Metal AM Process Informatics for Improved Surface Finish of Complex Parts

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) creates complex 3D components at near net shape. Surface finish(SF) of theAM part is uneven, with surface roughness being variable over the facets of the design. The surface qualityachievable using standard post-processing methods is unacceptable for some industry sector AM part uptake.The challenge here is to improve metal AM part surface finish by decreasing the variability of surface roughnessof the near net-part during AM production and to improve post-processing (PP) techniques to suit increasedAM part complexity. This project aims to develop an innovative process optimisation system which can link AMbuild parameters to the surface finish produced to generate a software tool for AM designers to use to selectthe best parameters to generate an optimised surface finish for the individual AM part, and subsequentoptimised post-processing SF methodologies. This approach will optimise both the AM build process as well asPP techniques to enable the delivery of the required surface finishes, increase industrial adoption of high-valueAM parts, generating increased sales and employment while supporting UK manufacturing innovation.