The Flores Research Group Lab is located on the lower level of Jubel Hall, and operates the following facilities:
Metal Processing Laboratory
- Optomec MR-7 Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) system for additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metallic materials. This direct laser deposition system is equipped with a 500 W IPG fiber laser, four powder feeders for achieving composition gradients, and a high-speed thermal imaging camera for performing in situ measurements of the temperature distribution in the melt pool and surrounding substrate.
- Custom built arc-melter for preparing and casting ~300-500 g charges in an inert gas environment.
Micro- and Nanomechanical Characterization Laboratory
- Hysitron TI 950 Triboindenter for performing nanoindentation, micromechanical characterization, and scanning probe microscopy. This instrument is equipped with dynamic modulus mapping capabilities and heating/cooling stages for testing between -10 C and 800 C.