National Science Foundation Funding Accelerates Breakthroughs in Advanced Manufacturing at Virginia Tech

A Virginia Tech research team is advancing the next generation of advanced manufacturing through a three year, 3.5 million dollar National Science Foundation Future Manufacturing Research Grant. The project aims to redefine how engineered materials are produced by leveraging robotic arms that can 3D print from multiple directions, enabling structures that mimic the way natural materials like wood grow and distribute stress.

Traditional additive manufacturing relies on flat, layered printing that limits strength and structural complexity. By contrast, Virginia Tech’s approach uses robotic systems to place composite materials along curved, multidirectional paths that anticipate mechanical stress. Early results show that printed components can be nearly ten times stronger than those produced using conventional methods.

The project is one of only seven awarded nationwide through NSF’s Future Manufacturing Research program. The program supports foundational research and workforce development initiatives focused on manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today.

To achieve these advances, the project brings together expertise across robotics, materials science, design optimization and additive manufacturing. Collaborators include mechanical engineering faculty Pinar Acar, Michael Bartlett, Erik Komendera and Christopher Williams, who directs Virginia Tech’s Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Lab. Their combined work integrates new composite materials, machine learning driven modeling and robotic control systems to create previously impossible structures, such as flexible electronics, lighter and stronger aircraft components and multifunctional mechanical parts.

An essential element of the grant focuses on preparing the future manufacturing workforce. Engineering Education Professor Lisa McNair is leading K-12 outreach, developing curriculum innovations across the College of Engineering and evaluating how these experiences prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing.

Researchers emphasize that meaningful progress in this area requires multidisciplinary collaboration. The integrated team structure ensures that innovations in materials, processes, design and robotics advance together, supporting breakthroughs that no single laboratory could achieve independently.

Submitted by Jason Gigax on Thu, 12/04/2025 - 15:49