SwRI breaks ground on new hypersonic engine research facility

SAN ANTONIO — June 17, 2024 —Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) today celebrated the groundbreaking of the Center for Accelerating Materials and Processes (CAMP), a new facility that will support research and development for tomorrow’s high-speed aerospace engines.

“This project will help ensure the U.S. is a leader in high-speed propulsion research and development,” said Dr. Barron Bichon, director of SwRI’s Materials Engineering Department. “SwRI is committed to advancing this vital technology on behalf of Texas and the nation.”

Market forces including growth in global defense, air travel, delivery and transportation needs are driving the demand for high-speed engines. Initial projects in the new CAMP facility will focus on demonstrating faster, more efficient techniques for manufacturing high-speed propulsion systems.

Once construction on the new two-story, 36,600 square-foot facility is complete, SwRI will begin evaluating new materials and processes designed to produce a high-speed engine in a considerably shorter amount of time than current production timelines.

“This new facility will see the development of innovative technology that reflects SwRI’s mission of serving humankind,” said Dr. Ben Thacker, vice president of SwRI’s Mechanical Engineering Division. “Advancing high-speed propulsion systems propels us toward a future with stronger defense capabilities and greater global connectivity.”

One of the CAMP facility’s initial projects will involve procuring and installing manufacturing process test equipment. Under a contract from the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Manufacturing Science and Technology Program, SwRI engineers will demonstrate how the facility will reduce production times and costs. The Institute will invest $34 million in the construction of the CAMP facility.

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/technical-divisions/mechanical-engineering.

Credit: Southwest Research Institute