
Issue 2.2 \| June 24, 2009 Full Metal ID Radio Frequency Identification tags are attached to items for easy identification and tracking. These RFID tags, as they are known, contain data about the object and can be read wirelessly via radio signals, vastly improving tasks such as inventory management. Compared with optical barcodes, RFID has a much longer reading range, is reprogrammable, and has a larger information storage capacity. One hurdle to widespread acceptance of RFID tags, however, is the readability of tags attached to metal surfaces. The metal interferes with the radio signal, especially when the tags are read at longer distances. One solution is to use tags with a thick layer to separate them from the metal. But these tags stand off the surface and thus are susceptible to accidental removal. Metalcraft Leads Again Metalcraft Inc. of Mason City, Iowa, is a leader in the RFID market for durable and reusable tags and labels. John Henry, R&D and technical manager at the company, thought a new type of RFID tag might be required for the company to be a leader in tags appropriate for metal surfaces. He contacted Derek Thompson of Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service several years ago for help with the project. Thompson brought in IPRT Company Assistance for further assistance. IPRT assisted Metalcraft in the design of a new kind of RFID tag, as seen in this mockup. Lynne Mumm, manager of IPRT’s technology commercialization group, helped set up a research project with the goal of developing a method to allow a RFID tag to work on metal. The major requirement was that it should be a low-cost, low-profile solution. IPRT and Metalcraft funded the research, which was done by Robert Weber, the David C. Nicholas Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State and his graduate student, Sanyi Zhan. The team developed a two-step project, first to examine existing RFID tags that might be suitable for use on metal objects and second to investigate new materials for the application. Over two years of research culminated in prototypes for two new RFID antenna designs. The new antennas ensure that RFID tags work even when mounted on metal surfaces. Access to Knowledge “One of the benefits of working with CIRAS and IPRT on this project has been the capability of accessing the knowledge and proficiency of ISU faculty members in an area which is related to our technology but is not our primary proficiency at Metalcraft,” says Henry. “We certainly could not afford to hire someone for our staff who had this expertise. IPRT allows us to ‘pick the brains’’ of people on campus who have good things to share with us,” Henry says. Henry says IPRT’s Mumm played a crucial role. ”The people at CIRAS and IPRT, in particular Lynne Mumm, were very helpful in getting us in contact with the people on campus that could best solve the issues,“ Henry says. Iowa State’s Weber agrees about the value of IPRT and Mumm. “Not only did IPRT supply the matching funding to enable the project, Lynne Mumm kept the project on track,” he says. Henry and Weber also explain that the project is a great example of technology transfer at work. “Dr. Weber provided a good combination of industrial experience and theoretical knowledge to keep the research on track using inexpensive and practical materials,” Henry explains. “Also, Zhan was enthusiastic and very helpful in refining the design for our particular application.” Weber adds, “This project encompassed not only basic research but an integration of research results into an engineering prototype that could be taken by Metalcraft and made into a production item.” Metalcraft signed a license with the ISU Research Foundation to license the new intellectual property in December 2008. Patent applications are also pending. “We plan to commercialize the technology this year,” Henry says. He adds that the project also led to additional funding through the Iowa Department of Economic Development, which is assisting with the practical commercialization. IPRT IPRT Company Assistance Aids in “Nanofarming” Grant Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University have developed groundbreaking “nanofarming” technology that safely harvests oil from the algae so the pond-based “crop” can keep on producing. The potential of algae for fuel is tremendous: up to 10,000 gallons of oil may be produced from a single acre of land, according to some estimates. The three-year effort is being funded with $885,000 from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Industrial Technology Program as part of the 2008 Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency program, and $216,000 from Catilin and $16,000 from Iowa State in matching funds. IPRT’s Technology Commercialization Group worked with the Ames Laboratory-Iowa State team to develop the commercialization component of the grant proposal, according to Lynne Mumm, manager of the group. “We’re working closely with IPRT research centers to boost their commercialization efforts and ties with industry,” Mumm says. Commercialization of the nanofarming technology is at the center of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the Ames Laboratory and Catilin Inc., a company that specializes in biofuel