Arvind Kumar

Professor Arvind Kumar is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. His research focuses on additive manufacturing technologies, heat transfer and CFD modeling, manufacturing process modeling, solidification, thermal storage technologies, and laser/plasma surface coating technologies.

Professor Kumar earned his PhD and M.Sc (Engg) from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore in 2008 and 2003 respectively, and completed his B.Tech from NIFFT, Ranchi in 2001. His academic journey has established him as a leading researcher in advanced manufacturing processes.

His research interests span metal additive manufacturing (including DfAM and AM process development), heat transfer and computational fluid dynamics, multiphysics and multiscale modeling of manufacturing processes, machine learning applications in manufacturing, droplet-surface interactions, and thermal energy storage systems. His work bridges the gap between theoretical modeling and practical industrial applications.

Professor Kumar's publication record shows a strong focus on laser-based additive manufacturing, particularly with titanium and aluminum alloys. His research examines thermal modeling, solidification phenomena, defect formation, and process optimization. Recent work (2023-2024) has concentrated on high-fidelity modeling of laser-material interactions, lattice structure performance, and thermal management in additive manufacturing processes.

• H.A.L. Chair Professor Position, IIT Kanpur (2024-2027)
• Best Poster Award, 7th International Conference on Solidification Science and Processing (2018)
• Best Research Paper Award, 12th IIR Conference on Phase Change Material (2018)
• PK Kelkar Young Faculty Research Fellowship (2018-2021)
• Marie Curie Fellowship, University of Southampton, UK (2011-12)

Professor Kumar leads multiple research projects funded by CSIR, SERB, ISRO, and EU-Indo collaborations. His research group operates the Manufacturing Science Lab in the Northern Laboratories at IIT Kanpur, focusing on experimental and computational analysis of advanced manufacturing processes. Current projects include additive manufacturing of aerospace components, development of thermal models for laser powder bed fusion, and innovative thermal energy storage systems.