or NNI, the United States can claim multiple Nobel Prizes and diverse technologies that are the envy of the world.
This report assesses the current state of nanotechnology, detailing the impact on U.S. economic prosperity and national security, and then considers whether and in what form the NNI should continue. Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative makes recommendations to sustain and expand the nanotechnology infrastructure, including human capital, cutting-edge tools, and shared facilities, so that the nation's nanotechnology innovation and discovery can remain the best in the world.
120 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73511-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73512-2
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29063
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (2025): Securing U.S. Global Leadership Through Renewed and Expanded Infrastructure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
Accelerating, scaling up, and transitioning technologies to produce or replace critical materials - materials that are not found or produced in the United States in quantities to meet U.S. defense needs - are essential to enable the United States to develop and sustain emerging technologies and improve its warfighting capability. Mid-scale manufacturing and characterization capacity in combination with modeling and simulation are expected to play a key role in this effort.
To explore U.S. manufacturing and characterization capacity for mid-scale production, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Defense Materials, Manufacturing, and Its Infrastructure Standing Committee hosted the first part of a two-part workshop on January 29-30, 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
20 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99232-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29117
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mid-Scale Manufacturing and Characterization Capacity for Department of Defense Critical Materials Supply Challenges, Part 1: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
On May 29-30, 2024, the National Materials and Manufacturing Board and the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop, Methods for Enhancing Additive Manufacturing Qualification and Certification for Defense Applications, sponsored by the Department of Defense. The aim of the workshop was to explore current approaches to enhancing predictive accuracy and innovations in process, control, and inspection, as well as to discuss recent advances in statistics and analytics. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at that workshop.
13 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73177-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28595
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Methods for Enhancing Additive Manufacturing Qualification and Certification for Defense Applications: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Semiconductor chips power practically all electronic devices, from cellphones and vehicles to communications and defense systems essential for national security. The Department of Defense (DoD) uses a wide range of semiconductors for mission systems such as radars, sensors, and high-power-density electronics - but the U.S. is now strongly dependent on other nations for both commercial and defense semiconductor needs.
At the request of Congress, this study addresses the challenges that DoD is experiencing as it engages with the global microelectronics sector and explores ways to engage with public-private partnerships to support assured production and innovation in the semiconductor industry. The recommendations of Strategies to Enable Assured Access to Semiconductors for the Department of Defense focus on long-term strategic coordination, investment in emerging technologies, leveraging of commercial advancements, and a modernization strategy that is nimble enough to incorporate emerging technologies and be responsive to global competition.
206 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71702-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71703-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27624
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Strategies to Enable Assured Access to Semiconductors for the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Additive manufacturing (AM), the process in which a three-dimensional (3D) object is built by adding subsequent layers of materials, enables novel material compositions and shapes, often without the need for specialized tooling. On March 11-13, 2024, the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics of the National Academies held a workshop on Statistical and Data-Driven Methods for Additive Manufacturing. The workshop brought together researchers from different AM communities, statisticians, data scientists, and AI/machine learning (ML) experts to examine approaches that enhance dimensional accuracy and dimensional stability; recent advances and future directions in statistics, data analytics, AI, and ML; and the issues associated with a rapid advance of AM material qualification and part certification.
82 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72562-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72563-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27939
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Statistical and Data-Driven Methods for Additive Manufacturing Qualification: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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High magnetic fields are a vital tool in many areas of science and technology that impact our everyday lives. Magnetic resonance imaging enables a wide range of medical diagnostics and research, while nuclear magnetic resonance is critical for drug discovery research and more. High magnetic fields are an essential component to many proposed fusion energy reactors and are necessary to push the boundaries towards the development of new quantum technologies and semiconductors.
At the request of the National Science Foundation, the National Academies organized a study to identify scientific opportunities and key applications for high-magnetic-field science and technology for the next decade and beyond. This report explores the current state and future prospects for high-magnetic-field technologies and recommends actions to support the workforce, facilities, magnet development, and critical materials access necessary to promote U.S. innovation.
194 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72177-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72178-4
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27830
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The Current Status and Future Direction of High-Magnetic-Field Science and Technology in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Smart manufacturing technologies - from advanced sensors to new computing capabilities - have the potential to greatly improve the productivity, energy efficiency, and sustainability of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Successfully implementing these technologies is essential for ensuring U.S. competitiveness and providing new job opportunities for the U.S. workforce.
Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing explores promising technologies transforming the manufacturing sector and identifies the research and resources needed to accelerate smart manufacturing adoption industry wide. This report also identifies critical needs for education and workforce development for smart manufacturing and makes actionable recommendations to support and train the next-generation manufacturing workforce.