production. The agreement targets development of this novel approach to reduce the cost and energy consumption of the industrial processing of non-food source biofuel feedstock. Catilin is a spinoff company from IPRT’s Center for Catalysis. CCAT director and Catilin founder Victor Lin is leading the nanofarming project. Nanofarming technology uses nanoparticles to extract oil from the algae. The process doesn’t harm the algae like other methods being developed, which helps reduce both production costs and the production cycle. Once the algal oil is extracted, a separate and proven solid catalyst from Catilin will be used to produce ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and EN certified biodiesel. IPRT Taking Materials Analysis to the Field With a new a hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) alloy analyzer, experts from IPRT Company Assistance can now do fast materials analysis in the field. Rick Lopez, an IPRT metallurgical engineer, explains that XRF technology has been around for a long time, but hand-held units are relatively new. IPRT scientist Rick Lopez uses a portable X-ray fluorescence alloy analyzer to check for lead on children’s toys. “While portable XRF does have limitations, it is very good for rapid semi-quantitative field evaluations,” he says. IPRT’s analyzer is a Niton XL3t from Thermo Scientific. Lopez says it’s a flexible, high-end unit that can test precious metals, heavy metals in plastics, lead paint and electronic alloys. Lopez and Paul Berge, manager of IPRT’s materials group, recently used the device on a critical project for an Iowa company, analyzing potentially bad components at both the company’s site and at its customer’s facility. Here’s how it works: the unit emits X-rays that interact with the electrons of the sample material, and the sample material then emits energy. The emitted energy has characteristic wavelengths that vary with the element(s) being interrogated, and that energy is detected by the XRF unit. After mathematically processing the detected energy, the unit provides its interpretation of the chemistry of the sample. IPRT Life’s a Circle for New NDE Scientist Darrel Enyart is a new NDE scientist with IPRT Company Assistance, but he isn’t a new face in the labs at CNDE. Enyart worked for the Iowa Demonstration Laboratory as an undergraduate at Iowa State University. More recently, he held a graduate research assistantship at the Center before he was hired. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at ISU, which he hopes to finish in December 2009. Enyart will be working part-time for the IPRT Company Assistance’s NDE Group and part-time for the FAA Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence. He is also a member of the Iowa Air National Guard, 132nd Fighter Wing, where he is a Nondestructive Inspection Technician. “My National Guard background helps keep me acquainted with the other side of the spectrum of NDE. As an end-line user in the field, I know how difficult it is to do inspections sometimes,” he says. Though Company Assistance and the Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence are both centers under IPRT, Enyart’s work overlaps only in the basic methods. He explains that he is given “specific research and goals” for FAA funded projects and is currently working on projects involving fluorescent penetrant inspection and machining damage. Through Company Assistance, he is constantly working on new projects that have different “problems, needs, and solutions” from one to the other. "I enjoy the challenge of new projects, different problems, and different people,” Enyart adds. “I like the interaction with Iowa companies. They don’t often have the access to the NDE equipment or expertise available at CNDE. Company Assistance can be more efficient and affordable for them.” Enyart, an Iowa native, enjoys living in Ames and was excited when IPRT had a job opening for an NDE scientist. “I was at the right place at the right time,” he says. And he should be excited – this is not only one of the few jobs in the Ames area that can utilize his education and skills but it has been a job he has thought about for a long time. “When I was an undergrad in the research lab, I thought that this would be a fun job to work full-time.” His Company Assistance supervisor, Dave Utrata, says, “It’s a bit like coming full circle for him in this field, and his levels of knowledge will help Iowa companies as well as broaden my knowledge and perspective.” Utrata was also been Enyart’s supervisor when he was an undergraduate. “Firsthand experience in addressing manufacturing inspection issues is familiar territory for him,” he adds. Working for the two centers keeps Enyart busy, but in his free time he likes to build and use Home Theatre Personal Computers, or HTPC. — By Katie Parr, Communications Intern IPRT	IPRT Admin Offices Move to Gilman IPRT’s administrative offices have moved into renovated facilities in Gilman Hall on the Iowa State campus. IPRT’s main address is now 2156 Gilman Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3110; 515-294-3405; Fax: 515-294-1361. The new office addresses are George Kraus, IPRT Director, 2157 Gliman; Cheryl Sansgaard, Business Manager, 2159 Gilman; Robert