TOP STORY
CCM Faculty Profile: Associate Professor Dirk Heider
By Diane Kukich
Since CCM Assistant Director of Technology Dirk Heider joined the Center more than a decade ago, he has worked in a number of research areas and contributed to many of the Center's major programs. The common theme that runs through all of his work is a focus on composites manufacturing science, with an eye toward improving reliability through automation. In a sense, the themes of Heider's research are those of the Center itself. “My work—whether it's on thermoplastic tape placement or pultrusion or VARTM—involves applying fundamental scientific principles to practical problems and transitioning the results to industry,” Heider says. |
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“The industrial consortium has been a core element of the Center since its establishment in 1974,” he continues, “Eleven years later, in 1985, the National Science Foundation awarded CCM a major grant to establish a multidisciplinary program addressing composites manufacturing science. So the development of a manufacturing science base for advanced composites and collaboration with industry have long been integral parts of CCM's programs, just as they have been integral to my life here at the Center.”
Heider, who also holds an appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , began working at CCM in the 1990s, when the RAPTECH (rapid automated placement technology) program was underway. He took fundamental models developed by John Tierney to describe thermoplastic processing and used them to create an automated workcell for the process. “Automation was needed to enable the manufacture of aerospace-quality parts,” he says.
Heider's next step was to apply that same strategy to liquid molding processes, primarily VARTM (vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding). This work has been funded through two centers of excellence at CCM, one sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the other by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA). Through the ONR program, the suite of technology is being applied to ship systems, while the FAA center is applying it to aerospace products.
Heider is PI on the FAA program as well as on a project with 2Phase Technologies, a small company that develops reconfigurable tooling systems used for low-cost prototyping, repair and remanufacturing. In addition, he is collaborating with the U.S. Army on projects to replace sheet metal in wheeled vehicles with VARTM composites.
Heider is also interested in nondestructive testing and health monitoring of advanced composites, and, as an electrical engineer, he brings a unique perspective to these research areas. He is currently collaborating with Blue Road Research to develop an embedded 3D strain sensing system for composites using fiber optics. In addition, he is working with the Army Research Office (ARO) on a system to sense moisture in composites. Finally, Heider is looking to extend the SIDER vibration NDI technique developed by the Naval Academy in Annapolis to integrate MEMS sensors into composites for fully automated monitoring of large-scale FRP structures.
“My overall vision,” says Heider, “is to use automation as the basis for the development of a twenty-first century composites manufacturing environment where there is no need to rely on the judgment of technicians on the shop floor. Automation is the key to reliability.”
Industry obviously finds value in Heider's work. “Probably close to half of our current consortium members are interested in liquid molding processes,” Heider says, “and they represent all sectors of the business from materials suppliers to manufacturers to end users.”
But Heider emphasizes that industry values not only the Center's research and technology but also its other “product”—students. “All of these programs have strong student involvement,” says Heider. “Companies are always looking for good composites engineers, and it's a critical component of our mission to contribute to the education of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
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OTHER NEWS
Student Achievement Recognized at 2006 Honors Day
On May 5, 2006, UD-CCM-affiliated graduate and undergraduate students received awards for achievements in original research and scholarship as well as professional and personal growth. The UD-CCM ceremony was held as part of the University of Delaware's campus-wide Honors Day. Dean Eric Kaler of the College of Engineering provided keynote remarks and Professor Suresh G. Advani, UD-CCM Associate Director, presided over the annual event.
R. L. MCCULLOUGH SCHOLARS AWARD: The Scholars Award recognizes original contributions to the literature on composite materials. The tribute, consisting of a monetary award, is bestowed on the student author of a paper accepted for publication in a refereed journal. Selection of the recipient for this award is based on the quality of the paper.
Recipient: Bo Hu, PhDCE
Advisor: Prof. Shenton
Recipient: Solange Amouroux, PhDMSE:
Advisor: Prof. Gillespie
PROGRESS AWARD: The Progress Award recognizes research contributions of students to the research goals of the Composites Center . The tribute, consisting of a monetary award, is bestowed on the student author of a CCM Research Report, thesis, or dissertation. Selection of the recipient of this award is based on the quality of the report, thesis, or dissertation.
