The College of Engineering, Design and Computing has partnered with Impressio.tech to grow and expand on emerging technologies in additive manufacturing. Through this collaboration, Impressio has access to the college’s state-of-the-art EOS p770 printer to design and test new liquid crystal elastomer lattices for helmet prototypes they’re developing for the NFL Helmet Challenge.

“It’s nice because Impressio can help get the machine up and running and help lead CU into use of this very big/expensive/cool machine,” said Chris Yakacki, co-founder of Impressio and associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Students benefit as well. Yakacki plans to incorporate lessons learned around 3D printing and designing for additive manufacturing into his MECH 3045 Additive Manufacturing course. “This semester, we’re doing a much deeper dive into the design software, nTopology, that drives all of our helmet designs,” he said. The software is also being used by current capstone design teams, adding to the collaboration.

Building these types of partnerships with industry  is just one of the ways the College of Engineering, Design and Computing is working to stay ahead of the curve and grow our in-demand programs.

Impressio.tech in the news

Check out the story on Digital Trends about how engineers are making football helmets safer

Watch their NFL 1st and Future update, which aired on the NFL Network during the 2021 1st and Future Pitch Competition.

Learn more at impressio.tech.