Researchers at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio（UTSA）已从美国获得$ 659,970的赠款Department of Defense’s(DoD) Army Research Office to improve the reliability of metal 3D printing processes.
Using computational designs, the project is seeking to improve the US military’s capabilities to produce parts using additive manufacturing for critical machinery, including its aircraft.
“One of the challenges of metal AM is the difficulty of knowing with 100 percent certainty what the mechanical properties (such as stiffness and strength) are in the printed components,” said David Restrepo, Assistant Professor in UTSA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “It is also challenging to predict or reduce the dimensional variability of the components when compared with the design specifications.
“These challenges mean that printed parts currently cannot be certified to use in critical components – those that, if a failure occurs, may compromise human lives.”
DoD’s 3D printing adoption
Since unveiling itsfirst official additive manufacturing strategy去年2月，国防部已授予了许多赠款和合同，以推动其在各个国防相关部门中使用3D打印。
在宣布其3D打印政策后不久，国防部授予了Binder Jet 3D打印机OEMExone有160万美元的合同来开发portable 3D printing factory能够在该领域的备件生产。“坚固的3D打印舱”被安置在一个40英尺的运输容器中，可在陆地，海洋和空中部署，以支持战争剧院，救灾任务和其他远程行动。
The DoD has since handed anew round of funding为增材雷电竞充值制造数据专家Senvol开发森沃尔MLmachine learning software, and awarded 3D printed rocket makerRelativity Space一个轨道发射合同to launch a payload into low-Earth orbit (LEO) using its 3D printed Terran 1 launch vehicle.
最近，国防部授予了19个大学领导的19个项目，总计2550万美元提前研究高超音速飞行leveraging technologies such as 3D printing. The contracts were handed out to members of theUniversity Consortium for Applied Hypersonics(UCAH) and will focus on composite aircraft materials, flight control systems, and solid propulsion fuels among other areas.
Improving AM reliability
雷斯特雷波的带领下,使用国防部gr UTSA团队一个t to develop new computational designs that could lead to more reliable metal 3D printed products in the future.
While the customization and on-demand advantages of additive manufacturing are well known, the technology is still challenged in terms of part quality, particularly within laser sintering-based processes. In particular, the researchers have identified the uncertainty of the mechanical properties and stability of the components when the powder cools and solidifies as a significant challenge within current 3D printing processes.
Restrepo说：“我们正在对激光烧结过程进行建模，以预测用AM制造的组件的机械性能和尺寸稳定性。”“我们模型中的独特成分是一种用于灵敏度分析的UTSA开发技术。这项独特的技术将使我们能够预测AM生成零件的机械性能，可靠性和资格。”
For the project, the team is utilizing resources within UTSA’s Makerspace, including aRenishaw3D printer. The machine will help the researchers to fabricate parts and collect data that will either prove the effectiveness of their computational models or reveal changes they need to make to their calculations.
UTSA教授哈里·米尔沃特（Harry Millwater）表示：“ UTSA的最先进的制造商空间为学生和教师提供了技术，这些技术极大地扩大了进行研究，探索和建造的机会。”“ Renishaw 3D打印机是一种行业领先的工具，我们的学生可以在整个旅途中与之合作，因此从第一天起就可以准备为自己的职业做出贡献。”
根据Restrepo的说法，国防部项目也是大学学生在增材制造和其他高级技术中发展动手技能的机会。雷电竞充值UTSA教室到职业倡议是为学生提供雇主要求的技能的关键，这将证明重要的是要填补current skill gaps in the additive manufacturing sector。
UTSA Klesse College的Dean说：“我们的学生有很多机会通过体验式学习机会来发展动手技能。”
“我们的新制作人空间及其所在的技术只会进一步增加学生从小就读本科学位的新生。”
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Featured image showsUTSA研究人员Arturo Montoya，Harry Millwater和David Restrepo站在科学和工程大楼Makerspace的Renishaw 3D打印机前。通过UTSA的照片。
