Rowan University has opened a new laboratory aimed at advancing manufacturing through artificial intelligence. The Digital Engineering Hub (DEHub), located in Rowan Hall at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, brings together smart technology and advanced manufacturing techniques.
The lab is led by Antonios Kontsos, Ph.D., who also serves as the Henry M. Rowan Foundation Endowed Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. DEHub is equipped with 3D polymer and metal printers, 3D scanners for digitizing objects, and devices for mechanical sensing and testing. Its main feature is the DMG MORI LASERTEC 30 SLM US, a metal additive manufacturing machine that uses a high-powered laser to fuse layers of metal powder into solid components. This equipment offers adaptive beam control and real-time flaw detection and correction during production.
Supporting these operations is Pythia, a secure computer cluster designed to handle large amounts of data generated by the lab’s processes. “We are the first academic research group in the world to connect a supercomputer for this type of machine,” said Kontsos. “The data we’re collecting—such as part temperature and laser information—is in the order of terabytes, so we need the computational power coupled with live-streaming capabilities to synchronously store and process this information.”
DEHub’s initial focus is on federally funded research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). However, its work will extend across various sectors including defense, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, energy, civil infrastructure, robotics, and general manufacturing.
Interest from industry was evident at DEHub’s launch event, which drew company representatives from across the United States and Australia. Kontsos noted that their goal extends beyond local impact: “Our horizon is not to improve the Glassboro economy only,” he said. “We want to improve it by being a resource worldwide.”