Recipient: Valentin Neacsu , PhDME
Advisor: Prof. Advani
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: The Achievement Award recognizes outstanding personal growth demonstrated by a Center-affiliated student. The tribute, which consists of a monetary award, is bestowed on a student who has demonstrated superior achievement.
Recipient: Justin Clews, PhDMSE
Advisor: Prof. Gillespie
OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD: The Outstanding Senior Award recognizes the contributions of students participating in the Undergraduate Research Program of the Composites Center . The tribute, consisting of a monetary award, is bestowed on an outstanding senior for cumulative contributions (service as well as research) to Center activities. This year the contributions of five outstanding senior students were considered worthy of recognition.
Recipient: Adam Binkley, BME
Advisor: Dr. Gama
Recipient: Barry Pollock , BME
Advisor: Dr. Heider
Recipient: Christopher Thompson, BEE
Advisors: Prof. Weile and Prof. Yarlagadda
Recipient: Jamie Nguyen, BEE
Advisors: Prof. Weile and Prof. Yarlagadda
Recipient: Karen Mazzola, BCE
Advisor: Prof. Chajes
Recipient: Niki Frangakis, BME
Advisor: Prof. Advani
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD: The Undergraduate Research Award is bestowed on a student in their junior year whose proposal to perform research on composite materials under the guidance of a UD-CCM affiliated faculty member is selected. The student is expected to enroll in UNIV 401 and UNIV 402 and write a senior thesis. Selection of the recipient for this award is based on the research objective and plan submitted by the student in a one page abstract.
Recipient: Matthew Griffith, BME
Advisor: Prof. Glancey
Recipient: Joseph Houghton, BCHE
Advisor: Prof. Wagner
Recipient: Timothy Strickland, BCE
Advisor: Prof. Chajes
Recipient: Laura Elliott, BME
Advisor: Prof. Santare
CCM SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: The CCM Scholarship Award recognizes research contributions of Post Doctoral Fellows or Research Professionals affiliated with CCM. Selection of the recipient for this award is based on publication of papers in high quality referred journals and their impact on the research community of composite materials.
Recipient: Jia-Run Xiao
DIRECTOR'S AWARD: The Director's Award recognizes outstanding personal growth demonstrated by a Center-affiliated employee or student. The tribute, which consists of a monetary award, is bestowed on an employee or student who has demonstrated superior progress.
Recipient: Hope Deffor
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Dr. Tsu-Wei Chou Elected Dr. Tsu-Wei Chou, Pierre S. du Pont Chair of Engineering, attended the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2006 Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala held on April 24 & 25 at the Renaissance Washington Hotle in Washington D.C. Chou received a certificate from President Roger Simpson for his election to the grade of Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. |
CONSORTIUM
CCM would like to welcome EDO Fiber Innovations, Walpole, MA, to our Industry-University Consortium. We also wish to thank Cytec Engineered Materials, Anaheim, CA, and Honeywell ES&S, Morristown, N.J., for the recent renewal of their memberships. To learn more about our Industry-University consortium, please visit http://www.ccm.udel.edu/Consortium/members.html .
NEW PUBLICATIONS
Hickman, A. R., J. R. Vinson, T. Bogetti, P. Weinacht, W. H. Drysdale, and O. Rabinovitch, “Continued Efforts in the Development of Piezo-Activated Composite Sandwich Fins,” 47 th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 14 th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 8 th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Conference, 7 th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Form, 2 nd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, May 1-4, 2006.
Neacsu, V., A. Abu Obaid, S. G. Advani, “Spontaneous Radial Capillary Impregnation Across a Bank of Aligned Micro-Cylinders – Part I: Theory and Model Development,” International Journal of Multiphase Flow , 32 , pp. 661-676, 2006.
Neacsu, V., A. Abu Obaid, S. G. Advani, “Spontaneous Radial Capillary Impregnation Across a Bank of Aligned Micro-Cylinders – Part II: Experimental Investigations,” International Journal of Multiphase Flow , 32 , pp. 677-691, 2006.
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