Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Integrated Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Engineered Materials for Wearable Electronics
Xiao Zhang, Ph.D
University of the District of Columbia,
Johns Hopkins University
Abstract:
Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printing has emerged as a high‑resolution additive manufacturing technique capable of depositing functional inks with sub‑micrometer precision, making it particularly attractive for flexible electronics, sensors, and biomedical devices. However, process stability, repeatability, and real‑time quality assurance remain significant challenges, especially when printing complex, multi‑layer structures. This talk presents an integrated approach combining EHD inkjet printing with in‑situ monitoring and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods to enable closed‑loop process control and defect detection. Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is also a rapidly developed technique similar to EHD while it is utilizing gas flow to extrude ink materials; also it is more commercialized. My talk will present interdisciplinary research projects using AJP technique. Part of the presentation will also show some of the heavily involved advanced manufacturing funded projects including direct energy deposition (DED) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). This talk will discuss the past research work from the presenter and the potential how it will contribute to the future advanced manufacturing research using AI and quantum computing.
Bio:
Xiao Zhang received his Ph.D. Degree in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems
Engineering at Iowa State University in 2021 with a focus on advanced manufacturing,
in-situ monitoring, and novel material development for smart electronics. He is working
at University of the District of Columbia and Johns Hopkins University now. Before
that, he has a joint appointment at University of Maryland College Park and Laboratory
for Physical Sciences. He has a following joint appointment at Johns Hopkins University
and National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research focuses on advanced
micro/nano-scale manufacturing techniques including: electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing
and aerosol jet printing. His research experience expanded to interdisciplinary research
such as in‑situ monitoring, additive manufacturing/rapid prototyping, and related
nondestructive evaluation (NDE) processes. His work has been published in leading
journals including the Journal of Manufacturing Systems, Polymer, Polymer International,
Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Optics and Lasers in Engineering,
and Journal of Manufacturing Processes et al. He was a member of professional societies
including ASNT, IISE, ASME, SME, and IEEE. For the future, he has ambitious plans
to expand more impact in the research areas of AI and Quantum Computing for future
smart manufacturing