The UNH John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center serves as a resource for industry; providing information, education, collaborations, and solutions related to advanced manufacturing, materials, and product innovations. Interconnecting manufacturers and the University, the Olson Center provides industry with access to the expertise and resources of the University and students and faculty with access to industrial environments and applications.
Collaboration Models
Faculty & Staff Led Projects
These projects are fully conducted by university R&D faculty, staff, and interns. This option involves co-development by the university and industry personnel. Projects frequently have weekly or bi-weekly meetings with industry and industrial researcher space may be allocated at the Olson Center.
Student Integrated Projects
These projects are integrated with university R&D faculty, staff, and students as a part of the University’s core learning environment. These projects usually involve larger scopes of investigation or development with a longer project duration.
Student Led Projects
These projects are completed by university students in a learning structure. Projects conducted using this option tend to require the least industrial resource allocation with respect to budget and internal personnel time.
Recent Collaborations
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has been steadfastly committed to sustainability, a principle deeply ingrained in its academic and research endeavors. One striking example of this dedication is the collaboration between UNH's Olson Center and GreenSource Fabrication (GSF), a pioneer in sustainable printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. With 50% of its engineering staff consisting of UNH alums, GreenSource Fabrication forms a robust collaborative front firmly grounded in shared values of sustainability.
Operating under their parent company and Olson Center supporter Whelen Engineering, GreenSource Fabrication is a company that exemplifies the fusion of technological innovation and environmental consciousness. GSF has created a waste treatment system—a closed-loop marvel that purifies and recycles the same volume of water 10 to 12 times a day. Remarkably, GSF consumes less than 400 gallons of water daily for its operations. A typical operation of their size would consume over 50 times that amount.
Since 2022, GreenSource employee and UNH alumna Maria Virga has run an internship program for UNH students at the Olson Center. The internship allows students to gain practical insights into cutting-edge technology for printed circuit boards. More significantly, it exposes them to revolutionary sustainable production methods beyond the typical classroom curriculum. Through hands-on experiences with GSF's state-of-the-art equipment, students learn the technical aspects of circuit board fabrication and the critical importance of environmental consciousness in manufacturing.
Interns at the Olson Center can engage with GSF's cutting-edge equipment, including the InduBond X-Press. This machine plays a crucial role in GreenSource's lamination department by utilizing heat and pressure through induction to efficiently laminate circuit boards, thereby reducing cycle time. Interns gain valuable hands-on experience as they interact with this impressive equipment. The InduBond X-Press serves as a prime example of GSF's dedication to offering interns a valuable and enriching learning experience.
GSF showcases that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with cutting-edge technology. The Olson Center is proud to collaborate and share space with GreenSource Fabrication as they engage students to push the sustainability envelope.
Written By, Katelyn Clark ‘24
The University of New Hampshire has pursued many collaborations to make significant strides in the space industry by leveraging innovative technologies and advanced machinery. One initiative in this endeavor has been the collaboration between UNH's Olson Center and Rouge Space, a corporation out of Laconia, New Hampshire.
Rogue Space dedicates itself to engineering the first generation of orbital robots, focusing on designing satellite vehicles and subsystems to provide on-orbit services to satellite operators. The Olson Center contributes valuable cutting-edge machinery, faculty, and staff to support Rouge Space's pioneering work.
During the summer of 2022, the Olson Center fabricated parts for Rogue satellites awaiting deployment to Space. They crafted these critical components using the center's 5-axis Mill, a task led by student intern Riley Drew '22 and program manager Nathan Daigle '21. Collaborating with UNH's Space Science Center, the Olson Center ensured the vacuum sealing of these parts before delivering them to Rogue for their upcoming space launch. Subsequently, the Olson Center produced various display models of Rogue satellites using the center's 3D printers. Students Sarah Souliere, Seth Chartier, Josephine Crotty, Delaney Cox, Ryan Tripp, Jack Penney, and Gabrielle Peterson each had a hand in the project.
Over the summer of 2023, interns Joseph Aubut, Saketh Kantipudi, and Jonathan Janney produced camera enclosures and a GUP thermal interface surface for the flight hardware on one of Rogue's in-space Orbots (orbital robots). This project demanded tight coordination and oversight by program manager Nathan Daigle to assist Rouge in meeting its launch date.
The work for Rogue Space exemplifies the importance of these industry collaborations as vital experiences for the Olson Center interns and the furtherment of NH-based manufacturing and innovation.
Written by Katelyn Clark '24 and Jesse Davis
Barry-1
Many people need help participating in activities such as hiking, cycling, kayaking, or other recreational sports. The non-profit organization Northeast Passage aims to create an environment where those with disabling conditions can take part in such activities.
Northeast Passage is a UNH-based adaptive sports and recreation program. It offers a wide range of services, including recreational therapy, athlete development, and adaptive sports and recreation, all of which can improve the quality of life and health of those with disabling conditions. Over the past few years, the Olson Center has collaborated with Northeast Passage on adaptive equipment projects. The center's engineers, students, and numerous manufacturing resources have brought some of Northeast Passage's designs to life in exciting and innovative ways.
