Mihaela Vlasea

Mihaela Vlasea
Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair II in Sustainable Additive Manufacturing
Location: E7-3308
Phone: 519-888-4567 x48329

Biography

Dr. Mihaela Vlasea is a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Sustainable Additive Manufacturing. Her research focuses on innovative design, process optimization and adoption of new materials for powder bed fusion and binder jetting additive manufacturing processes. She is the Co-Director of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) Lab, Canada’s largest academic facility for metal additive manufacturing.

Dr. Vlasea has an excellent demonstrated scholarly track record in the field of additive manufacturing through high-impact and applied publications. She collaborates with internationally-renowned institutes such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) (Dresden, Germany), Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) (Bronnbach, Germany), Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for AM, University of Twente (Enschede, Netherlands), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (Gaithersburg, MD, US).

Dr. Vlasea also has a track record of close collaborations with industry partners across the additive manufacturing supply chain: powder producers (RioTinto, Metal Powder Works, AP&C, Kymera International, Green Age Materials), applications-focused (MAGNA, Dana Canada Inc., MIBA Sinter Austria, Borrum Energy Solutions, The Barnes Global Advisors, Stellantis, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Space Copy), sensors and instrumentation (Xiris Automation, Fijifilm VSI), and service centers (voestalpine, Burloak).

In recognition of her work, she was awarded the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) 20 Most Influential Academics in Manufacturing in 2021 and the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award in 2020. Her research team were awarded the 2022 AMNOW Metals Challenge – Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Finalists), and the 2020 US Air Force AM Olympics – Materials Hurdles Technical Challenge (Second Prize). Dr. Vlasea demonstrates strong leadership through past involvement as Editor-in-Chief for the Rapid Prototyping Journal, Work Item Chair for ASTM International Standards Development Committee F42 (2021-present), and the SME AM Community Advisory Group (2016-present). Her high-impact research has been featured in >40 news articles in the media.

Research Interests

  • Additive manufacturing

  • Advanced manufacturing

  • Powder bed fusion

  • Binder jetting

  • Process modeling

  • Digital design optimization

  • Process optimization

  • Process modeling

  • Data analytics

  • Monitoring and controls strategies

Education

  • 2014, Doctorate Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

  • 2011, Diploma Space Studies Program, International Space University, France

  • 2008, Bachelor of Applied Science Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

Teaching*

  • ME 561 - Fluid Power Control Systems
    • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • ME 739 - Manufacturing Processes Topics
    • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • MTE 322 - Electromechanical Machine Design
    • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Selected/Recent Publications

  • Oluwajuyigbe T*, Karimi P **, Keshavarz MK **, Sadeghi E**, Mahdi Habibnejad-korayem, Vlasea M. (2025) Comprehensive pore defect analysis for electron beam-powder bed fusion of Ti48Al2Cr2Nb . Advances in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aime.2025.100170

  • Alipanahrostami M*, Alimehr P*, Vlasea M, Wang Wei (2025). Metallic Omniphobic Surfaces via Additive Manufacturing. Applied Materials Today. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102909

  • Yang M*, Keshavarz KM,Vlasea M. (2025) Single-Step Reductive Sintering for Sustainable Additive Manufacturing of As-Water-Atomized Steel Powders. Journal of Materials Processing Tech. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2025.119023

  • Patel J*, Patel S**, Vlasea M. (2025) Towards generalizable machine learning prediction of downskin surface roughness in laser powder bed fusion. Advances in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aime.2025.100163

  • Rezaei J*, Keshavarz MK **, Barnes J, Vlasea M. (2025) Melting mode-driven processing diagram for nanoparticle-enhanced high-strength aluminum alloy processed by laser powder bed fusion. Materials and Design. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2025.113794

  • Yang M*, Rezaei J*, Vlasea M. (2025) Process Screening in Additive Manufacturing: Detection of Keyhole Mode using Surface Topography and Machine Learning. Additive Manufacturing Letters. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addlet.2025.100275

