Rowan University in New Jersey has launched the Digital Engineering Hub (DEHub), a new research center that integrates artificial intelligence with additive manufacturing. The goal of the lab is to embed intelligent systems directly into industrial production processes, paving the way for new approaches in data-driven manufacturing. The facility is located within the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering and is led by Professor Antonios Kontsos.
At the heart of DEHub lies a combination of high-performance computing, advanced sensing, and state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technologies. The lab houses multiple 3D printing systems for polymers and metals, high-resolution 3D scanners for digitizing real-world objects, and equipment for mechanical materials testing. A key component is the LASERTEC 30 SLM US metal 3D printer from DMG MORI. The system uses a high-power laser to precisely melt and fuse fine layers of metal powder. With adaptive beam control and integrated error detection, the printing process can be monitored and adjusted in real time.
“We are the first academic research group in the world to connect a supercomputer for this type of machine,” said Kontsos, the Henry M. Rowan Foundation Endowed Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “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.”
Data processing is handled by a custom-built high-performance computing system named “Pythia.” The cluster can receive and analyze terabytes of sensor data — including temperature and laser metrics — with minimal delay.
“Our horizon is not to improve the Glassboro economy only,” Kontsos said, “We want to improve it by being a resource worldwide.”
Initially, DEHub is working on projects commissioned by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In the future, the lab aims to develop applications for sectors such as aerospace, biotechnology, energy, and robotics. With this infrastructure, Rowan University seeks to advance additive manufacturing as a fully data-integrated system, setting new standards for industrial production.
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