156 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71084-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71085-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27260
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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On November 1-2, 2022, the Defense Materials, Manufacturing, and its Infrastructure Standing Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop on autonomous materials discovery and optimization. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during that workshop.
13 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70230-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26989
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Autonomous Materials Discovery and Optimization: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) was launched in 2011 by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to help accelerate the design, discovery, development and deployment of advanced materials and to reduce costs through the integration of advanced computation and data management with experimental synthesis and characterization. A broad range of federal agencies - including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense - are part of the MGI effort and have invested more than $1 billion in resources and infrastructure accumulative since the start.
The efforts of NSF have been focused largely within the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer Our Future (DMREF) program, which supports the development of fundamental science, computational and experimental tools for generating and managing data, and workforce that enable industry and other government agencies to develop and deploy materials that meet societal needs and national priorities. At the request of NSF, this report evaluates the goals, progress, and scientific accomplishments of the DMREF program within the context of similar efforts both within the United States and abroad. The recommendations of this report will assist NSF as it continues to increase its engagement with industry and federal agencies to transition the results from fundamental science efforts to reach the MGI goal of deploying advanced materials at least twice as fast as possible today, at a fraction of the cost that meet national priorities.
166 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69401-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69402-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26723
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. NSF Efforts to Achieve the Nation's Vision for the Materials Genome Initiative: Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer Our Future (DMREF). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Cutting-edge technologies are reshaping manufacturing in the United States and around the world, with applications from medicine to defense. If the United States wants to further build upon these new innovations, the next generation of engineers must be trained to work in advanced manufacturing from the undergraduate level and beyond.
Infusing Advanced Manufacturing into Undergraduate Engineering Education examines advanced manufacturing techniques for the defense industry and explores how undergraduate engineering programs can better develop advanced manufacturing capabilities in the workforce. This report discusses how industry can contribute to engineering programs and the role that government can play by including undergraduate engineering students in their manufacturing initiatives. The report gives specific guidance on ways to incorporate experiential learning emphasizing advanced manufacturing and strengthen ties between academia, industry, and government through mentoring and internship programs.
206 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69573-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69574-0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26773
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Infusing Advanced Manufacturing into Undergraduate Engineering Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The use of living organisms and biological components in manufacturing processes is increasing across manufacturing sectors. However, biomanufacturing faces several bottlenecks and challenges to continued growth. To share practices and potential solutions, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop titled Successes and Challenges in Biomanufacturing on October 24-25, 2022. The workshop brought together biomanufacturing stakeholders across industry, academia, and government with expertise across diverse fields, including U.S.-based and international speakers. Discussions spanned the breadth of biomanufacturing contexts and applications, including bioindustrial and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief provides a high-level summary of the topics addressed at the workshop.
12 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69795-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26846
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Successes and Challenges in Biomanufacturing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Steel is a common component of U.S. infrastructure, but that steel can corrode when buried in soil, rock, or fill. Steel corrosion is estimated to cost the United States 3-4 percent of its gross domestic product every year, and it can lead to infrastructure failure, loss of lives, property, disruption of energy and transportation systems, and damage to the environment. Although the mechanisms of steel corrosion are well understood, limited data on subsurface corrosion and the inability to measure corrosivity directly make accurate corrosion prediction through modeling a challenge. When hazardous levels of corrosion does occur, it is difficult to determine whether the cause was related to site selection, engineering decisions, changes in subsurface conditions, or a combination of these factors.
This report explores the state of knowledge and technical issues regarding the corrosion of steel used for earth applications (e.g., for ground stabilization, pipelines, and infrastructure foundations) in unconsolidated earth or rock in different geologic settings. The report summarizes mechanisms of steel corrosion, assesses the state of practice for characterizing factors in the subsurface environment that influence corrosion and corrosion rates, and assesses the efficacy and uncertainties associated with quantitative, field, and laboratory methods for predicting corrosion.
The industries and experts most involved with managing buried steel should collaborate to improve multidisciplinary understanding of the processes that drive buried steel corrosion. Developing a common lexicon related to buried steel corrosion, generating new data on corrosion through collaborative long-term experiments, sharing and managing data, and developing new data analytical techniques to inform infrastructure design, construction, and management decisions are key. Industries, experts, and regulators should collaboratively develop decision support systems that guide site characterization and help manage risk. These systems and new data should undergird a common clearinghouse for data on corrosion of buried steel, which will ultimately inform better and more efficient management of buried steel infrastructure, and protect safety and the environment.
