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Prof. David E Hardt

Ralph E and Eloise F Cross Professor in Manufacturing
Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Primary DLC

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MIT Room: 35-231
(617) 253-2252
https://meche.mit.edu/people/faculty/hardt@mit.edu

Assistant

Samantha Young
(617) 715-2158
samyoung@mit.edu

Areas of Interest and Expertise

Control of Manufacturing Processes
Microfluidic Device Manufacture
Scale-Up of Micro-Contact Printing for Metamaterial Production
Manufacturing Process Technology
Molding Compounds

Research Summary

Dr. Hardt's teaching focuses on control, system dynamics, and manufacturing processes. His disciplinary focus is system dynamics and control as applied to manufacturing. His research is currently focusing on manufacturing of polymer micro devices, especially microfluidic chips. Recent work includes the manufacturing scale up of PDMS casting methods, in-depth investigation of microembossing process parameters, novel equipment design for microembossing and development of a Â?Research Factory for microfluidic devices. Prof. Hardt is the founder of the MIT Center for Polymer Microfabrication and also created the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing degree program at MIT.

Dr. Hardt's most recent work involves developing a comprehensive process control approach combining feedback and statistical control methods.


(summary updated 11/2011)

Recent Work

  • Video

    2023-Vienna-Perez-Hardt-Day-1

    March 29, 2023Conference Video Duration: 21:20
    How to Permanently and Sustainably Solve Homelessness? Use Recycled Consumer Plastics to Locally 3D Print Environmentally Friendly Homes in Distributed Micro-Factories 

    2023-Vienna-Perez-Hardt-Day-2

    March 29, 2023Conference Video Duration: 99:8
    Design for Sustainability

    3.4.21-Future-Manufacturing-Roundtable

    March 4, 2021Conference Video Duration: 75:8
    Brian Anthony
    Associate Director, MIT.nano
    Faculty Lead, Industry Immersion Program in Mechanical Engineering
    David E. Hardt
    Ralph and Eloise Cross Professor, Mechanical Engineering
    Professor, Engineering Systems
    Richard Braatz
    Gilliland Professor, Chemical Engineering
    Faculty Research Officer
    Katrin Ellen Daehn
    Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
    Craig R Karasack
    Technical Director of Ergonomics and Manufacturing Technology
    Risk Control Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance
    Kurt Bettenhausen
    Member of the Board for New Technologies and Development, HARTING Technology Group

    2021-Future-of-Manufacturing-David-Hardt

    March 2, 2021Conference Video Duration: 19:13
    David E. Hardt
    Ralph and Eloise Cross Professor, Mechanical Engineering
    Professor, Engineering Systems

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Chief Scientist