SMART MANUFACTURING INNOVATION CENTER AT

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

 

About

The center assists client companies with applied manufacturing R&D to help them meet specific business objectives – increasing productivity, profitability, domestic and international competitiveness, and the number and quality of products offered – so that they can grow and create jobs. The center partners with NY State systems integrators to offer clients complete solutions to a wide range of manufacturing problems in the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 1-8 range (i.e., problem definition/pilot plant demonstration) after de-risking development in our labs.

The center provides manufacturers access to:

  • An independent, objective look at the effectiveness of their processes and systems that is unbiased by the need to sell a particular solution

  • Creative problem solving

  • Expertise in process and manufacturing system development, experimental design and system optimization, prototyping, automation, robotics, additive manufacturing and product design for manufacturability

  • Leading faculty and graduate students of a nationally ranked (#39 in latest US News & World Report) technical university

  • The future workforce of engineers and scientists with hands-on experience that employers critically need

  • Well-equipped R&D facilities, labs, and experienced, innovative staff scientists and engineers.

The center is directly linked to or affiliated with three Manufacturing USA hubs (smart manufacturing, robotics, and biopharmaceuticals), a teaching factory (Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab) and a supply chain management center located at Rensselaer. It also serves as a portal for manufacturers to access the broad range of engineering and scientific expertise, experimental and theoretical capabilities, and technical equipment across Rensselaer’s campus.

Facilities

The MILL | Manufacturing Innovation Learning Laboratory: The facilities comprise 12,000 sq. ft. of laboratory and office space in the George M. Low Center for Industrial Innovation (CII) on Rensselaer’s Troy campus. Each lab is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, tools, materials, capabilities and software pertaining to specific research thrust areas including:

  • Advanced robotics and industrial automation

  • Additive and bioadditive manufacturing

  • Composites and biocomposites manufacturing

  • Metals and Ceramics Processing

  • Micro/Nanomanufacturing

  • Smart Manufacturing

“The RPI SMIC creates a real-world environment for manufacturers to experience Smart Manufacturing in action.  We leverage our one-of-a-kind, agile manufacturing learning laboratory along with our core research strengths in Smart Manufacturing enabling and building block technologies to serve as a platform for R&D, demonstration, and to help educate the next generation of manufacturing innovators.  We focus our efforts on industry engagement, research, education and training – meeting manufacturers where they are to help them take their first and next steps on their Smart Manufacturing journeys.”

Craig Dory
Executive Director, Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center
Northern Regional Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 Eighth Street – CII 8015 | Troy, NY 12180
518.276.3953. Office | 518.727.5887. Mobile

Funded Projects

Building Machine Profiles for the SM Platform™

This project assembles undergraduate student teams, leveraging the Northern Regional Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center (SMIC) at RPI along with industry...

Utilizing the CESMII SMIP to Optimize Product Quality for Mixer-Filler Systems in the Food Industry

The goal of this project is to optimize food manufacturing by enabling low cost, widely deployed sensors to provide real-time...

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