162 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69267-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69268-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26686
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Corrosion of Buried Steel at New and In-Service Infrastructure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The U.S. Department of Defense faces a complex array of challenges in its efforts to retain a position of technological dominance and to protect national security. Several aspects of materials and manufacturing, especially the ability of materials to operate with predictable behaviors in high-temperature environments, pose particular challenges. To illuminate issues surrounding novel high-temperature materials discovery, development, manufacturing, and application, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop titled High-Temperature Materials Systems: Emerging Applications, Materials, and Science Gaps on May 10-11, 2022. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
12 pages
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69806-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26849
National Research Council. 2023. High-Temperature Materials Systems: Emerging Applications, Materials, and Science Gaps: Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The ability to deploy and maintain infrastructure and equipment is crucial to military operations and national security. However, the ability to make and repair equipment in a wide range of operational environments is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains and to attacks. Emerging technologies and innovations offer exciting new opportunities to create structures remotely using a broad range of materials, as well as new capabilities for repair and operational support to sustain assets in the long term.
To examine these issues and reveal areas of opportunity for military applications and the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted the Workshop on Logistics and Manufacturing Under Attack on June 2-4, 2021. The virtual event brought together speakers and attendees representing materials science, engineering, logistics, and manufacturing experts from industry, academia, and government agencies. The event was organized around three main topics: additive manufacturing of large structures, critical systems supply and repair, and supply and manufacturing in space. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
74 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-28674-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-28676-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26482
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Logistics and Manufacturing Under Attack: Future Pathways: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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A convergent manufacturing platform is defined as a system that synergistically combines heterogeneous materials and processes (e.g., additive, subtractive, and transformative) in one platform. The platform is equipped with unprecedented modularity, flexibility, connectivity, reconfigurability, portability, and customization capabilities. The result is one manufacturing platform that is easily reconfigured to output new functional devices and complex components for systems. This manufacturing system also converges the integration of physical components and digital models along with sensor networks for process monitoring and production.
The National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a 3-day workshop event to explore research and development (R&D) opportunities and challenges for convergent manufacturing. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the three workshops in the series were held virtually on November 15, 2021; November 19, 2021; and November 22, 2021. The workshop series focused on the following three overarching topics: (1) key areas for R&D investments that will enable the readiness and commercial development of convergent manufacturing; (2) application areas for convergent manufacturing, with an emphasis on future Army and related civilian applications; and (3) approaches for the design of a convergent manufacturing platform.
84 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-68588-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68606-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26524
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Convergent Manufacturing: A Future of Additive, Subtractive, and Transformative Manufacturing: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Advances in materials science and engineering play a crucial role in supporting the U.S. economy and national security. To maintain its leading edge in the field, the United States relies on a rich and diverse innovation ecosystem encompassing industry, academic institutions, and government laboratories. While this ecosystem has generated numerous gains for defense agencies, the technology sector, consumers, and the country as a whole over many decades, recent years have brought new challenges and a shifting global dynamic in the field. The United States, long a global magnet for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and expertise, has seen its competitive edge slip as other countries in Europe and Asia have increased their investments in cultivating science and engineering talent and innovation. In 2020, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic caused far-reaching disruptions for both education and supply chains across the world, compounding many of the dynamics that were already affecting materials science and engineering in the United States.
To explore these issues, the Workshop on Materials Science and Engineering in a Post-Pandemic World was organized as part of a workshop series on Defense Materials Manufacturing and Its Infrastructure. Hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the virtual event brought together approximately 30 speakers and attendees representing materials science, engineering, and manufacturing experts from industry, academia, and government agencies. The 3-day workshop explored education and workforce trends across the nation and the globe, with particular focus on the U.S. Department of Defense and university-government collaborations. Participants discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected science and engineering education, opportunities to reimagine traditional education for the field, and the imperative to develop a more diverse workforce. Several speakers presented their views on what the post-pandemic future may hold, and many offered perspectives on key concerns and priorities for the field moving forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
102 pages
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ISBN Paperback: 0-309-08313-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-08317-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26226
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Materials Science and Engineering in a Post-Pandemic World: A DoD Perspective: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Topology optimization is a digital method for designing objects in order to achieve the best structural performance, sometimes in combination with other physical requirements. Topology optimization tools use mathematical algorithms, such as the finite element method and gradient computation, to generate designs based on desired characteristics and predetermined constraints. Initially a purely academic tool, topology optimization has advanced rapidly and is increasingly being applied to the design of a wide range of products and components, from furniture to spacecraft.
To explore the potential and challenges of topology optimization, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a two-day workshop on November 19-20, 2019, Exploiting Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities: Topology Optimization in Design. The workshop was organized around three main topics: how topology optimization can incorporate manufacturability along with functional design; challenges and opportunities in combining multiple physical processes; and approaches and opportunities for design of soft and compliant structures and other emerging applications. Speakers identified the unique strengths of topology optimization and explored a wide range of techniques and strengths of topology optimization and explored a wide range of techniques and achievements in the field to date. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
90 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27064-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27065-0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26362
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Exploiting Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities: Topology Optimization in Design: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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