The University of North Florida has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) award that will allow researchers to make 3D-printed metal parts more reliable and less wasteful.

Dr. Longfei Zhou, assistant professor of advanced manufacturing engineering, and a team of student researchers will utilize the NSF award to develop a system to improve metal 3D printing by spotting and fixing problems as they occur during the printing process.

Student researchers involved in the project include advanced manufacturing engineering seniors Maria Fernanda Ocrospoma Figueroa, Tessa Baur and Taylor Uhruh. Baur is the president and Ocrospoma is vice president of the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering club at UNF.

Metal additive manufacturing, especially a method called laser powder bed fusion, is widely used to produce intricate parts for airplanes, medical implants and energy systems. A common problem occurs when tiny streaks form after a machine's powder-spreading arm accidentally drags or disturbs the metal powder. Those streaks can lead to flaws that often force manufacturers to scrap parts or redo entire builds.

The new project aims to dramatically reduce those failures by giving 3D printers a fast, automated quality-control system that watches every layer and makes small, targeted corrections only where needed.

Reducing defects means fewer failed builds, lower costs and less wasted energy and materials. The researchers say the work will help strengthen the nation's manufacturing base by improving yields and making advanced production methods more sustainable.

The project also includes new course modules and lab activities to teach students how data and automation are reshaping manufacturing. To encourage industry and academic use, the team plans to release datasets, trained models, digital-twin software and baseline decision policies to the public so that all manufacturers may benefit from the technology.