
Launched at the beginning of 2019 and currently employing more than 120 research engineers and student technicians, the Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) is a makerspace for industry-scale automated manufacturing research.
Some of the technologies found there include automated fiber-placement (AFP) and automated tape-laying (ATL) equipment from multiple vendors, fiber-patch placement (FPP) for complex geometries, and thermoplastic welding and overmolding for multifunctional integrated structures.
This innovation center offers a multi-disciplinary training environment to prepare engineers and educators for the…