PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 2, 2023) — Mechanical engineering plays a critical role in daily life – shaping far more than planes, trains and automobiles. When every one of our devices, products, machines and systems are devised and designed by mechanical engineers, it’s with the intention of enhancing our lives and environments.
One such engineer helping to drive innovation and efficiency is Sazidur Rahman Shahriar, a Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) graduate student participating in the university’s Faculty Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (RISE)-Graduate Research program. Developed by PVAMU’s Division of Research & Innovation, the initiative enables faculty researchers to expand and sustain their vital research through external grants and contracts while helping to shape graduate students into the next generation of experts.
Under the mentorship Lai Jiang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering department of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering – Sazidur assists with research focused on developing 3D printing technology to manufacture bio-fiber reinforced composite materials; a promising replacement for the less eco-friendly traditional synthetic composite parts in applications such as automotive panels, constructive materials, and sports and musical instruments.
Faculty RISE Graduate student, Sazidur Rahman Shahriar
The project, which explores the “Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) of Composites using Bio-fiber Reinforcements Infused with Thermoplastic Bio-resins,” involves creating “a laminated object manufacturing prototype for 3D printing of woven natural fiber-reinforced Biocomposites,” said Sazidur. “In this project, the continuous woven natural fiber is used to significantly strengthen the mechanical properties of Biocomposites with PLA biopolymer as the matrix.”
“His work includes designing and building physical prototypes, programming and debugging the prototype, and using the prototype to make mechanical tests specimens followed by mechanical tests,” explained Dr. Jiang. “All these are essential tasks when conducting research activities on mechanical engineering and additive manufacturing” (3D printing).
For Sazidur, working under the guidance of Dr. Jiang has been “a tremendous journey,” and the RISE program has allowed the graduate student to sharpen his skills and explore various research techniques. “I appreciate the RISE program and my mentor, Dr. Jiang, for providing me with all the resources I need to become a competent graduate student researcher.”
Collaborating with Sazidur has “been a pleasure,” said Dr. Jiang, describing him as “a hard-working and willing-to-learn graduate student who is always easy to work with.”
Before graduating in the fall, Sazidur will continue developing his thesis and publishing research articles for this project, while devoting himself to future research works in their lab. For example, in addition to this RISE grant-funded project, Sazidur is helping his mentor on research sponsored by Shell USA, Inc. that explores the “Automated Real-Time Measurement of Soil Properties with Unmanned Ground Vehicle.” He wants to continue to “grab every opportunity to publish research papers with my mentor.”
This spring, Sazidur will present a conference paper and student poster at the Society of Advanced Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) Conference and Exhibition in Seattle. And as for his post-graduate plans? The researcher is looking to pursue his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, “focusing research on the field of composite manufacturing, additive manufacturing, machine design, and automation.”
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By Leigh Badrigian