Wichita State University’s FirePoint Innovations Center recently received a $4.6 million award from the U.S. Army Research Office for research that will focus on advancing thermoplastic composite and additive manufacturing technology.

“Our partnership with WSU will improve the structural integrity of both current and future Army aviation platforms, making them more lightweight, durable and reliable,” said Dr. Robert Haynes, who is the Army focal for the project and an aerospace engineer for the Army’s DEVCOM Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC) Technology Development Directorate (TDD).

Tools and methods for showing compliance with airworthiness requirements will be a specific focus for both efforts.  

“We are excited to expand our relationship with the U.S. Army and use our expertise and equipment to help advance the understanding for how to certify parts made from these technologies,” said Pierre Harter, WSU associate vice president of research operations and director of R&D for the National Institute for Aviation Research. Harter also serves as a co-principal investigator on the effort. “Modernization is the Army’s first priority, and we’re excited to develop and demonstrate technology benefitting Future Vertical Lift, one of the Army’s six modernization priorities,” said Dr. Mark Robeson, chief of the Structures Branch at the U.S. Army DEVCOM AvMC TDD.

FirePoint is a part of Wichita State’s division of Industry and Defense Programs, working closely with the university’s National Institute for Aviation Research.

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About Wichita State

Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 16,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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About FirePoint

FirePoint is a partnership between Wichita State University and the U.S. Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command, Aviation and Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC) that accelerates joint technology development, transfer and commercialization among the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command, universities, industry and other government organizations. FirePoint aims to support the educational, commercial and workforce development necessary to drive innovation and collaboration across the key Army modernization priorities. FirePoint initiatives support collaboration, partnering, and STEM workforce development to ensure modern Army combat readiness and overmatch in the multidomain battlespace. www.firepoint.info