21 janvier 2020 | International, Fabrication additive

Better Control Over 3D Printing

What's going on in that printing machine?

For surgical repairs to a patient's hip or skull, surgeons might use a titanium bone implant. However, metal objects such as these – with complex outer forms, or with intricate internal features such as ducts or channels – can be difficult to make using conventional processes. To create these useful devices, manufacturers are turning to 3D printing, a process that typically involves building a part layer by layer, sometimes over minutes or hours.

3D printing of metal objects is a booming industry, with the market for products and services worth more than an estimated $2.3 billion in 2015 – a nearly five-fold growth since 2010. It's increasingly popular in the medical, aerospace, and automotive industries, where it can be used to make complex components such as fuel injector nozzles for engines.

But the commercial technology is still relatively new, and maintaining quality control can be challenging and time-consuming. Two supposedly identical products made in the same way on the same machine don't necessarily come out with the same dimensions. Tiny imperfections can appear in the layers, reducing the strength properties of the components. And residual stresses can build up as the layers cool, creating cracks between layers and warping the parts. The stress can be so high, in fact, that it can warp a 1-inch thick piece of steel by a millimeter.

To give manufacturers more control over this process, NIST researchers have built a metal 3D printing testbed, a custom-made printer that they can use to produce tools that will allow users to monitor the process in real time.

The researchers hope to answer some fundamental questions, such as: How hot does the melting metal get in each layer? How do you lower the stresses that cause cracking and warping? And what sensors would you need in order to provide better information about what's happening inside the printing machine?

Eventually, the researchers hope their system will be useful beyond 3D printing of metal objects, to look at solid materials that experience extreme heat, such as the wingtips of supersonic aircraft.

https://www.nist.gov/pml/about-pml/pml-working-you/better-control-over-3d-printing

Sur le même sujet

17 décembre 2020

“Innovations for FCAS”: Airbus concludes cooperative pilot phase with startup companies in Germany
Munich, 09 December 2020 – Airbus has concluded a pilot phase of the “Innovations for FCAS” (I4 FCAS) initiative which aims at involving German non-traditional defence players -covering startups, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and research institutes- in the development of Future Combat Air System (FCAS). This initiative which was launched in April 2020 was funded by the German Ministry of Defence. “The initiative shows that FCAS does not compare with previous larger defence projects. By implementing young and innovative players, some of whom have never been in touch with the defence sector, we ensure to leverage all competencies available for a game-changing high-tech programme such as FCAS”, said Dirk Hoke, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Defence and Space. “It will also foster technological spill-overs between the military and civil worlds. It is our ambition to continue the initiative in 2021 and beyond, and make it a cornerstone of our FCAS innovation strategy.” During the pilot phase, 18 innovative players worked on 14 projects in different areas, covering the whole range of FCAS elements: combat cloud, connectivity, new generation fighter, remote carriers, system of systems, sensors. Among these 14 projects, Airbus engineers have worked closely with SMEs and startups to achieve concrete results such as: · A first flight-test approved launcher of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from of a transport aircraft. This project is the result of a cooperation between Airbus as A400M integrator, Geradts GmbH for the launcher and SFL GmbH from Stuttgart for UAV integration and supported by DLR simulations. An agile design and development approach allowed for rapid prototyping and flight readiness in only 6 months. · A secure combat cloud demonstrator: a first time transfer of secured operating systems into a cloud environment. Kernkonzept GmbH from Dresden together with Airbus CyberSecurity have shown how IT security can be used for highest security requirements on a governmental cloud system. · A demonstrator of applied artificial intelligence on radio frequency analysis. Hellsicht GmbH from Munich trained their algorithms on Airbus-provided datasets, allowing for a unique capability of real time fingerprinting of certain emitters, such as radars. As Europe's largest defence programme in the coming decades, FCAS aims at pushing the innovation and technological boundaries. Its development will bring disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, manned-unmanned teaming, combat cloud or cybersecurity to the forefront. https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/12/innovations-for-fcas-airbus-concludes-cooperative-pilot-phase-with-startup-companies-in-germany.html
14 avril 2020

DARPA SBIR/STTR Opportunities
On April 8, 2020, the DARPA Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) pre-released the following SBIR/STTR Opportunities (SBOs): "Seabed Simulation Synthesis", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-04, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-04 "Wearable Laser Detection and Alert System", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-05, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-05 "Open Source Wide Band Software Defined Acoustic Modem", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-06, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-06 These SBOs will open for proposals on April 23, 2020 and close on May 26, 2020. If you have any questions on the open BAAs or DSIP, please contact the DSIP Help Desk Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET at 703-214-1333 or DoDSBIRSupport@reisystems.com. Thank you for your interest in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program. DoD SBIR/STTR Support Team
22 avril 2021

Introducing the Emerging Technologies Institute
In January 1991, coalition forces led by the United States launched the opening moves in the Gulf War with an air campaign that demonstrated America's overwhelming technological superiority. The entire world watched in awe as stealth aircraft, nearly invisible to radar, flew unhindered over the skies of Baghdad; video- and laser-guided munitions struck military targets with exquisite precision; and anti-radiation missiles made easy work of defenders' surface-to-air radar systems. The fruits of America's investments in research and engineering were on full display as the armed forces achieved not only superiority, but total supremacy over the Iraqi military. In the intervening 30 years, peer competitors have had ample time to study our way of war. This means not only emulating and copying U.S. technologies, but also probing for vulnerabilities. For example, potential adversaries have realized that we are highly reliant on space and have invested in ways to hold our systems at risk. As former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson described the dilemma we face with our space capabilities, “We built a glass house before the invention of stones.”

Toutes les nouvelles