Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing encompasses building materials, composites, electronic materials, material characterization, and material processing.
Stronger, lighter, smarter
Advanced materials and manufacturing researchers at UBC Okanagan are advancing science, engineering and health by addressing the way people use industrial and household items every day. The School of Engineering is working across disciplines to develop innovative approaches to advanced materials and manufacturing.
These innovations are changing the way materials are created from their individual molecular level to their fabrication. Strong collaborations with industry are propelling this research forward to realization and commercialization.
Research Themes
Fabrication of light materials (Al and Mg alloys, fiber-reinforced polymers) for transportation and energy sectors. Combining multi-scale modelling with laboratory experiments, advanced characterization techniques and manufacturing laboratories to improve composites, enhance the performance of high-temperature ceramics and the next generation of ultralight metal alloys.
Composite materials are changing the way advanced products are designed enabling faster, stronger, and cheaper materials. Research in the areas of aerospace, automotive, marine, and construction are taking investigating these materials to develop further efficiencies while eliminating defects and product failures
Core research activities and industry-driven projects in multi-disciplinary and multi-objective optimization of engineering products and processes. Simulation-based design, engineering multi-attribute decision making, machine learning, artificial intelligence, design of experiments, and robust product design are among main research areas under this theme.
Fabrication of diverse materials, as well as development of their optimal processing technologies. Developing semiconductors and modern materials, microsystems and microelectronics, and wireless technologies. Exploring the characterization, processing, and use in design of metallic and non-metallic materials.
Experimental research on metalcasting, sintering, composite fabrication, additive manufacturing and polymer-processing for wide industrial applications such as automotive, energy, biomedical, composite, aerospace and electronics industries is being carried out. This research is complemented with robust computer modelling and simulation, as well as process and materials characterization capabilities.
Enhancing the seismic performance of new and existing structures by investigating new design procedures and using innovative retrofit materials (base isolation, composites, shape memory alloy). Investigating the rehabilitation of damaged structures and seismic risk analysis.
Faculty Researchers
Ahmad Al-Dabbagh – Assistant Professor
Development of model-based and data-based approaches for the control, monitoring, and automation of systems and processes.
Mohammad Arjmand – Assistant Professor
Processing, molding and characterization of multifunctional polymeric nanocomposites with a variety of properties including electrical, gas sensing, thermal, mechanical, optical and thermoelectric.
Michael Benoit – Assistant Professor
Investigating cutting-edge industrial metallurgy and materials processing, with a focus on alloy development for additive manufacturing and elucidating processing-structure-properties relationships.
Lukas Bichler – Associate Professor
Development of new materials and processing methods; recycling of manufacturing by-products.
Abbas Milani – Professor
Advanced modeling, simulation, and multi-criteria design optimization of composite materials, structures and manufacturing processes.
Dimitry Sediako – Associate Professor
Advanced modeling, simulation, and multi-criteria design optimization of composite materials, structures and manufacturing processes.