Timothy W. Simpson Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing

Timothy W. Simpson

Timothy W. Simpson Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing

Dr. Timothy W. Simpson is the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing at Penn State University, as well as the co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). He is a regular contributor to Additive Manufacturing, and writes the monthly Additive Insights column for Modern Machine Shop.

additively produced nozzle
AM Technology

Combining Additive and Subtractive Processes for Hybrid Manufacturing

At this point, we are still learning how to combine the two to optimize hybrid manufacturing.

May 29, 2019 - Timothy W. Simpson

distorted part produced with wire-fed DED
AM Technology

Additive Manufacturing with Wire

This system has the benefits of cheaper cost and easier handling. But there can be some drawbacks as well.

April 26, 2019 - Timothy W. Simpson

directed energy deposition embeds tags in parts to prevent counterfeit
AM Technology

Three Cool Uses for Directed Energy Deposition

Most machining professionals don’t like to admit that they ever make mistakes, but every now and then wouldn’t it be nice to have an “eraser” to go back and repair a gouge or fix a nicked edge? Or maybe you took off a bit too much material on that last machining pass and you’d like to add it back? Well, directed energy deposition (DED) enables you to do that and more.

March 28, 2019 - Timothy W. Simpson

build time comparisons
Basics

What Is Directed Energy Deposition?

Analyzing directed energy deposition and powder-bed fusion provides a thorough understanding of the extra machining necessary for a “near-net shape” versus a “net shape” manufacturing process.

February 15, 2019 - Timothy W. Simpson

different deposition rates in additive manufacturing
AM Technology

Additive Manufacturing for Large Parts

Powder-bed fusion is driving the hype for additive manufacturing right now, but it may not be the best answer. Directed energy deposition is a strong contender.

January 30, 2019 - Timothy W. Simpson

partially melted powder particles in a Ti-6Al-4V lattice structure
Postprocessing

Options for Finishing and Postprocessing Metal 3D-Printed Parts

There is a host of technologies available for finishing and postprocessing your AM parts. This column identifies options beyond machining.

December 19, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

Tool accessibility map
Basics

Can My Machine Tool Access My Support Structures?

Analyzing the machinability of support structures opens a new way of thinking about optimal build orientation.

November 19, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

3D-printed front suspension component
Basics

Understanding Surface Finish of Metal 3D-Printed Parts

Additive manufacturing imposes inherent manufacturing and design challenges that impact the dimensions and tolerances that you can (or cannot) achieve on an “as built” part.

October 24, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

fully dense material
Basics

How Machining Support Structures Affects the Cutting Tool

Studies show that thin-walled additively manufactured support structures may be more challenging to machine than they might appear.

September 19, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

machining specimens and experimental test setup for machinability of metal 3D-printed support structures
Metal AM

How Machinable Are Support Structures in a Metal 3D-Printed Part?

What happens when you cut away thin-walled supports on your metal 3D-printed part?

August 27, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

design for additive manufacturing chart
Basics

Finding the Value Proposition for Additive Manufacturing

Why would anyone want to use additive manufacturing?

June 25, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson

powder bed fusion system
Postprocessing

Postprocessing Steps and Costs for Metal 3D Printing

When your metal part is done 3D printing, you just pull it out of the machine and start using it, right? Not even close.

May 21, 2018 - Timothy W. Simpson