Mills,Communications, 2156 Gilman; and Lisa Grzywacz, Human Resources, 2155 Gilman. Support staff, including Tami Wicks and Michelle Miller, are located in 2156 Gilman Hall. Personal phone numbers and email addresses are unchanged. Map \| Building Information SB Gets Grant The Andersen Corporate Foundation has awarded IPRT's Science Bound a $10,000 grant. The gift will be used to enhance Science Bound’s leadership and educational programs. As a result of the grant, SB will also be pursuing partnering opportunities with EMCO Enterprises, Inc., in Des Moines, which is associated with Andersen. Former Science Bound student Ricardo Hernandez (right) is congratulated by Science Bound Director Connie Hargrave. Hernandez earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Iowa State in May and is the first in his family to receive a college degree. In May, Science Bound also honored 18 graduates of its program and the Des Moines Public Schools. To date, 217 students have completed the Science Bound program and have been offered scholarships to Iowa State University. More Like a House Iowa State's Solar Decathlon team’s Interlock house now looks like one. The structure, being on a lot built near Highway 30 in Ames, has a roof and windows (see construction Web cam). Many other components, such as appliances, sensors and siding are either in-hand or on the way. This electric meter will be installed in the Interlock house to measure how much electricity is being used by individual branch circuits. In early June, the team completed all of the required documentation for the competition and is now focused on finishing construction. Once complete, the house will be dismantled and shipped to Washington, D.C. and rebuilt on the National Mall for the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s national competition October 9-18, 2009. IPRT is a sponsor of the team. Join IPRT on LinkedIn IPRT Company Assistance has started a group on LinkedIn, the popular social media Web service for professionals. We encourage Iowa companies and entrepreneurs as well as IPRT supporters, and friends to join our group. LinkedIn provides yet another channel for potential clients to discover more about IPRT Company Assistance. Go to LinkedIn to join the IPRT group (you have to be a member of LinkedIn). We'll also post news items and event previews to the group. VRAC Wraps Up Another ETC The 2009 edition of the Virtual Reality Applications Center’s Emerging Technologies Conference brought together researchers in human computer interfaces, computer science, engineering, design, psychology, MIS, and other fields to consider how virtual reality, social networks, and other emerging interface technologies enrich our lives. The conference’s keynote speaker was Gregory D. Abowd, Distinguished Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The event also featured technical paper sessions and a demo competition among graduate students in VRAC’s Human Computer Interaction program. The conference was sponsored by the VRAC, the Human Computer Interaction Graduate program, and Mechdyne Corporation of Marshalltown, Iowa. Company Assistance Goes to Davenport State Senator David Hartsuch of Bettendorf was impressed with how quickly accurate metal hardness values could be obtained using IPRT's portable tester. Davenport-area manufacturers attended the first “IPRT Industry After Hours” event on May 7 to get an introduction to technical and contract research services offered by IPRT Company Assistance. The event featured hands-on demonstrations of equipment used by IPRT scientists to solve problems for Iowa companies. The event was co-hosted by Hansaloy Corp., a Davenport manufacturer and IPRT client. It was sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Advisory Board Gets IPRT Update The IPRT Industrial Advisory Board held its semi-annual meeting in March. The board shared its thoughts on how to make IPRT a more entrepreneurial organization with George Kraus, IPRT director. Andrew Koehnig, a graduate research assistant at VRAC, explains to IPRT's advisory board how an augmented reality system can be used for conceptual design of an aircraft. Jim Oliver, director of IPRT's Virtual Reality Applications Center, gave the board an update on his center's projects and plans. The board was also given a demonstration of augmented realty, a VRAC research project. In Brief Robert Mills, IPRT communications specialist, will now head up IPRT’s communications efforts. Former IPRT communications director Steve Karsjen will devote 100 percent of his time to Ames Laboratory. Mills will oversee all of IPRT’s communications efforts, from this newsletter to publications, Web sites, displays and events. Mills has moved to IPRT’s new administration offices in 2156 Gliman Hall and can be reached at rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.
About IPRT News The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school. Contact IPRT at iprtinfo@iastate.edu, 515-294-3405. This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties. • To subscribe and contribute news, contact: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113. • View a Web version here. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Issue 2.2 | June 24, 2009

