43 research outputs found
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Unified Software for Multi-Functional G-Code: A Method for Implementing Multi-Technology Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM) began a manufacturing revolution moving industrial
production into consumer homes. With interest shifting toward multi-functional parts fabricated
through AM technologies, multi-functional fabrication systems are now being developed.
Merging different manufacturing technologies into a single machine is a challenge, but ongoing
research in the development of multi-technology systems has shown promise. The software and
automation aspects of multi-technology systems are being developed in unison. This paper
explores the challenges and approaches to developing software that interfaces with multifunctional
CADs and creates files for direct use in multi-technology AM machines.Mechanical Engineerin
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Cooperative Fabrication Methodology for Embedding Wireon Corved Surfaces
In conventional additive manufacturing (AM), an object is fabricated by depositing material in a
layer by layer fashion. Typically, this process is retained so that deposition can occur on flat
surfaces and motion can be constrained to requiring only three degrees of freedom (DOF) in a
Cartesian coordinate system. When incorporating wire in three-dimensional (3D) objects, there is
sometimes a need for placement along curved surfaces on which positions are defined not only
by 3D Cartesian coordinates but also angular ones. Therefore, a minimum of two additional
DOFs are required allowing movement to be generated at the build platform as well as of the
extrusion head. This paper addresses a method for trajectory planning of both systems, that is,
the extrusion head and the movable build platform, allowing for cooperative and harmonic
motion between the two.Mechanical Engineerin
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TESTING PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT FOR FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF PARTS BUILT WITH BIG AREA ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Mechanical testing of additively manufactured parts has largely relied on existing
standards developed for traditional manufacturing. While this approach leverages the investment
made on current standards development, it inaccurately assumes that mechanical response of AM
parts is identical to that of parts manufactured through traditional processes. When considering
thermoplastic, material extrusion AM, differences in response can be attributed to an AM part’s
inherent inhomogeneity caused by porosity, interlayer zones, and surface texture. Additionally,
interlayer bonding of parts printed with large-scale AM is difficult to adequately assess as much
testing is done such that stress is distributed across many layer interfaces; therefore, the lack of
AM-specific standard to assess interlayer bonding is a significant research gap. To quantify
interlayer bonding via fracture toughness, double cantilever beam (DCB) testing has been used
for some AM materials, and DCB has been generally used for a variety of materials including
metal, wood, and laminates. Mode I DCB testing was performed on thermoplastic matrix
composites printed with Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM). Of particular interest was
the crack shape and deflection speed during testing. A modernization of the testing process was
proposed using visual processing of a recording of the crack propagation to get more accurate
calculations. Results discuss the differences when using two crack types and three deflection
speeds.Mechanical Engineerin
3D Printing Multi-Functionality: Embedded RF Antennas and Components
Significant research and press has recently focused on the fabrication freedom of Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create both conceptual models and final end-use products. This flexibility allows design modifications to be immediately reflected in 3D printed structures, creating new paradigms within the manufacturing process. 3D printed products will inevitably be fabricated locally, with unit-level customization, optimized to unique mission requirements. However, for the technology to be universally adopted, the processes must be enhanced to incorporate additional technologies; such as electronics, actuation, and electromagnetics. Recently, a novel 3D printing platform, Multi3D manufacturing, was funded by the presidential initiative for revitalizing manufacturing in the USA using 3D printing (America Makes - also known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute). The Multi3D system specifically targets 3D printed electronics in arbitrary form; and building upon the potential of this system, this paper describes RF antennas and components fabricated through the integration of material extrusion 3D printing with embedded wire, mesh, and RF elements
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INVESTIGATION OF INSTRUMENTING ROBOCASTING PRINTER FOR CERAMIC SLURRIES
Robocasting has multiple steps from ceramic slurry preparation to sintering that can impact
the end part quality. In-situ monitoring and process controls can aid in minimizing differences in
the quality of printed parts. The study and impact of different parameters during the printing
process and a parameter database will improve the quality between green bodies and sintered
parts. This paper discusses implementation of a CMOS camera, dynamic pressure sensor, and 2D
laser scanner into a custom-built robocasting printer for in process monitoring. Single line beads
were printed and analyzed by measuring the dimensions and pressure changes during printing.