  • Juhasz DR*, Keshavarz M**, Vlasea M, Molavi-Kakhki A. (2025) Toward Functional Lightweighting in Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing. Progress in Additive Manufacturing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-025-00957-1

  • Marotta T*, Mihaela Vlasea, Stewart McLachlin. (2024) Applications of Auxetic Structures in Orthopaedics: A Scoping Review. Bioprinting 44 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bprint.2024.e00375

  • Taherkhani K**, Patel S**, Honarvar F**, Alimehr P*, Langridge E, Amini MH, Vlasea M. (2024). Detection of traceability features embedded into metal additive manufacturing components by phased array ultrasonic testing. ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4067328

  • Yang M*, Keshavarz M**, Patel S**, Wang W, Zou Y, Vlasea M. (2024) Microstructural Evolution in Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Water-Atomized High-Carbon Low-Alloy Steel: Analysis of Melting Mode Effects. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. 127 (160-173). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.07.094

  • Rezaei A*, Karimi P**, Xu J, Habibnejad-Korayem M, Mohammad-Nejad A, Keshavarz MK**, Moverare J, Vlasea M, Sadeghi E. Influence of powder particle size distribution on the creep performance of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy fabricated via electron beam-powder bed fusion. Materials Today Communications. 40 (109794). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2024. 109794

  • Yang M*, Yan J*, Peng P, Enrique PD**, Keshavarz MK**, Vlasea M. (2024) Surface Functionalization of Binder Jetted Steels through Super-solidus Liquid Phase Sintering and Electro-spark Deposition. Surface & Coatings Technology. 487 (130994) https://10.1016/j.surfcoat.2024.130994.

  • Tianyi Lyu*; Mohsen K Keshavarz**; Sagar Patel**; Michel J.R Haché; Changjun Cheng; Xiao Shang; Mihaela Vlasea (2024) Melting mode driven tuning of local microstructure and hardness in laser powder bed fusion of 18Ni-300 maraging steel. Materialia. 35 (102-113) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102113

  • McGregor M*, Patel S**, Zhang K*, Yu Adam*, Vlasea M, McLachlin S. (2024) A Manufacturability Evaluation of Complex Architectures by Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing. ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. 146 (061007-1) https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4065315

  • Yang M*, Keshavarz MK**, Mihaela Vlasea, Amin Molavi-Kakhki. (2024) Towards full-dense high geometric fidelity parts via binder jetting and controlled sintering. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. 115 (2024) 180–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.02.028.

  • Zhang J*, Patel S**, Liu Z*, Lyu T*, Wang Y*, Hua Y*, Wang W*, Hattrick-Simpers J, Vlasea M, Zou Y. (2024) A data-driven framework to improve the wear resistance of a low-alloy steel fabricated using laser powder bed fusion. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. 115 (2024) 56–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.01.083.

  • Osezua Ibhadode**, Issa Zachary Rishmawi**, Mark Kirby**, Mihaela Vlasea, Sooky Winkler. (2023) Topological Fidelity of Additively Manufactured AlSi10Mg Gyroid Structures. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. 108 (2023) 671–684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2023.11.033

  • Karimi P**, Keshavarz M**, Sadeghi E, Habibnejad M, Vlasea M. (2023) Interplay of process, microstructure, and mechanical performance in electron beam-powder bed fusion of Ti48Al2Nb2Cr. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2023.103811.

  • Zhang K*, Hickey JP, Vlasea M. (2023) An analysis framework of additively manufactured deterministic porous structures for transpiration cooling. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08481-5.

  • Yang M*, Keshavarz M**, Vlasea M, Molavi-Kakhki A, Laher Martin. (2023) Supersolidus liquid phase sintering of water-atomized low-alloy steel in binder jetting additive manufacturing. Helyon Journal. 9 (3):e13882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13882

  • Patel S*, Chen H, Vlasea M, Zhou Y. (2022) The influence of laser beam focus in laser powder bed fusion – a study on high reflectivity alloys. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 59 :103112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.103112.

