CACT
Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology
The New York State Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) at Alfred University The New York State Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) at Alfred University is one of the 15 Centers of Advanced Technology (CAT’s) in New York State. Since it’s founding in 1987, the CACT has been dedicated to providing a diverse, stable technological basis for sustainable growth of the ceramics and glass industry statewide. The CACT provides a range of technology transfer services to member companies — from short term “trouble shooting” services, to long term graduate research projects. Networking a range of industrial, academic, and legislative resources, the CACT carries out its mission to become the worldwide leader in ceramic and glass research. The New York State College of Ceramics, which feeds the CACT research faculty base, is home to some of the world’s foremost experts in ceramic engineering and materials science, glass science, and applied industrial research. State-of-the-art laboratory environments and equipment are continually upgraded to provide cutting edge analytical testing facilities, and Scholes Library houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of ceramic and glass technology books and periodicals worldwide. Interaction with the CACT can take a variety of forms and is determined on a case-by-case basis. A wide range of analytical services is available from a single test to periodic quality assurance testing. Production problems and/or process improvements can be addressed via intense monthly projects or more detailed long term projects. In essence, the CACT will work with each member company to determine the best method of addressing the member’s concern. The CACT can also assist your company in identifying and placing professional ceramic engineering, materials science, and glass science engineers in permanent and internship positions.
Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University 2 Pine Street, McMahon 352 Alfred, New York 14802-1296 607-871-2486
Dr. Vasantha Amarakoon, Director
Dr. Licio Pennisi, Assistant Director
Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology
Extension Services
607-871-2486
607-871-2465
famarakoo@alfred.edu
pennisi@alfred.edu
Dr. Steven Arrasmith, Assistant Director
Mr. Gary Del Regno
Research and Pilot Plant Manager
Business Development Coordinator
607-871-3336
607-871-2084
arrasmiths@alfred.edu
delregge@alfred.edu
CACT Research Options Analytical Services This phase involves analytical testing of specific samples on a fee-per-test basis. The services offered cover the range of standard ceramic analytical tests and procedures such as MOR, COE, bulk properties, electrical properties, particle analysis and firing. There is an additional charge for sample preparation.
Short Term Proprietary Research Typically, projects involving small development “firefighting� problems are covered by this option which is designed to address immediate problems or needs in a timely manner. A faculty member will supervise the program and, if desired, may also be retained as a consultant. ($10,000 - $12,000/month).
CACT Industrial Affiliates Program This is an industry/university partnership that facilitates technology transfer through faculty/technical staff consultations; analytical testing services; preferred access to research; short courses and seminars; access to library, computer, and economic development services; and assistance with grant applications and business start-ups. ($25,000 - $30,000/year).
Instron Mechanical Testing Apparatus
CACT Industrial Associates Program This is an expanded internship program which links undergraduate ceramic engineering, materials science, and glass science students with NYS companies for a summer or a semester. Also available are faculty/technical staff consultations; cooperative senior thesis projects; short term research projects; analytical testing services, Scholes Library access; and trouble shooting. ($5,000 per year plus student wages). Non-Proprietary Research Contract Services The company specifies a research topic for the duration of twelve months or more. Research is published as a graduate thesis, with a short delay in the publication of results, as appropriate. A faculty Principal Investigator (PI) supervises the research and serves as the primary contact between the company and the CACT. ($66,000 - $70,000/year with M.S. or first year PhD; $73,000 - $80,000/ year with post-doctoral fellow). Proprietary Research Contract The company specifies a research problem for the duration of twelve months or more. The company retains all rights to subsequent data and technology, except for agreed-to publication criteria for the graduate’s thesis (usually, published only with the company’s written authorization). A faculty PI supervises the research and serves as primary contact between the company and the CACT. ($85,000 - $88,000/year with M.S. or first year PhD; $99,000 - $102,000/year with post-doctoral fellow). Graduate Fellowship The company submits a general area of research; a faculty PI supervises the graduate student and determines the specific problem to be addressed. The CACT retains all rights to patents, and the research will be published in the open literature with no need of prior approval from the company for whom the fellowship is named. ($58,000 - $60,000/year, minimum requirement; a three-year commitment is preferred to ensure completion of PhD research).
