Digital Fabrication of High-Temperature Metals Using Selective Inhibition of Sintering

该奖项的研究目标是建立金属粉末烧结过程的微观机械抑制理论，并开发用于制造具有高烧结温度的金属部件的选择性抑制烧结工艺。 在选择性抑制烧结工艺中，抑制剂用于成型部件几何形状。 为了理解这一过程的科学原理，将对不同烧结温度的金属进行系统的抑制现象研究。建立了印刷阻聚剂的化学成分、印刷工艺参数和烧结路径与阻聚性能之间的关系。将进行统计设计的实验，以了解工艺参数和制造性能之间的关系，如制造时间，零件精度，分辨率和材料特性。 如果成功，本研究将提供一种新的增材制造工艺，与其他金属基增材制造工艺相比，可将机器成本降低一个数量级，并将构建速度提高一个数量级。这种金属零件制造技术的实际应用将使包括航空航天、国防、汽车和医疗在内的各种行业受益，特别是用于制造难以加工的材料，如不锈钢和钛。 资助的活动将为南加州大学和马鞍峰学院周围贫困地区的研究生和高中生提供教育机会。来自马鞍峰学院的本科生也将积极参与RapidTech的实验和演示，RapidTech是一个国家快速技术中心。

The research objective of this award is to establish a microscopic mechanical inhibition theory underlying the metal powder sintering process and to develop the Selective Inhibition Sintering process for fabrication of parts in metals that have high sintering temperature. In the Selective Inhibition Sintering process, an inhibitor agent is used in shaping the part geometry. To understand the scientific principles underlying such a process, systematic study of the inhibition phenomenon will be performed for metals with various sintering temperatures. The relation between inhibition capability and the printed inhibitors including their chemical components, printing parameters and sintering path will be established. Statistically designed experiments will be performed to understand the relations between process parameters and fabrication performances such as fabrication time, part accuracy, resolution, and material properties. A demonstration system will be built for the identification of the key factors for process control and optimization.If successful, this research will provide a novel additive manufacturing process that can present an order of magnitude reduction in machine cost and an order of magnitude improvement in building speed as compared with other metal-based additive manufacturing processes. Practical uses of such a metallic part fabrication technique will benefit a wide variety of industries including aerospace, defence, automotive, and medical, especially for fabrication of hard-to-machine materials such as stainless steel and titanium. The funded activity will provide educational opportunities for graduate students and for high school students from underprivileged areas around the University of Southern California and Saddleback College. Undergraduate students from Saddleback College will also be intensely involved in experimentation and demonstrations at RapidTech, which is a National Center for Rapid Technologies.