An ongoing collaboration for the summer and fall of 2023 is developing a universal bike pedal suitable for disabled individuals. Intern Gracie Schmidt leads this innovative project, with support over the summer from interns Jasmine Winham and Jackie O'Donnell. Gracie's team is responsible for creating an adapter for most exercise bike pedals. This system enables individuals with limited muscle control in their feet or legs due to disability to safely utilize exercise bikes available in most gyms.
During a collaboration in the fall of 2022, The Olson Center designed and created a trophy called the Homer Cup for North East Passage's annual sled hockey tournament. The winning team's name will be engraved on the trophy each year. Steven Wilson, Yeonji Ha, and Josephine Crotty used Fusion 360 design software and the 3-axis CNC Mill to create the Homer Cup. We wish the upcoming Northeast Passage sled hockey tournament participants good luck!
Over the summer of 2022, mechanical engineering student Brooke Shepard '23 immersed herself in Northeast Passage's daily activities. Brooke attended trips such as kayaking, biking, and more in order to find better ways to adapt sports equipment for individuals with disabilities.
During the 2021 to 2022 school year, mechanical engineering students Riley Drew '23, Collin Edminster '22, and Nate McCarvill '23 worked with Northeast Passage to adapt a Bluetooth-powered archery system. They designed a remote-controlled trigger system for someone who does not have full dexterity in their arm or hand. Instead of manually releasing a bow from the arrow nock, they can push a blue-tooth button on the bow, which releases the arrow for them, allowing a fun and independent experience with archery.
The Olson Center looks forward to future collaborations with Northeast Passage in achieving its mission of a barrier-free world for individuals with disabilities.
Written by, Katelyn Clark '24 & Jesse Davis
Over the summer of 2022, the Olson Center worked on a project for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Analysis Lab which is a part of the Earth Systems Research Center at UNH. Jack Hastings, along with the PI of the lab, Dr. Scott Ollinger, have been working to prototype low-cost light sensors to deploy in forest canopies. They are interested in understanding how light is intercepted and moves through different tree species.
The sensor will measure what specific wavelengths of light are reaching the sensor at different times of the day. Mechanical engineering intern, Seth Chartier, stepped in to build a prototype of the low-cost weatherproof sensor housing using our 3D printer. Eventually, Hastings wants to deploy many sensors in the forest to learn more about the quantity and quality of light received by trees.
Written by, Jesse Davis
In October of 2021, interns Reyer Bliss and Jessie Barker worked in partnership with Rimol Greenhouse Systems. Located in Hooksett, NH, Rimol Greenhouses has specialized in manufacturing various types of greenhouses for nearly 30 years.
In 2021, demand in such innovative and quality greenhouses began to increase, which is when the Olson Center stepped in to reconfigure Rimol’s manufacturing and production line. Over the next eight months, mechanical engineering interns, Reyer (junior) and Jessie (now graduated) worked with owner and founder, Bob Rimol and Sean, head of fabrication, to optimize their raw and processed material storage for efficiency between manufacturing and shipping facilities. In addition to this, Jessie and Reyer helped plan for their electrical and compressed air needs.
Jessie and Reyer drew plans in a program called SketchUp for a concise representation of how the production and organization of Rimol’s manufacturing could be improved. Each month, Jessie and Reyer visited Rimol Greenhouses to measure the amount of storage space available to be transformed into a manufacturing area. They also had the opportunity to have a first-hand look at the ongoing changes that were happening.
The Olson Center successfully conceptualized a solution for Rimol Greenhouses expansion and upgrades, allowing Rimol to continue to manufacture their industry-leading growing structures.
Written by, Jesse Davis
Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) developed a new Pitot-Static Tube Anemometer, a device that measures wind speed on top of MWOBS’ weather station tower. John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Centers' role as a 3rd party collaborator was to evaluate the performance of the anemometer. The center was tasked with data analysis, utilizing a wind tunnel, and benchtop testing. To gather data the machinery used was an oscilloscope, calibration device, and a GE Druck DPI 611 portable pressure calibrator, provided by MWOBS. The Pilot-Static Tube Anemometer is helpful for meteorologists and hikers to gauge the weather and make accurate evaluations on wind speed. The highest recorded speed recorded to date on this model anemometer is 171 miles per hour. Wind speeds as high as 231 miles per hour have been recorded on Mt. Washington’s summit previously. The olson center program manger, Nathan Daigle and interns Alex Charest and Jesse Barker worked on this project.
Written by, Jesse Davis
The Olson Center recently collaborated with LanAir, an incorporation that provides quality, cost efficient solutions to Aerospace customers worldwide. Olson Center interns, Delaney Cox and Josie Crotty spent about three weeks using the center’s compression machine to compare the sheer strength of a pin LanAir created to a sheer pin from an aircraft.
LanAir visited the Olson Center to view the sheer pin testing and discuss the data our interns, Delaney and Josie gathered. This is just one of the many exciting collaborations the Olson Center has had the opportunity to be apart of.
Written by, Jesse Davis
