NMSU Researcher Joins $3M Metal 3D Printing Grant Focused on Scrap Aluminum

Researchers at New Mexico State University are working on a metal 3D printing method that could turn scrap metal into high-quality parts.

Chaitanya Mahajan, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at NMSU, is a co-principal investigator on a nearly $3 million grant awarded to the Rochester Institute of Technology by the National Science Foundation. The research focuses on molten metal droplet jetting, a process that builds parts from tiny molten metal droplets that fuse as they cool.

The team’s work is aimed at reducing waste, lowering material costs, and expanding the use of recycled metals in additive manufacturing. Traditional metal 3D printing often depends on specialized spherical powders, which can be costly and difficult to handle.

“Many traditional metal 3D printers require highly specialized, expensive and potentially hazardous spherical metal powders,” Mahajan said.

In the version being studied by the research team, metal would be melted before printing rather than during the printing process itself. NMSU said separating melting from deposition could allow faster production and make it possible to use a wider range of materials, including low-cost and recycled feedstocks such as machining scrap.

The project also addresses a common limitation in molten metal droplet printers: single-nozzle printing. According to NMSU, single-nozzle systems can be slow and are prone to clogging, which can stop production. The research team plans to use multiple nozzles and advanced modeling techniques to raise production rates while maintaining part quality.

Mahajan said the ability to convert scrap metal into usable parts could affect both commercial and defense supply chains, especially in environments where materials are limited or hard to source. The technology could also support multi-material smart structures by allowing manufacturers to print embedded wiring and data components into structures, reducing reliance on external wiring harnesses.

Hansuk Sohn, NMSU’s industrial engineering department head and Nakayama endowed professor, said Mahajan’s work addresses sustainability and supply chain resilience while expanding the university’s additive manufacturing research.

Article Source: New Mexico State University