  • Chen H*, Patel S*, Vlasea M, Zhou Y. (2022) Enhanced tensile ductility of an additively manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy by reducing the density of melt pool boundaries. Scripta Materialia. 221:114954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.114954.

  • Rishmawi I**, Rogalsky A**, Vlasea M, Salarian M, Bakhshivash S. (2022) The effects of heat treatment on tensile and thermal expansion behaviour of LPBF Invar36. Journal of Materials Engineering & Performance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-07013-x.

  • Rishmawi I**, Rogalsky A**, Vlasea M, Molavi-Kakhi A. (2021) Comparison of the master sinter curves of water- and gas-atomized AISI 4340 low-alloy steel in binder jetting additive manufacturing. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 48 (A): 102381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102381

  • van Houtum GJJ*,Vlasea M. (2021) Active learning via adaptive weighted uncertainty sampling applied to additive manufacturing. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 48 (B):102411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102411

  • Shanbhag G*, Wheat E, Moylan S, Vlasea M. (2021) Effect of specimen geometry and orientation on tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V manufactured by electron beam powder bed fusion. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 48 (A): 102366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102366.

  • Shanbhag G*, Wheat E, Moylan S, Vlasea M. (2021) Data related to the effect of specimen geometry and orientation on tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V manufactured by electron beam powder bed fusion. Data in Brief. 39:107613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.107613.

  • McGregor M*, Patel S*, McLachlin S, Vlasea M. (2021) Architectural bone parameters and the relationship to titanium lattice design for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 47: 1022273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102273.

  • McGregor M*, Patel S*, McLachlin S, Vlasea M. (2021) Data related to architectural bone parameters and the relationship to titanium lattice design for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. Data in Brief. 39:107633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.107633.

  • Shanbhag G*, Vlasea M. (2021) “Powder Reuse Cycles in Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion - Variation of Powder Characteristics”. Journal of Materials, Special Issue Materials Research Considerations for Metal Powder and Wire-Based Additive Manufacturing Processing. 14 (16): 4602. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164602.

  • Ertay DS*, Naiel AM**, Vlasea M, Fieguth P. (2021) Process performance evaluation and classification via in-situ melt pool monitoring in directed energy deposition. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology. 35: 298-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2021.06.015.

  • Honarvar F, Patel S*, Vlasea M, Amini H*, Varvani-Farahani A** (2021). Non-destructive characterization of laser powder bed fusion components using high-frequency phased array ultrasonic testing. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance. 30: 6766-6776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-021-05988-7.

  • Msiempba K*, Wang M*, Vlasea M. (2021) Geometrical Degrees of Freedom for Cellular Structures Generation: A New Classification Paradigm. Journal of Applied Sciences. Special Issue Design for Additive Manufacturing: Methods and Tools. 11: 3945. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11093845.

  • Rishmawi I*, Vlasea M. (2021) Binder Jetting of Silicon Steel, Part I: Process Map of Green Density. ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. 143 (11):11010. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050651.

  • Ertay DS*, Kamyab S*, Vlasea M, Azimifar Z, Ma T**, Rogalsky AD**, Fieguth P. (2021) Towards Sub-Surface Pore Prediction Capabilities for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Using Data Science. ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. 143:071016. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050461.

  • Fayazfar H**, Rishmawi I**, Vlasea M, Salarian M, Bakhshivash S. (2021) Custom Electropolishing of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Complex Structures. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance. 30: 2245-2255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-021-05512-x.

  • Brock L*, Ogunsanya I**, Asgari H**, Patel S*, Vlasea M. (2020) Performance and Properties of Additively Manufactured and Cast Aluminium Alloys for Fluid Power Applications. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance. 30:760-782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-020-05403-7.

