The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and MSC Industrial Supply Co. (NYSE: MSM) on Wednesday announced a new a public-private research partnership aimed at advancing machining.

MSC’s metalworking specialists will work closely with undergraduate and graduate students and manufacturers to conduct research that will
enable and drive innovation in smart manufacturing,” the company said.

The Machine Tool Research Center on the university’s campus will host the MSC Machining Research Laboratory.

“This partnership provides the presence of MSC as a leader in machining on the UTK campus at the Machine Tool Research Center,” said Matthew Mench, Dean of the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee. “This unique relationship highlights UTK’s commitment to manufacturing research, including advanced machining, and provides a tremendous opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to work with MSC on solving real-world machining problems and developing next-generation machining capabilities,”

MSC said the primary focus of the Machining Research Laboratory is to improve the practicing engineer’s ability to produce accurate components in a timely manner.

The partnership provides a significant opportunity to build on MSC MillMax, an award-winning service that helps improve the milling performance of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools and other emerging technologies and innovations, the company said.

“Partnering with UTK builds on the research relationship we enjoy with Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” said Jamie Goettler, senior director of metalworking sales and innovation for MSC. “Pairing our metalworking specialists with forward-looking faculty researchers, as well as students at UTK’s College of Engineering will help us continue to drive innovation to advance manufacturing in the Southeast and across the United States.”

The Machining Research Laboratory at the is expected to benefit manufacturers across the Southeast and the U.S. by providing the ability to work directly with MSC’s technical experts and faculty and student researchers on smart manufacturing technology, MSC said.