High-Performance Manufacturing

Developing more creative, high-tech and impactful manufacturing solutions.

Manufacturing is a bedrock of the U.S. economy. But in this global, high-tech age, manufacturing needs a paradigm shift toward more customized, flexible production using materials in new ways to accomplish more with lower energy intensity, unparalleled combinations of properties and allowing higher throughput.

Partnering with leaders of industry, federal agencies, professional associations, national labs and other universities, we’re leading manufacturing innovations in polymers, biomedicine, electronic systems, metals, and material processing and characterization. With facilities like our metal foundry and our leadership in America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, we’re helping re-envision what manufacturing means in this country.

News: High-Performance Manufacturing

Mar. 1, 2021

Sears think[box] partners with community innovator to create produce-stocking device

Feb. 23, 2021

Making the ClotChip military ready

Feb. 8, 2021

Making solar power more efficient

View All News For High-Performance Manufacturing

Centers and institutes that conduct research in High-Performance Manufacturing

Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center

Develops and provides mechanical testing for materials using an array of equipment.

Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials

Provides expert staff and specialized analytical equipment to solve materials characterization challenges encountered in education, research and industry.

Center for Advanced Polymer Processing

Develops new advanced and functional multiphase complex materials and optimizes the performance of existing ones by integrating the most advanced experimental and computational capabilities.

Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS)

Join ISSACS and the University Industry Demonstration Partnership for an exciting workshop on October 1!

Sears think[box]

Sears think[box] is open for active students, staff, and faculty of CWRU, CIA, and LCCC from 12p-7p on weekdays. We continue to offer remote services for our community members and alumni who are unable to visit our facility.

Please click on the appropriate button below to learn how you can engage with think[box] this spring.

Faculty who conduct research in High-Performance Manufacturing

Rohan Akolkar

Milton and Tamar Maltz Professor of Energy Innovation

Chief Scientist (Joint Appointmet), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Professor, Chemical Engineering

Director, Electronic Design Center (EDC)

Develops new electrochemical processes for applications including nano-material fabrication, energy storage, electrometallurgy and sensors

Eric Baer

Distinguished University Professor

Herbert Henry Dow Professor of Science and Engineering

Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Director, NSF Center for Layered Polymeric Systems

Develops processing-structure-property relationships in polymeric systems; creates micro- and nano-layered films; and produces biomimetic hierarchical structures of soft materials

Bud Baeslack III

Professor Emeritus, Materials Science and Engineering

Researching materials science and engineering

Changyong (Chase) Cao

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Study the mechanics, designs, and manufacturing of smart multifunctional materials, soft robotics, soft electronics, and self-powered sensing systems.

Soft Machines & Electronics Lab

Jennifer Carter

Faculty Director, SCSAM

Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

deformation mechanisms of metals and metal-matrix composites; fatigue, fracture, and creep; failure analysis; electron microscopy; 3D microscopy; novel methodologies for multi-scale material characterization; data science and analytics; open science

Sunniva Collins

Associate Dean, Case School of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Engineers metallic surfaces for improved performance; selects materials and designs manufacturing processes for innovative outcomes

Frank Ernst

Department Chair, Materials Science and Engineering

Leonard Case Jr. Professor of Engineering

Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Studies and engineers microstructures, interfaces and surfaces of metallic materials by novel methods of processing and microcharacterization

Robert Gao

Department Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cady Staley Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops multi-physics sensing and stochastic modeling methods for improving observability in dynamical systems

Umut Gurkan

Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Improves human health via research in cell mechanics to develop biosensors and point-of-care systems

Biomanufacturing and Microfabrication Lab

Hatsuo Ishida

Peter A. Asseff, PhD Professor of Organic Chemistry

Distinguished Research Professor

Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Develops advanced benzoxazine resins, thermosetting resins based on natural renewable materials and green flame retarding systems

John Lewandowski

Arthur P. Armington Professor of Engineering II

Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Director, Nitinol Commercialization Accelerator

Director, Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center (AMMRC)

Researches material reliability for biomedical and structural applications, advanced materials manufacturing and processing/microstructure/property relationships. Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing.

Kenneth Loparo

Arthur L. Parker Professor

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Co-Director, Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC)

Develop real-time data analytics and control algorithms for industrial, energy and physiological systems

Joao Maia

Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Director, CAPP - Center for Advanced Polymer Processing

Develops multi-scale, complex polymer-based materials, using both experimental and computational-based tools

Ica Manas-Zloczower

Distinguished University Professor

Thomas W. and Nancy P. Seitz Professor of Advanced Materials and Energy

Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Engineering new materials and technologies for industrial applications

David Matthiesen

Associate Professor Emeritus, Materials Science and Engineering

Director, Wind Energy Research and Commercialization (WERC) Center

Develops process engineering solutions for the manufacturing of new magnetic materials

Jim McGuffin-Cawley

Director

Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Develops new methodologies for material processing, characterizes processing-property relationships, studies high-temperature diffusion and solid-state reactions, fosters industry-university relationships

Wyatt Newman

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Designs intelligent robots, machines and software for diverse applications

Alp Sehirlioglu

Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Develops new materials through exploitation of interfaces to control functionality and exploration of multi-functionality for energy-related applications