Penn State lab receives U.S. Navy designation for electronics manufacturing

The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently designated Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) as a Navy ManTech Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence (EMC).

This is a five-year, $50 million award.

EMCs focus on the development and transition of new manufacturing processes and equipmen There are seven centers nationwide. Each focuses on a specific competency.

Penn State’s EMC will use technology and research to develop naval platform-related manufacturing technologies, transition those technologies for implementation in electronics manufacturing and other industrial facilities, build knowledge that will help to increase overall operational efficiency, and decrease costs for Navy platforms.

ARL supports national security through education, scientific discovery, technological demonstration, and transition to application. e U.S. Navy requested it be established in 1945. Its skills and experience include energy storage and power systems, guidance and control systems, integration, materials and devices, packaging, piezo materials and transducers, position and navigation systems, radar, signal processing, sonar, and supply chain engineering.

“The EMC will leverage the skills and knowledge base of Penn State’s well-recognized electrical engineering (department) and related colleges,” Kenneth Freyvogel, EMC technical director, said. “ hese colleges have strong competencies in electromagnetics, electronic materials and devices, integrated circuits and systems, signal processing, and power and energy systems.”