Development of a Multiscale Modeling and Simulation Methodology for Predictive Paint Material Application in Automotive Coating

在聚合物涂层研究中，优化宏观生产的知识和表征精细材料性能和产品行为的知识之间存在着很大的差距。这是制造过程中产品质量和工艺性能得不到保证的主要原因。为了缩小这一差距，该项目将产生一种集成的多尺度建模和仿真方法，用于将汽车涂料应用中的宏观和微观产品质量、材料和能源效率以及环境质量联系起来。此外，还将开发一种集成的产品-过程性能分析方法和多尺度、多目标优化方法，以实现可持续的、可预测的涂层制造。拟议的研究具有鲜明的特点，因为建模、分析和优化方法将允许在非常广泛的长度和时间范围内研究材料、过程和产品行为。如果成功，这将产生各种科学指导，并揭示各种预测制造的新机遇。产业合作不仅将确保基础研究的成功，而且还将确保方法的适用性。待开发的方法原则上将适用于许多其他类型的制造，如金属涂层和电镀。这项研究将对下一代制造技术的发展产生深远的影响，因为它将展示如何将目标系统的宏观现象与细观行为联系起来，以及如何利用多尺度信息来改进产品设计和工艺操作。该项目将通过开发新课程和在行业专家的共同监督下培养学生，直接造福于教育

In polymeric coating research, a deep gap exists between the knowledge for optimizing macroscale production and that for characterizing finer-scale material properties and product behavior. This is the main reason for product quality and process performance not assured in manufacturing. To close the gap, this project will generate an integrated multiscale modeling and simulation methodology for correlating macro-to-microscale product quality, material and energy efficiency, and environmental quality in automotive paint applications. Moreover, an integrated product-process performance analysis method and a multiscale, multi-objective optimization method will be developed for achieving sustainable, predictive coating manufacturing.The proposed research has distinct features, as the modeling, analysis and optimization methods will permit the study of material, process and product behavior in a very broad spectrum of length and time. If successful, this will generate a variety of scientific guidance and reveal various new opportunities for predictive manufacturing. Industrial collaboration will ensure not only successful fundamental research, but also methodological applicability. The methodologies to be developed will be, in principle, applicable to many other types of manufacturing, such as metal coating and electroplating. The research will make a profound impact on the development of next-generation manufacturing technologies as it will show how to correlate macroscopic phenomena with meso-microscopic behavior of the target systems, and how to improve product design and process operation through utilizing multiscale information. The project will directly benefit education through developing a new course and training students under industrial expert's co-supervision