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Research ► Research Facilities

Additive Manufacturing

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Optomec LENS 450
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ExOne M-Flex
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X1-Lab
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EOS M290 DMLS
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Stratasys Objet260 Connex
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The ANSYS Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory at our Department houses several newly acquired AM systems including the Optomec LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) 450 System, ExOne M-Flex and X1-Lab Binder Jetting Systems, EOS M290 DMLS, and Stratasys Object260 Connex Printer.

Arc-melting for metallic samples


In the PMMD Lab, we have a functional arc-melter for both arc-melting and suction casting.

This equipment enables us to design alloys and perform high throughput experiments. 

Equipment is managed by our group. Training will be provided before using the equipment. 

Materials Characterization

The MEMS department at Pitt houses instrumentation for X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, light optical microscopy and nano-mechanical measurements, including facilities for sample preparation. The MMCL offers access to instrumentation and the expertise of its staff to support research and educational needs related to the structural, compositional, and chemical characterization and measurements of materials properties at the nano-scale. Major instrumentation includes:
  • Two Philips X'pert X-ray diffractometers for powder diffraction and crystallographic texture studies and offering in-situ sample heating capabilities (T≤1600˚C).
  • One Philips XL-30 field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with detectors for SE and BSE imaging, elemental composition analyses by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and collection of electron beam backscatter patterns (EBSP) for orientation imaging microscopy.
  • Two 200kV transmission electron microscopes (TEM), JEOL JEM 200CX and JEOL JEM 2000FX , imaging (line resolution 0.14nm), diffraction, and EDS and EELS for composition and chemical characterization from areas as small as ~15 nm in diameter, with all digital data acquisition. Standard TEM specimen holders, low-background double-tilt and tilt-rotation holders, specialized holders for in-situ heating (up ~1000°C), in-situ cooling (liquid nitrogen temperature) and in-situ tensile straining are available.
  • A Digital Instruments Dimension 3100 scanning probe microscope permits atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) investigations in a single platform.
  • A Hysitron Tribo-Scope system permits nano-mechanical (indentation, scratch and wear testing) and surface topographical (AFM) measurements at the nano-scale.
  • Three digital light-optical microscopes offer spatial lateral resolutions down to ~500nm and include a highly versatile Keyence VHX 600 system for quantitative surface topographical measurements into the realm of sub-micron dimensions.