CACT Industrial Associates Program
Electron Probe Microanalyzer
The CACT Industrial Associates Program represents one of the CACT’s most productive avenues for university/industry interactions, addressing member companies’ engineering and manufacturing needs while providing students with hands-on industrial experience. Through an expanded internship program, undergraduate ceramic engineering, materials science, and glass science students are linked with New York State companies for a summer (three months) or a summer plus a semester (eight months). Students participate in on-site industrial internships under the direction of a NYSCC faculty advisor, pursuing research of direct relevance to the industrial process. The following semester, the student interns return to campus and complete thesis projects based on the internship research which utilize the NYSCC fabrication and characterization facilities. A copy of the resulting “senior thesis” is presented to the sponsoring Associate member
Membership Benefits Simultaneous DTA/TGA
1. On-site student intern: Associate members work for three to eight month periods with engineers in training to address specific problems of manufacturing and design, who in turn enter the market with industrial experience upon graduation. 2. Faculty/technical staff consultations: To identify and discuss specific research issues and production problems, Associate members may consult directly with NYSCC faculty who serve as intern advisors. 3. Analytical testing services: Associate members may access NYSCC research equipment and laboratory facilities for materials and products testing as appropriate to the intern’s research project. 4. Senior thesis: Associate members receive copies of the intern’s senior thesis, a project directly related to the company’s manufacturing process. 5. Access to Scholes Library of Ceramics: Associate members may resource one of the most extensive ceramic science and engineering holdings in the world which includes over 1,200 serials, 100,000 bound volumes, 160,000 slides, and 50,000 government research reports. 6. Support services: Associate members may request assistance with proposal and grant applications, business start-up issues, and computer services as available through the CACT. Membership fee — $5,000 plus student intern wages annually.
Partial list of companies we work with... High Temperature Viscosity Measurement
Active Signal Technologies
Image Print Tech
American Beryllia
Innex
American Defense Systems
Lazortek
American Technical Coatings
Lockheed Martin
Blackstone-Ney Ultrasonic
NaturalNano,Inc.
Boston Valley Terra Cotta
Pyrotek, Inc.
CeraGen LLC
Refractron Technologies Corporation
Chautauqua Metal Finishing
Saint Gobain Structural Ceramics Group
Cooper Power Systems
Santanoni Glass &Ceramics,Inc.
Corning Incorporated
Saxon Glass Technologies,Inc.
Delphi
Schunk-Inex Corporation
Dielectric Laboratories
Silicon Carbide Products
ENrG
Superior Technical Ceramics
Federal Mogul Corporation
TACR LLC
Filtros LTD
Unifrax
General Electric
US Resistor
Greatbatch-Hittman
Vesuvius Hi-Tech
Heany Industries
XYLON Ceramic Materials
IBM
Research Areas
RROPERTIES and CHARACHTERIZATION Thermal properties
MATERIALS Electronic ceramics (active and passive materials) Structural ceramics Glass Carbon-based composites Metal-based composites
Mechanical behavior and fracture Electrical properties Structural analysis Optical properties Glass structure Microstructure Surface behavior and catalysis
Photonic materials Optical materials Polymers Metals Bioceramics Whitewares
PROCESSING Ceramic powders Traditional ceramics Polymer-assisted powder processing/forming Sintering and firing
MODELING
Nanoscale fabrication
Structure of glass and ceramics
Sol-gel processing (glasses,powders,films)
Microstructure
Plasma deposition Glass fibers Computer-driven free-form fabrication Polymer processing and coatings
Surface Area Anacysis
We can develop a short course to fit your needs... Many of the courses we offer can be adjusted to fit the specific technological needs of your organization, or we can create a course individually designed to your specifications. These programs provide intensive instruction to your key people, who in turn disperse their new knowledge throughout the organization, providing a big return on your investment. • Since there are no employee travel expenses, the cost per employee (with an enrollment of ten or more) can be significantly less than the overall cost of sending staff to campus. • Questions pertaining to your organization’s needs can be confidentially discussed. • The course can be modified to address topics important to your organization, deleting those of little interest or expanding on areas of high priority.
Short course programs of several days duration offer extensive in-depth coverage of materials and provide opportunities for greater interaction by participants.
To discuss the possibility of having a course designed especially for your company and presented on site contact:
Marlene Wightman, Director Continuing Education/Outreach Phone 607-871-2425 or e-mail wightman@alfred.edu High Temperature DTA/TGA
Scanning Electron Micrographs in Secondary and Backscatter Electron Modes
Also listed on this website are links to: • Faculty • Graduate • Undergraduate • Facilities • Outreach — Short Courses — Annual John F. McMahon Lecture — Annual Samuel R. Scholes Lecture — Conferences — Distance Learning — Engineering and Materials Science Day
Descriptions of past and present short courses can be found on our website at: http://engineering.alfred.edu/outreach/
The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University Features, Faculty & Favorites High Temperature X-ray Diffraction
Features The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Material Engineering Science, Ceramic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Glass Engineering Science, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. These programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Advanced degrees are also offered at the Masters and PhD level. At Alfred University, The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering first year requires coursework in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and engineering courses. Required technical courses taken after the first year distinguishes AU’s six different engineering programs. This preparation allows engineering students to learn about the broad fields of engineering before committing to one of the programs. ● The Materials Science and Engineering program deals with designing, developing, testing and manufacturing better materials and components using a combination of materials. Required courses provide knowledge of the structure, properties and processing of ceramics, glass, metals, polymers, and composites. Knowledge of material science is important in today’s industry because new materials with improved level of performance and reliability are commonly the key to new or improved engineering designs and technologies.
