Alex Roschli of ORNL on Designing Material Properties with Advanced Toolpath Generation
Alex Roschli of ORNL on Designing Material Properties with Advanced Toolpath Generation
CDFAM Speaker Series Interview
In the latest CDFAM speaker series interview, Alex Roschli, a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, shares his expertise in additive manufacturing (AM) and discusses his upcoming presentation Designing Material Properties with Advanced Toolpath Generation at CDFAM in NYC on day 2, June 15th.
Alex discusses how slicing and toolpathing software can be used to manipulate print properties and control material properties within user-defined regions of a layer to volumetrically optimize part performance.
Key takeaways from the interview:
Alex's background in software, motion control, and electronics led him to work on large scale AM projects, and his expertise in the digital domain helped him understand the physical aspects of manufacturing.
ORNL works with machine manufacturers, service bureaus, and end-users to accelerate time to market for the development of new material and technology, such as home appliances, automobiles, power generation equipment, and tooling for consumer goods.
Alex looks forward to learning more about the industry's validation and certification of end-use parts made with AM and how they can improve the state of the art with slicing software.
Alex's presentation titled "Designing Material Properties with Advanced Toolpath Generation" will highlight ongoing research on how slicing and toolpathing software can be used to manipulate print properties, including changing material density based on simulation data within a layer, site-specific toolpath control, single path generation, and more.
Could you please give us an insight into your role at ORNL, and how your research in robotics played a significant part in leading you to this position?
I am currently a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) in the Robotics and Intelligent Systems Group.
I started at ORNL as a summer intern in May of 2012 after completing my freshman year of college in electrical engineering. I joined ORNL because of my interest in robotics and thought it to be a great place to learn. The group I joined was the Automatic, Robotics, and Manufacturing Group. This group was transitioning to focus more heavily on manufacturing and 3D printing research but had a rich history developing robots and manipulators. I continued as an intern working in the summers and part time during the school year until I finished both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering.
I joined as a full-time staff member in 2017. In my time at ORNL I’ve worked on projects such as the World’s First 3D Printed Car and the former World’s Largest 3D Printed Part.
Read the full interview with Alex Roschli on the CDFAM website.