Full Metal ID

Radio Frequency Identification tags are attached to items for easy identification and tracking. These RFID tags, as they are known, contain data about the object and can be read wirelessly via radio signals, vastly improving tasks such as inventory management. Compared with optical barcodes, RFID has a much longer reading range, is reprogrammable, and has a larger information storage capacity.

One hurdle to widespread acceptance of RFID tags, however, is the readability of tags attached to metal surfaces. The metal interferes with the radio signal, especially when the tags are read at longer distances. One solution is to use tags with a thick layer to separate them from the metal. But these tags stand off the surface and thus are susceptible to accidental removal.

Metalcraft Leads Again

Metalcraft Inc. of Mason City, Iowa, is a leader in the RFID market for durable and reusable tags and labels. John Henry, R&D and technical manager at the company, thought a new type of RFID tag might be required for the company to be a leader in tags appropriate for metal surfaces. He contacted Derek Thompson of Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service several years ago for help with the project. Thompson brought in IPRT Company Assistance for further assistance.

IPRT assisted Metalcraft in the design of a new kind of RFID tag, as seen in this mockup.

Lynne Mumm, manager of IPRT’s technology commercialization group, helped set up a research project with the goal of developing a method to allow a RFID tag to work on metal. The major requirement was that it should be a low-cost, low-profile solution. IPRT and Metalcraft funded the research, which was done by Robert Weber, the David C. Nicholas Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State and his graduate student, Sanyi Zhan.

The team developed a two-step project, first to examine existing RFID tags that might be suitable for use on metal objects and second to investigate new materials for the application. Over two years of research culminated in prototypes for two new RFID antenna designs. The new antennas ensure that RFID tags work even when mounted on metal surfaces.

Access to Knowledge

“One of the benefits of working with CIRAS and IPRT on this project has been the capability of accessing the knowledge and proficiency of ISU faculty members in an area which is related to our technology but is not our primary proficiency at Metalcraft,” says Henry. “We certainly could not afford to hire someone for our staff who had this expertise. IPRT allows us to ‘pick the brains’’ of people on campus who have good things to share with us,” Henry says.

Henry says IPRT’s Mumm played a crucial role. ”The people at CIRAS and IPRT, in particular Lynne Mumm, were very helpful in getting us in contact with the people on campus that could best solve the issues,“ Henry says. Iowa State’s Weber agrees about the value of IPRT and Mumm. “Not only did IPRT supply the matching funding to enable the project, Lynne Mumm kept the project on track,” he says.

Henry and Weber also explain that the project is a great example of technology transfer at work. “Dr. Weber provided a good combination of industrial experience and theoretical knowledge to keep the research on track using inexpensive and practical materials,” Henry explains. “Also, Zhan was enthusiastic and very helpful in refining the design for our particular application.” Weber adds, “This project encompassed not only basic research but an integration of research results into an engineering prototype that could be taken by Metalcraft and made into a production item.”

Metalcraft signed a license with the ISU Research Foundation to license the new intellectual property in December 2008. Patent applications are also pending. “We plan to commercialize the technology this year,” Henry says. He adds that the project also led to additional funding through the Iowa Department of Economic Development, which is assisting with the practical commercialization. IPRT

IPRT Company Assistance Aids in
“Nanofarming” Grant

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University have developed groundbreaking “nanofarming” technology that safely harvests oil from the algae so the pond-based “crop” can keep on producing. The potential of algae for fuel is tremendous: up to 10,000 gallons of oil may be produced from a single acre of land, according to some estimates.

The three-year effort is being funded with $885,000 from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Industrial Technology Program as part of the 2008 Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency program, and $216,000 from Catilin and $16,000 from Iowa State in matching funds.

IPRT’s Technology Commercialization Group worked with the Ames Laboratory-Iowa State team to develop the commercialization component of the grant proposal, according to Lynne Mumm, manager of the group. “We’re working closely with IPRT research centers to boost their commercialization efforts and ties with industry,” Mumm says.

Commercialization of the nanofarming technology is at the center of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the Ames Laboratory and Catilin Inc., a company that specializes in biofuel production. The agreement targets development of this novel approach to reduce the cost and energy consumption of the industrial processing of non-food source biofuel feedstock. Catilin is a spinoff company from IPRT’s Center for Catalysis. CCAT director and Catilin founder Victor Lin is leading the nanofarming project.

