Dr. Middendorf entered the AM field in July 2014 after receiving his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University. John’s dissertation covered the development of technology, equipment, and components for producing, handling, and analyzing terahertz (THz) radiation. This background has given John a highly useful knowledgebase in modern sensor technology.
Upon joining the industry John immediately spearheaded the AM research efforts at Mound Laser & Photonics Center, Inc. and has since become an important member of the AM community. His work includes helping to develop a custom selective laser melting testbed, developing Copper AM processes using high-power green laser technology, and winning/leading 6 separate SBIR/STTR projects on additive manufacturing process control and development in the past 2 years. Included in these projects is a current NASA Phase II STTR that aims to develop a low-cost sensor-fusion system for AM process control, and a potential NASA Phase II STTR that is leveraging laser-based surface profilometry for AM process control. John has also been involved in the development of a standard on in-process monitoring of AM processes for the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Through two company acquisitions John and all his projects and equipment are now members of the Universal Technology Corp. team where all these projects continue. John has been published in Optics Express, Applied Physics Letters, Applied Optics, and IEEE Transactions, as well as several recent conference proceedings centered on AM sensor development. He is a member of IEEE and the Optical Society of America.