Housed in what once served as the heart of John Deere’s Waterloo Tractor Works, UNI’s TechWorks Campus is where high-tech advances in AI and metallurgy are becoming an invaluable resource not only for Iowa manufacturers, but any company dependent on metallurgy in the world.
UNI’s research is being used to help worldwide companies improve processes and decrease waste. While manufacturers are working to fill gaps in their workforce, UNI is helping companies automate antiquated, dangerous and time-consuming processes with robotics and AI.
Deeply committed to Industry 4.0, their sites are squarely on Industry 5.0 equipping their students, faculty and industry partners for an even greater opportunity for automation and efficiency.
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UNI TechWorks Campus
One doesn’t naturally align UNI with manufacturing, but the fact of the matter is, they are a leading resource in research and innovation in metallurgy. Housed in What once served as the heart and beginning of John Deere’s Waterloo Tractor Works in the early 1920s is now home to TechWorks Campus where much of the magic happens.
Located in Waterloo, Iowa, TechWorks Campus consists of a 40-acre campus containing 15 acres of development sites and over 300,000 square feet of space in two existing buildings undergoing renovation. TechWorks offers an ideal location for dining, entertainment, the Cedar Valley’s recreation trails, and more in Downtown Waterloo. Some of the resources they provide are:
Additive Manufacturing Design Lab & Workforce
The AMC and the MCC, working with the UNI Department of Technology, have developed a comprehensive plan to support the metal casting industry by providing demonstration space as well as workforce educational opportunities for UNI students and industry professionals. During most academic years, approximately 30 students are employed by the AMC and MCC, and students from other universities are hired as interns during the summer.
The Waterloo Career Center and Hawkeye Community College and the UNI Department of Technology have a collaboration to create a better pathway from pre-apprenticeships to college degrees. The first three phases of this collaboration, or the Ignite program, are now operating in the TechWorks labs.
Additional lab and demonstration space is being added to the $40 million renovation of the Industrial Technology Center on the UNI campus. The renovated space and updated academic program will align with Iowa’s Manufacturing 4.0 plan.
Industry 4.0 Projects & Resources in Iowa
New materials are continually being developed for the investment casting industry. These materials, when fully developed, will enable reductions in materials used, the level of processing required, and the amount of energy utilized in the manufacturing process. The newly installed automated robotic investment casting shelling cell at TechWorks is only the second shelling unit located in North America that has the combination of additive manufacturing tooling, fully automated operation, and fast-drying technology. This combination allows for the fastest production of investment castings available. Further enhancing the shelling unit is the addition of a burnout furnace that will be robotically integrated into the cell. The AMC will demonstrate and transfer this new technology and help foundries remain competitive.
Another substantial technology advancement is the introduction of low-cost sensors for the metal casting industry, sponsored by the Defense Logistics Agency through the Steel Founders Society of America. The project has gained national attention from companies such as Ford Motor Company, Sikorsky, Boeing, and Collins Aerospace. Sensors provide valuable process information that can be used to control manufacturing and assure a higher level of quality in the products that are produced.
Supplier Integration Lab at UNI / AMC
The ongoing development of the TechWorks/UNI-AMC partnership is leading to the development of a Supplier Integration Lab built around many of the key technologies and concepts under the Industry 4.0 umbrella. Plans include the development of a highly efficient and customized workshop and consulting process that will identify the systems/software and best practices required to improve supplier collaboration in design and agility in order fulfillment. Work to connect data and processes to increase customer visibility and reduce cycle times.
UNI Manufacturing Partnerships:
Local and regional Iowa software technology and automation companies to develop software and communication technologies using sensors in the casting industry.
University of Texas El Paso is partnering with the AMC to advance sensor technology.
CESMII (Smart Manufacturing Institute) to create a Satellite Center of Excellence for smart manufacturing at UNI and the AMC.
Defense Logistics Agency through the Steel Founders Society of America (sponsor) for 3D printing of ceramics used in metal casting processes
Pending funding from America Makes to support further development and possible commercialization efforts
Randy Pilkington
For more information, contact Randy Pilkington at 319-273-6945.