Nanofarming technology uses nanoparticles to extract oil from the algae. The process doesn’t harm the algae like other methods being developed, which helps reduce both production costs and the production cycle. Once the algal oil is extracted, a separate and proven solid catalyst from Catilin will be used to produce ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and EN certified biodiesel. IPRT

Taking Materials Analysis to the Field

With a new a hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) alloy analyzer, experts from IPRT Company Assistance can now do fast materials analysis in the field. Rick Lopez, an IPRT metallurgical engineer, explains that [PHOTO: Rick Lopez] XRF technology has been around for a long time, but hand-held units are relatively new.

IPRT scientist Rick Lopez uses a portable X-ray fluorescence alloy analyzer to check for lead on children’s toys.

“While portable XRF does have limitations, it is very good for rapid semi-quantitative field evaluations,” he says. IPRT’s analyzer is a Niton XL3t from Thermo Scientific. Lopez says it’s a flexible, high-end unit that can test precious metals, heavy metals in plastics, lead paint and electronic alloys. Lopez and Paul Berge, manager of IPRT’s materials group, recently used the device on a critical project for an Iowa company, analyzing potentially bad components at both the company’s site and at its customer’s facility.

Here’s how it works: the unit emits X-rays that interact with the electrons of the sample material, and the sample material then emits energy. The emitted energy has characteristic wavelengths that vary with the element(s) being interrogated, and that energy is detected by the XRF unit. After mathematically processing the detected energy, the unit provides its interpretation of the chemistry of the sample. IPRT

Life’s a Circle for New NDE Scientist

[PHOTO: Darrell Enyart] Darrel Enyart is a new NDE scientist with IPRT Company Assistance, but he isn’t a new face in the labs at CNDE. Enyart worked for the Iowa Demonstration Laboratory as an undergraduate at Iowa State University. More recently, he held a graduate research assistantship at the Center before he was hired. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at ISU, which he hopes to finish in December 2009.

Enyart will be working part-time for the IPRT Company Assistance’s NDE Group and part-time for the FAA Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence. He is also a member of the Iowa Air National Guard, 132nd Fighter Wing, where he is a Nondestructive Inspection Technician.

“My National Guard background helps keep me acquainted with the other side of the spectrum of NDE. As an end-line user in the field, I know how difficult it is to do inspections sometimes,” he says.

Though Company Assistance and the Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence are both centers under IPRT, Enyart’s work overlaps only in the basic methods. He explains that he is given “specific research and goals” for FAA funded projects and is currently working on projects involving fluorescent penetrant inspection and machining damage. Through Company Assistance, he is constantly working on new projects that have different “problems, needs, and solutions” from one to the other.

"I enjoy the challenge of new projects, different problems, and different people,” Enyart adds. “I like the interaction with Iowa companies. They don’t often have the access to the NDE equipment or expertise available at CNDE. Company Assistance can be more efficient and affordable for them.”

Enyart, an Iowa native, enjoys living in Ames and was excited when IPRT had a job opening for an NDE scientist. “I was at the right place at the right time,” he says. And he should be excited – this is not only one of the few jobs in the Ames area that can utilize his education and skills but it has been a job he has thought about for a long time. “When I was an undergrad in the research lab, I thought that this would be a fun job to work full-time.”

His Company Assistance supervisor, Dave Utrata, says, “It’s a bit like coming full circle for him in this field, and his levels of knowledge will help Iowa companies as well as broaden my knowledge and perspective.” Utrata was also been Enyart’s supervisor when he was an undergraduate. “Firsthand experience in addressing manufacturing inspection issues is familiar territory for him,” he adds.

Working for the two centers keeps Enyart busy, but in his free time he likes to build and use Home Theatre Personal Computers, or HTPC. — By Katie Parr, Communications Intern IPRT

IPRT Admin Offices
Move to Gilman

IPRT’s administrative offices have moved into renovated facilities in Gilman Hall on the Iowa State campus. IPRT’s main address is now 2156 Gilman Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3110; 515-294-3405; Fax: 515-294-1361. The new office addresses are George Kraus, IPRT Director, 2157 Gliman; Cheryl Sansgaard, Business Manager, 2159 Gilman; Robert Mills,Communications, 2156 Gilman; and Lisa Grzywacz, Human Resources, 2155 Gilman. Support staff, including Tami Wicks and Michelle Miller, are located in 2156 Gilman Hall. Personal phone numbers and email addresses are unchanged. Map | Building Information

SB Gets Grant

The Andersen Corporate Foundation has awarded IPRT's Science Bound a $10,000 grant. The gift will be used to enhance Science Bound’s leadership and educational programs. As a result of the grant, SB will also be pursuing partnering opportunities with EMCO Enterprises, Inc., in Des Moines, which is associated with Andersen.

