Tao Sun

Prof. Tao Sun is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University, leading the FAST-AM Lab. His research focuses on advancing additive manufacturing technologies through fundamental studies of energy-matter interactions, process monitoring, and material characterization using synchrotron X-ray imaging and machine learning. He holds a PhD from Northwestern University and MS/BS degrees from Tsinghua University.

• Education: PhD (Northwestern), MS/BS (Tsinghua University)

Research interests include additive manufacturing processes (laser powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition), in situ/operando characterization, machine learning for defect detection, and synchrotron-based techniques. Recent work emphasizes real-time process monitoring and optimizing microstructural control.

Publications span porosity mechanisms, melt pool dynamics, and multi-physics modeling, with a focus on bridging experimental observations with computational models. Awards include the TMS Young Innovator Award for contributions to additive manufacturing materials science.

Labs/Teams: FAST-AM Lab explores advanced manufacturing via cutting-edge characterization tools and AI integration.