Prototyped a 3D printing system using a DMD chip and NIR laser at 805nm wavelength to enable precise PDMS printing.
Developed a multi-material DLP system with a printing scale of 40x40mm for antenna development, expanding the capabilities of the printing technology.
Engineered a cutting-edge carbon fiber reinforced polymer tailored for self-sensing applications.
Graduate research assistantJul. 2018 – Apr. 2023 AMML (Virginia Tech, UCLA, and UC Berkeley)
Designed and prototyped a 5-axis direct ink writing platform for fiber alignment.
Developed a continuous 3D printing system using oil as interface.
Proposed and built a scanning projection optical system to achieve large-scale high-resolution 3D printing, resulting in the fabrication of sample features from tens of micrometers to hundreds of millimeters.
Invented a methodology to manufacture ultra-lightweight (94% weight reduction) antennas.
Developed and optimized a multi-material 3D printing process for piezo composite, magnetic composite, ceramics, hydrogels, polymers, etc.
Proposed and integrated a tape-casting system into a projection stereolithography system for printing highly concentrated (up to 25 wt%) carbon fiber composites.
Please refer to this [portfolio document] for project details.
Co-Founded XAYAV Inc.: Commercialization of a desktop LCD 3D printerApr. 2017 - May. 2018 XAYAV Inc. ( www.xayav.com), Gainesville, FL, USA
Designed and prototyped a desktop LCD 3D printer by milling, lathe, CNC, hand tools, etc.
Finalized the manufacturing processes of the printer, including metal machining, sheet metal forming, die casting, acrylic molding, PCB manufacturing, silk screen printing, etc.
Investigated and visited suppliers (Shenzhen, China) for production; managed supply chain to balance inventories and distribution.
Successfully sold hundreds of printers in the USA.
Photos: [Packaging design], [Manufacuture at Shenzhen], [Assemblying], [Model V], [First printer we saled]
Project: Development of various 3D printersSep. 2016 - Mar. 2017 XAYAV Technology Team, Gainesville, FL, USA
Designed various types of 3D printers (FDM, SLS, DLP, and LCD 3D printers).
Prototyped 3D printers by milling, lathe, CNC, hand tools, etc.
Charge-programmable photopolymers for 3D electronics via additive manufacturing
[pdf] [doi]
Zhen Wang, Junbo Wang, Zhenpeng Xu, Ryan Hensleigh, Haotian Lu, Mack Sowers, Marcus A. Worsley, Yahya Rahmat-Samii, Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng
In: Advanced Functional Materials, Jan 2024
Supramolecular assembly of blue and green halide perovskites with near-unity photoluminescence
[pdf] [doi]
Cheng Zhu, Jianbo Jin, Zhen Wang, Zhenpeng Xu, Maria C. Folgueras, Yuxin Jiang, Can B. Uzundal, Han K. D. Le, Feng Wang, Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng, Peidong Yang
In: Science, Jan 2024
Additive manufacturing of self‐sensing carbon fiber composites
[pdf] [doi] Zhenpeng Xu, Haotian Lu, Qiyi Chen, Seokpum Kim, Vlastimil Kunc, Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng
In: Advanced Engineering Materials, Oct 2023
One-step method for the fabrication of pure and metal-decorated densified CNT films for effective electromagnetic interference shielding
[pdf] [doi]
Fan Yang, Shengcun Ma, Chia Miang Khor, Yiming Su, Zahra Barani, Zhenpeng Xu, Arthur Boyko, Arpita Iddya, Naama Segev-Mark, Xiaoyu Zheng, Fariborz Kargar, Alexander A. Balandin, Guy Ramon, Igor De Rosa, Eric Hoek, David Jassby
In: Carbon, Oct 2023
Rapid inverse design of metamaterials based on prescribed mechanical behavior through machine learning
[pdf] [doi]
Chan Soo Ha, Desheng Yao, Zhenpeng Xu, Chenang Liu, Han Liu, Daniel Elkins, Matthew Kile, Vikram Deshpande, Zhenyu Kong, Mathieu Bauchy, Xiaoyu Zheng
In: Nature Communications, Sep 2023
Materials design for charge-programmed additive manufacturing of antennas
[pdf] [doi]
Zhen Wang, Zhenpeng Xu, Junbo Wang, Yahya Rahmat-Samii, Xiaoyu Zheng
In: IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting, Jul 2023
An overview of novel antennas manufactured via charge-programmed multi-material 3D printing
[pdf] [doi]
Junbo Wang, Zhenpeng Xu, Zhen Wang, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yahya Rahmat-Samii
In: IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting, Jul 2023
Development of a low-cost lightweight advanced k-band horn antenna with charge-programmed deposition 3D printing
[pdf] [doi]
Junbo Wang, Zhenpeng Xu, Zhen Wang, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yahya Rahmat-Samii
