SBIR Phase II: Simulation for structural integrity of as manufactured 3D printed parts

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力与使用3D打印的分布式制造概念有关，其中结构部件可以在现场制造，满足按需需求，同时消除运输成本和库存存储。 独特的一次性打印，例如医疗行业中经常出现的打印，是3D打印技术的另一个优点。 出于这些原因，几乎每个主要的美国制造业都在探索利用3D打印的途径。 虽然3D打印毫无疑问正在进入制造技术的主流，但推进该行业的一个明显差距是模拟“制造”零件的性能。 今天围绕3D打印制造的一个常见问题是：“我如何知道我的零件是否会按照预期运行？“拟议的技术为产品工程师和设计师带来了行业领先的软件模拟，以回答这个问题，使工程师能够在尝试构建之前预测部件性能。该软件解决方案的速度和简单性是变革性的，加速了这种颠覆性制造技术的采用。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目解决了预测“制造”纤维增强3D打印部件的结构性能的技术挑战。增材制造（AM）为产品工程师或设计师提供了巨大的自由度，可以创造传统工艺无法实现的零件。 然而，AM生产的零件与传统方法生产的零件有着根本的不同。 例如，机加工的铝部件在很大程度上是均匀的，而3D打印部件允许内部晶格（填充）结构。 3D打印部件还可能表现出多种工艺异常，例如空隙、层间分层、部件冷却时残余应力产生的翘曲，以及在纤维填充塑料的情况下，整个部件的纤维取向不同。 总的来说，这些特性可能会对零件的最终性能产生巨大影响，工程师必须在设计阶段的早期就了解这些特性。 该项目旨在开发一种商业软件模拟产品，预测3D打印生产的零件的结构性能，同时优化填充（晶格）结构的强度和重量。速度、简单和高保真的结果是建议解决方案的标志，也是价值主张的核心。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project relates to the notion of distributed manufacturing using 3D printing, where structural parts may be manufactured onsite, meeting on-demand needs while eliminating transportation costs and inventory storage. Unique, one-off prints, such as may often occur in the medical industry are another virtue of 3D print technology. For these reasons, virtually every major US manufacturing industry is exploring avenues to utilize 3D printing. While 3D printing is unquestionably entering the mainstream of manufacturing technology, a glaring gap in advancing the industry is the simulation of the performance of an "as manufactured" part. A common question surrounding 3D print manufacturing today is: "How do I know if my part will perform as envisioned?" The proposed technology brings an industry leading software simulation to the product engineer and designer to answer this very question, enabling engineers to predict part performance, prior to attempting a build. The speed and simplicity of the software solution is transformative, accelerating the adoption of this disruptive manufacturing technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the technical challenge of predicting structural performance of an "as manufactured" fiber-reinforced 3D printed part. Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers the product engineer or designer tremendous freedom to create parts not achievable by more traditional processes. However, parts produced by AM are fundamentally different than those produced by conventional methods. For example, a machined aluminum part is largely homogenous, while a 3D printed part allows for internal lattice (infill) structures. A 3D printed part can also exhibit a multitude of process anomalies such as voids, delamination between layers, warping produced by residual stresses as the part cools, and, in the case of fiber filled plastics, fiber orientation that varies throughout the part. Collectively, these features can have a dramatic impact on the ultimate performance of the part and must be understood by the engineer early in the design stage. This project seeks to develop a commercial software simulation product that predicts the structural performance of a part produced by 3D printing, while optimizing the infill (lattice) structure for strength and weight. Speed, simplicity, and high-fidelity results are hallmarks of the proposed solution and are at the core of the value proposition.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.