  • Patel S*, Rogalsky A**, Vlasea M. (2020) Towards Understanding Side-Skin Surface Characteristics in Laser Powder Bed Fusion. Journal of Materials Research. 35:2055-2064. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.125.

  • Naiel M**, Ertay DS*, Vlasea M, Fieguth P. (2020) Adaptive Vision-based Detection of Laser-Material Interaction for Directed Energy Deposition. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 36: 101468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101468.

  • Shanbhag G*, Vlasea M. (2020) The effect of reuse cycles on Ti-6Al-4V powder properties processed by electron beam melting. J of Manufacturing Letters. 25:60-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mfglet.2020.07.007.

  • Wheat E*, Shanbhag G*, Vlasea M. (2020) The Master Sinter Curve and its Application to Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing. ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering. 142 (10): 101002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4047140.

  • Ertay DS*, Vlasea M, Erkorkmaz K. (2020). Thermomechanical and geometry model for directed energy deposition with 2D/3D toolpaths. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 35:101294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101294.

  • Salarian M**, Hamed A**, Vlasea M. (2019). Pore space characteristics and corresponding effect on tensile properties of Inconel 625 fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. Materials Science & Engineering A. 769:138-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.138525.

  • Patel S*, Vlasea M. (2019). Melting modes in laser powder bed fusion. Materialia. 9:100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2020.100591.

  • Rishmawi I*, Salarian M**, Vlasea M. (2018). Tailoring Green and Sintered Density of Pure Iron Parts using Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 24: 508-520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.10.015.

  • Asgari H**, Salarian M**, Ma H*, Olubamiji A, Vlasea M. (2018). On thermal expansion behavior of Invar alloy fabricated by modulated laser powder bed fusion. Journal of Materials & Design. 160: 895-905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.10.025.

  • Ali U, Mahmoodkahni Y, Shahabad I, Esmaeilizadeh R, Liravi F, Shedaeian E**, Huang KY, Marzbanrad E, Vlasea M, Toyserkani E. (2018) On the measurement of relative powder-bed compaction density in powder-bed additive manufacturing processes. Journal of Materials & Design. 155:495-501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.06.030.

  • Rogalsky A**, Rishmawi I*, Brock L*, Vlasea M. (2018) Low cost irregular feed stock for laser powder bed fusion. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. 35: 446-456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2018.08.032.

  • Wheat EG*, Vlasea M, Hinebaugh J, Metcalfe C. (2018) Data related to the sinter structure analysis of titanium structures fabricated via binder jetting additive manufacturing. Data in Brief. 20:1029-1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.08.135.

  • Wheat EG*, Vlasea M, Hinebaugh J, Metcalfe C. (2018) Sinter structure analysis of titanium structures fabricated via binder jetting additive manufacturing. Journal of Materials & Design. 156: 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.06.038.

  • Liravi F*, Vlasea M. (2018). Data Related to the Experimental Design for Powder Bed Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Silicone. Data in Brief. 18:1477-1483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.04.068.

  • Liravi F*, Vlasea M. (2018). Powder bed binder jetting additive manufacturing of silicone structures. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 21:112-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.02.017.

  • Sheydaeian E*, Fishman Z, Vlasea M, Toyserkani E. (2017). On the effect of throughout layer thickness variation on properties of additively manufactured cellular titanium structures. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 18:40-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2017.08.017.

  • Sheydaeian E*, Vlasea M, Woo A, Pilliar R, Hu E, Toyserkani E. (2016). Effect of glycerol concentrations on the mechanical properties of additive manufactured porous calcium polyphosphate structures for bone substitute applications. Journal of Biomedical Materials Res Part B: Applied Biomaterials. 105(4):828-835. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.33616.

  • Vlasea M, Pilliar R, Toyserkani E. (2015) Control of structural and mechanical properties in bioceramic bone substitutes via additive manufacturing layer stacking orientation. Journal of Additive Manufacturing. 6:30-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2015.03.001.

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