David Manford

David is a PhD student in the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering with a  minor in Information Science at the University of Arizona. He works in the Manufacturing and Design and Exploration (MADE) lab. His research interests include design for sustainability, data science, energy systems and manufacturing. He utilizes both experimental and literature data to develop predictive models for material extrusion additive manufacturing processes to help operators make sustainability informed decisions. David also has industrial experience working in a lab at Freeport-McMoRan. He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University. 

Project: Promoting makerspace sustainability through education and open-source tools

3D printers are used widely in makerspaces across the world and utilizes both materials, usually thermoplastics and energy. However, process parameter configurations, material type and 3D printer selection all contribute to varying resource consumption and environmental impact. Life cycle assessment and resource prediction models will help users to evaluate the environmental impacts of their product design and manufacturing choices. Previous studies on sustainability and decision making have been centered on consumer behavior in domains such as marketing rather than in engineering or product design. There’s still a gap in knowledge regarding the extent of influence these sustainability-oriented tools have on engineering decision making. Through collaborations with the University of Arizona makerspaces, we seek to improve our preexisting sustainability tools and test them to better understand their effect on decision making, including among users with an engineering background and beyond.