[PHOTO: Connie Hargrave, Ricard Hernandez]

Former Science Bound student Ricardo Hernandez (right) is congratulated by Science Bound Director Connie Hargrave. Hernandez earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Iowa State in May and is the first in his family to receive a college degree.

In May, Science Bound also honored 18 graduates of its program and the Des Moines Public Schools. To date, 217 students have completed the Science Bound program and have been offered scholarships to Iowa State University.

More Like a House

Iowa State's Solar Decathlon team’s Interlock house now looks like one. The structure, being on a lot built near Highway 30 in Ames, has a roof and windows (see construction Web cam). Many other components, such as appliances, sensors and siding are either in-hand or on the way.

This electric meter will be installed in the Interlock house to measure how much electricity is being used by individual branch circuits.

In early June, the team completed all of the required documentation for the competition and is now focused on finishing construction. Once complete, the house will be dismantled and shipped to Washington, D.C. and rebuilt on the National Mall for the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s national competition October 9-18, 2009. IPRT is a sponsor of the team.

Join IPRT on LinkedIn

IPRT Company Assistance has started a group on LinkedIn, the popular social media Web service for professionals. We encourage Iowa companies and

entrepreneurs as well as IPRT supporters, and friends to join our group.

LinkedIn provides yet another channel for potential clients to discover more about IPRT Company Assistance. Go to LinkedIn to join the IPRT group (you have to be a member of LinkedIn). We'll also post news items and event previews to the group.

VRAC Wraps Up Another ETC

The 2009 edition of the Virtual Reality Applications Center’s Emerging Technologies Conference brought together researchers in human computer interfaces, computer science, engineering, design, psychology, MIS, and other fields to consider how virtual reality, social networks, and other emerging interface technologies enrich our lives.

The conference’s keynote speaker was Gregory D. Abowd, Distinguished Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The event also featured technical paper sessions and a demo competition among graduate students in VRAC’s Human Computer Interaction program. The conference was sponsored by the VRAC, the Human Computer Interaction Graduate program, and Mechdyne Corporation of Marshalltown, Iowa.

Company Assistance Goes to Davenport

State Senator David Hartsuch of Bettendorf was impressed with how quickly accurate metal hardness values could be obtained using IPRT's portable tester.

Davenport-area manufacturers attended the first “IPRT Industry After Hours” event on May 7 to get an introduction to technical and contract research services offered by IPRT Company Assistance. The event featured hands-on demonstrations of equipment used by IPRT scientists to solve problems for Iowa companies. The event was co-hosted by Hansaloy Corp., a Davenport manufacturer and IPRT client. It was sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Advisory Board Gets IPRT Update

The IPRT Industrial Advisory Board held its semi-annual meeting in March. The board shared its thoughts on how to make IPRT a more entrepreneurial organization with George Kraus, IPRT director.

Andrew Koehnig, a graduate research assistant at VRAC, explains to IPRT's advisory board how an augmented reality system can be used for conceptual design of an aircraft.

Jim Oliver, director of IPRT's Virtual Reality Applications Center, gave the board an update on his center's projects and plans. The board was also given a demonstration of augmented realty, a VRAC research project.

In Brief

Robert Mills, IPRT communications specialist, will now head up IPRT’s communications efforts. Former IPRT communications director Steve Karsjen will devote 100 percent of his time to Ames Laboratory. Mills will oversee all of IPRT’s communications efforts, from this newsletter to publications, Web sites, displays and events. Mills has moved to IPRT’s new administration offices in 2156 Gliman Hall and can be reached at rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.

About IPRT News

The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school. Contact IPRT at iprtinfo@iastate.edu, 515-294-3405.

This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties.
• To subscribe and contribute news, contact: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.
• View a Web version here.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.