Souman Das

Souman Das is a tenured Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he has directed the Direct Digital Manufacturing Laboratory since 2007. Previously he served as tenured Associate Professor (2006-2007) and Assistant Professor (2000-2006) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1998
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1996
• B.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 1990

Research Interests

Professor Das pursues interdisciplinary research that bridges advanced manufacturing with materials science and engineering. His work focuses on additive manufacturing, direct digital manufacturing, and micro-/nanofabrication of ceramics, metals, polymers and composites. Specific thrust areas include 3D printing of high-temperature alloys for turbine engines, maskless lithography, laser materials processing, tissue-engineered scaffolds, and energy-efficient desalination devices. The overarching goal is to translate fundamental insights in processing science into scalable manufacturing routes that yield devices with unprecedented functionality, performance and cost benefits.

Publication Trends

Recent publications (2018-2022) reflect a dual emphasis on process innovation—new additive-manufacturing systems and repair techniques—and materials performance, ranging from nickel-based superalloys and bainitic steels to optical fibres and bio-recognition molecules. The works span mechanical, materials, optical and biological domains, underscoring the laboratory’s cross-cutting expertise.

Funding & Collaborations

Research has been continuously supported by federal agencies and industry, including DARPA, NSF, NIH, NRL, ONR and Rolls-Royce. These partnerships enable translation of laboratory discoveries to aerospace, energy and biomedical applications.

Laboratory & Team

Professor Das leads the Direct Digital Manufacturing Laboratory at Georgia Tech, a facility equipped for additive manufacturing, laser processing, and micro-/nanofabrication. The group integrates graduate researchers, post-docs and industry collaborators to advance next-generation manufacturing technologies.