Study of Cutting Tools and Processes Used in the Natural World to Develop Highly Efficient Manufacturing Processes

自然界中的生物都有精心设计的工具和过程，可以高效地执行觅食、进食、狩猎和挖洞等任务。该奖项支持基础研究，这些研究将研究自然界中各种生物使用的切割过程的机制，以确定可能被转化为工业制造领域的新概念。研究成果可能导致一类用于软质切割和变形加工的高效制造工艺，并对制药和整形外科产生影响。考虑到外科切割的重要性，从软组织切除到更严格的骨科手术，这项研究还可以通过加速术后愈合来帮助提高生活质量。研究目标是：(1)识别昆虫、啮齿动物和其他小动物在自然界切割和压痕过程中使用的一些典型机制，并在效率和材料去除机制方面与传统制造工艺进行比较和对比；(2)表征与这些选定工艺相关的软自然材料系统的关键机械性能，这些特性决定了它们的切割和压痕响应；(3)获取有关在自然界中使用的制造过程的基本知识，并解释其对制造的适用性。为了实现第一个研究目标，将对自然界中的切割和压痕过程进行实验研究。工具系统将包括动物牙齿(犬齿和马牙)和昆虫下颌骨(切叶蚁和甲虫)，如用于咬人、切割和碾压的口器。实验将在实验室内玻璃容器中的模拟自然环境中进行，并通过实验室规模的仪表化模型系统进行。直接观测将使用高速成像和显微镜，并结合图像相关技术进行定量分析。为了实现第二个目标，将使用原子力显微镜、纳米压痕、微机械测试和电子显微镜来研究天然工具和工作材料(例如树叶、木材、骨骼和肉)的机械性能和表面特征。为了实现第三个目标，将使用数值模拟来分析两个选定的自然系统中的切割和压痕过程的机理。该模型将通过实验进行验证，然后用于对粉碎和冲压等工业切割过程进行基准测试。建模工具将是有限元分析和移动热源理论。

Organisms in Nature have crafted tools and processes to perform tasks such as foraging, eating, hunting, and burrowing with high efficiency. This award supports fundamental research that will examine mechanisms of cutting processes used by various organisms in the natural world, so as to identify new concepts that can potentially be translated into the industrial manufacturing domain. Research results can potentially lead to a class of highly efficient manufacturing processes for cutting and deformation processing of soft matter, and impact pharmaceutical manufacturing and orthopedic surgery. Given the critical importance of surgical cutting ranging from soft tissue excision to more serious orthopaedic procedures, the research could also contribute to improving quality of life by accelerating post-surgery healing.The research objectives are: (1) identification of some typical mechanisms employed by insects, rodents, and other small animals in cutting and indentation processes in the natural world, and compare and contrast these against conventional manufacturing processes with soft matter in terms of efficiency and material removal mechanics; (2) characterization of key mechanical properties of soft natural material systems, relevant to these select processes, which determine their cutting and indentation response; (3) obtain fundamental knowledge on manufacturing processes used in the natural world and explain their applicability to manufacturing. To achieve the first research objective, experimental studies will be conducted on cutting and indentation processes in nature. The tool systems will include animal teeth (canine and equine) and insect mandibles (leaf cutter ants and beetles) such as mouthparts used for biting, cutting, and crushing. Experiments will be performed in both a simulated natural environment in a glass container within the lab and through instrumented lab-scale model systems. Direct observations will be performed using high speed imaging and microscopy, coupled with quantitative analysis by image correlation techniques. To achieve the second objective, mechanical properties and surface characteristics of natural tools and work materials (e.g., leaves, wood, bone, and flesh) will be examined using Atomic Force Microscopy, nano-indentation, micromechanical testing, and electron microscopy. To achieve the third objective, numerical modeling will be used to analyze the mechanics of cutting and indentation processes in two select natural systems. This modeling will be validated by experiments and then used for benchmarking against industrial cutting processes such as comminution and punching. The modeling tools will be Finite Element Analysis and moving heat source theory.