Results show that the printer with sensors detected the location of possible defects and changes in
printed samples but further investigation is needed to filter noise and collect conclusive data.Mechanical Engineerin
Optimisation of substrate angles for multi-material and multi-functional inkjet printing
Three dimensional inkjet printing of multiple materials for electronics applications are challenging due to the limited material availability, inconsistencies in layer thickness between dissimilar materials and the need to expose the printed tracks of metal nanoparticles to temperature above 100 °C for sintering. It is envisaged that instead of printing a dielectric and a conductive material on the same plane, by printing conductive tracks on an angled dielectric surface, the required number of silver layers and consequently, the exposure of the polymer to high temperature and the build time of the component can be significantly reduced. Conductive tracks printed with a fixed print height (FH) showed significantly better resolution for all angles than the fixed slope (FS) sample where the print height varied to maintain the slope length. The electrical resistance of the tracks remained under 10Ω up to 60° for FH; whereas for the FS samples, the resistance remained under 10Ω for samples up to 45°. Thus by fixing the print height to 4 mm, precise tracks with low resistance can be printed at substrate angles up to 60°. By adopting this approach, the build height “Z” can be quickly attained with less exposure of the polymer to high temperature
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Automatic Layerwise Acquisition of Thermal and Geometric Data of the Electron Beam Melting Process using Infrared Thermography
Layerwise monitoring has become an area of interest in the field of additive
manufacturing because of potential to further enable part qualification during every stage of
fabrication. Spatial monitoring and qualification during part fabrication has never before been
possible with traditional manufacturing processes such as milling or casting. An IR camera has
been externally annexed atop an EBM system to obtain layerwise thermographs throughout the
fabrication process. This paper demonstrates a process to compare each layer of fabrication using
automatically acquired thermal images to the corresponding CAD file for each fabricated object.
Two different methods of image analysis for part detection were compared (analysis on the basis
of color and analysis by edge detection). Detection allowed the quantification of processing
information (average temperature and surface anomalies) and geometric information (surface
area and perimeter). A percent error of the compared surface area was found to range from 5%-
17%, and automatically acquired temperature measurements were within 7.8K of the recorded
thermograph. The methods presented in this research showcase the beginning steps of integrated
metrology in advanced manufacturing systems and automatic monitoring of per-part thermal
behavior and part quality.Mechanical Engineerin
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Folding Endurance Appraisal for Thermoplastic Materials Printed in Fusion Deposition Technology
The anisotropic behavior of the fusion deposition modeling (FDM) machines could
change the mechanical properties of the materials in the layer by layer technology. In general, the
tensile, compressive and flexural strength are decreased against molded plastics. Some lasting
products need the iteration of low flexural strength and high elongation to obtain an effective
flexibility to bend in repetitive movements. The present work provides an analysis of the capacity
of several selected thermoplastics materials such as Nylon (PA), Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PETG), Polylactide (PLA), Polyurethane (TPU) and Polypropylene (PP) in order to test the
maximal load capacity and the number of folding cycles sustained in perpendicular direction of
movement. Results demonstrate that those of similar to injected molded products, PP and
TPU materials surpass one million of cycles in the folding test. Yet, in axial load they have lower
strength against the other considered materials.Mechanical Engineerin
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EBM Fabrication and Characterization of High Purity Niobium for Superconductor Applications
Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities are used to accelerate charged particles
to near the speed of light for elemental studies. Currently, SRF cavities are typically fabricated
using different forming processes including deep-drawing and spinning to mechanically shape
niobium into the desired geometry. This research presents the development of processing
parameters for high purity niobium (powder size range of 25-125ÎĽm) using electron beam
melting additive manufacturing technology. Fabrication parameters were improved to obtain
dense parts in a time-efficient manner. A specific procedure was used to maintain powder
purity, and powder chemistry was monitored at different stages of fabrication. In addition, a
series of experiments were performed to obtain 99.9% dense parts and a maximum building
height of ~85mm.Mechanical Engineerin
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Binder Jetting of High Temperature and Thermally Conductive (Aluminum Nitride) Ceramic
This work reports on the novel fabrication of aluminum nitride (AlN) complex components using
binder jetting, on the use of sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) to increase their density,
and on the characterization of the printed material, including thermal conductivity. The HIPing
parameters employed were a temperature of 1900 °C using a rich nitrogen atmosphere at a
pressure of 30,000 psi during 8 h. Results show that the printed and HIPed AlN components had
a 1.96 g/cm3 (60.12%) density when compared to theoretical values. The thermal conductivity
for densified and HIPed components was measured in the range from 23 °C to 500 °C resulting
in values from 4.82 W/m*K to 3.17 W/m*K, respectively. Characterization using scanning
electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction was used to
investigate the ceramic structural morphology of the sintered and HIPed material, its chemical
composition, and crystal structure of the binder jetting manufactured AlN components.Mechanical Engineerin