In: IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Apr 2023
On the elastodynamic properties of octet truss-based architected metamaterials
[pdf] [doi]
Mourad Oudich, Edward Huang, Hyeonu Heo, Zhenpeng Xu, Huachen Cui, Nikhil JRK Gerard, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yahya Rahmat-Samii
In: Applied Physics Letters, Apr 2023
Fully 3D-printed lightweight combination of a circularly polarized transmitarray and a feed horn
[pdf] [doi]
Junbo Wang, Ryan Hensleigh, Zhenpeng Xu, Zhen Wang, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yahya Rahmat-Samii
In: IEEE AP-S/URSI 2022, July 2022
Design and printing of proprioceptive three-dimensional architected robotic metamaterials
[pdf] [doi]
Huachen Cui, Desheng Yao, Ryan Hensleigh, Haotian Lu, Ariel Calderon, Zhenpeng Xu, Sheyda Davaria, Zhen Wang, Patrick Mercier, Pablo Tarazaga, Xiaoyu Zheng
In: Science, June 2022
News: UCLA Samueli Newsroom, Video
The coupled strength and toughness of interconnected and interpenetrating multi-material gyroids
[pdf] [doi]
Padmeya P. Indurkar, Angkur Shaikeea, Zhenpeng Xu, Huachen Cui, Xiaoyu Zheng, Vikram Deshpande
In: MRS Bulletin, Apr 2022
Ultra-lightweight transmitarray antenna enabled by charge-programmed three-dimensional multi-Material printing
[pdf] [doi]
Junbo Wang, Ryan Hensleigh, Zhenpeng Xu, Anastasios Papathanasopoulos, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yahya Rahmat-Samii
In: NRSM-URSI 2022, Dec 2021
Stiff and strong, lightweight bi-material sandwich plate-lattices with enhanced energy absorption
[pdf] [doi]
Meng-Ting Hsieh, Chan Soo Ha, Zhenpeng Xu, Seokpum Kim, H. Felix Wu, Vlastimil Kunc, Xiaoyu Zheng
In: Journal of Materials Research, Aug 2021
Three-dimensional trampolinelike behavior in an ultralight elastic metamaterial
[pdf] [doi]
Nikhil JRK Gerard, Mourad Oudich, Zhenpeng Xu, Desheng Yao, Huachen Cui, Christina J. Naify, Alec Ikei, Charles A. Rohde, Xiaoyu Zheng, Yun Jing
In: Physical Review Applied, Aug 2021
Current challenges and potential directions towards precision microscale additive manufacturing – Part II: Laser based curing
[pdf] [doi]
Dipankar Behera, Samira Chizari, Lucas A Shaw, Michael Porter, Ryan Hensleigh, Zhenpeng Xu, Nilabh K Roy, Liam G Connolly, Xiaoyu Zheng, Sourabh Saha, Jonathan B Hopkins, Michael A Cullinan
In: Precision Engineering, Mar 2021
Current challenges and potential directions towards precision microscale additive manufacturing–Part IV: Future perspectives
[pdf] [doi]
Dipankar Behera, Samira Chizari, Lucas A Shaw, Michael Porter, Ryan Hensleigh, Zhenpeng Xu, Ximeng Zheng, Liam G Connolly, Nilabh K Roy, Robert M Panas, Sourabh K Saha, Xiaoyu Zheng, Jonathan B Hopkins, Shih-Chi Chen, Michael A Cullinan
In: Precision Engineering, Mar 2021
A general method to synthesize and sinter bulk ceramics in seconds
[pdf] [doi]
Chengwei Wang, Weiwei Ping, Qiang Bai, Huachen Cui, Ryan Hensleigh, Ruiliu Wang, Alexandra H Brozena, Zhenpeng Xu, Jiaqi Dai, Yong Pei, Chaolun Zheng, Glenn Pastel, Jinlong Gao, Xizheng Wang, Howard Wang, Ji-Cheng Zhao, Bao Yang, Xiaoyu Zheng, Jian Luo, Yifei Mo, Bruce Dunn, Liangbing Hu
In: Science, May 2020
News: Featured as Front Cover of Science, University of Maryland News, ScholarSet
Additive manufacturing of two-phase lightweight, stiff and high damping carbon fiber reinforced polymer microlattices
[pdf] [doi] Zhenpeng Xu, Chan Soo Ha, Ruthvik Kadam, John Lindahl, Seokpum Kim, H Felix Wu, Vlastimil Kunc, Xiaoyu Zheng
In: Additive Manufacturing, Mar 2020
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant, 3D Printing and Materials Design, University of California, Los Angeles (Winter 2021)
Teaching Assistant, 3D Printing and Materials Design, University of California, Los Angeles (Fall 2020)
Teaching Assistant, Rapid Prototyping, Virginia Tech (Spring 2019)
Technical Skills
Characterization tools: Tensile/Compression Tester, Scanning Electron Microscopy, DMA, Laser Vibrometer
Tools and Technologies: Miller, Lathe, CNC, Mechatronics, Mechanical design, Machining
Sub-reviewer, Symposium on Computational Fabrication [SCF'21]
Reviewer, Journal of Materials Research
Reviewer, 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
Community Services
During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Spring 2020), I worked with my advisor and printed over 500 face shields using FDM printers in our lab. The shields were donated to combine LA and local hospitals. Together, we'll get through this!
Photos: [Face shields], [Thanks note from community]