● The Ceramic Engineering and Glass Engineering Science programs provide in-depth knowledge of a specific material and a greater emphasis on its synthesis and manufacturing. Ceramics and glass are at the cutting edge of materials research. Their unique properties (such as durability, heat resistance, etc.) and relative abundance make them ideal materials for applications in advance technology (including electronics and communications) in consumer products, and in biomedical research. ● The Biomedical Material Engineering Science program focuses on both the intrinsic properties of biomaterials, and the interaction between these nonliving biomaterials and biological systems. Technical skills will focus on materials and the interactions with cells and tissues. ● The Electrical Engineering program deals with the practical application of electrical science and technology to the needs of society. This program is designed to cover the areas of electronic information processing and communications, semiconducting devices, superconducting devices, computer systems, electronic instrumentation, power and machinery, control systems, and signal systems and analysis. A concentration in computer engineering is also available. ● The Mechanical Engineering program is concerned with the fundamental properties of solids, liquids, and gases related to the creative design and manufacture of machines, heat engines, electro-mechanical devices and control systems, and with the broad area of energy conversion as related to machine design. This program focuses highly on mathematics and the physical sciences to analyze and create solutions to current problems.
Scanning Electon Microscope EDS (Energy Dispersive System)
At Alfred University, The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering blends the best elements of a larger, research oriented institution with a smaller school setting. ● With an average class size of 17 students, there is close contact with faculty who are dedicated to teaching (no teaching assistants) and who serve as student advisors. Top undergraduate students are also able to assist faculty with ongoing research. ● All engineering lab facilities are for undergraduate use, and students have at least one “hands on” lab each semester of their tenure at Alfred University. Equipment and facilities include (but are not limited to ) Materials Processing Lab, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope), the largest academic X-Ray Diffraction Lab, Thermosciences Laboratory, Computers, Electronic Circuits Laboratory, Laser Laboratory, and Optoelectronics Laboratory. ● The senior year includes a year-long research project that results in a formal poster presentation and a bound thesis. This capstone course involves working on a student team on a broad-based manufacturing/engineering project and engineering plan for a device component in a realistic job-like environment.
High Temperatrue Vacuum Furnace( >2000°C )
The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering graduates are well sought after by industry, and they are widely accepted into graduate and professional programs. We have close to 100% placement each year. ● Recent graduates have obtained positions as engineers for Owens-Brockway Glass, Bausch & Lomb, The Weizmann Institute, Guardian Industries, and Pratt and Whitney to name a few. ● Recent graduates have gone on for further study at Northwestern University, University of Kentucky, Franklin Pierce Law Center, Columbia University and Penn State University, along with Alfred University. While these programs are quite structured, students can take electives throughout the University. Here are examples of ways students can enhance their engineering interests: ● Alfred University offers a 4+1 MBA Program in conjunction with our College of Business. Students take electives in business leading to a minor in business administration. The MBA may then be completed through one additional year of study at AU. Coursework in business is recommended to any engineering student who wishes to work in research and design, supervision, sales, or administration. ● Students who wish to have a concentration in other programs can take classes in over 100 different programs. Engineering is a very diverse field, and many projects overlap concentrations. ●
A minor in math, chemistry or physics is easily obtained because only a few additional courses are needed.
● Co-op and internship are optional at Alfred University, but strongly encouraged! School of Engineering students work closely with faculty and the Career Development Center to obtain summer positions with various manufacturing and research companies. Students who wish to co-op for a summer and a semester will require an additional semester to graduate. School of Engineering students have had co-ops at IBM, Corning Incorporated, Buffalo China, Certainteed, Pratt and Whitney and Dresser Rand. ● Study Abroad Program – The Inamori School of Engineering has formal agreements for study abroad with the University of Sheffield, England; University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and Technical University Clausthal, Germany; University of Parma, Italy; Ecole National Superieure de Ceramique Industrielle, France; University of Jaume II in Castellon Spain; and KansaiGaidai University, Japan.
Faculty The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering currently has 28 full-time faculty, including four women. All hold PhD’s, teach undergraduate classes, and actively conduct research. Faculty are active in various national, regional and local engineering societies. With so many faculty representing an extremely diverse field, it is not surprising to find a wide range of research happening at Alfred University.
Favorites ● We have many active student organizations: The American Ceramic Society, the Society of Women Engineers, Keramos, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Association for Computing Machinery, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers and over 40 others. ● Alfred University is home to several research centers which foster industry sponsored research by faculty (and assisted by students!) and also encourages University-Industry collaborations. ● A sense of camaraderie is encouraged among students through group projects, computer labs, study spaces adjoining the engineering labs, and the manageable number of students within the programs. ● The Inamori School of Engineering provides a series of professional seminars each semester; speakers explore the range of opportunities available in engineering and share experiences in their specific field. ● Scholes Library of Ceramics (one of two libraries on campus) holds an extensive collection of resources, covering both the fields of engineering and art. Senior projects as well as Master’s and Doctoral theses are kept on file at Scholes.
Office of Admissions, (800) 541-9229 Alumni Hall Saxon Drive, Alfred, NY 14802 admwww@alfred.edu – www.alfred.edu
Designed by Moyi Zhang Spring, 2009 School of Art and Design at Alfred University