Dial-up Engineered Microstructures for Advanced Additively Manufactured Metals (DEMAMM)

这一战略设备招标是为了解锁通过金属激光粉末床融合方法制造的金属部件的控制和操作能力，这是一种增材制造技术，更广为人知的是3D打印。这两种仪器将提供商用设备所不具备的一定程度的灵活性，这些设备目前广泛应用于医疗保健（如髋关节植入物）或航空航天部件（如GE Leap发动机上的燃油喷射器）等行业。提供的灵活性为科学家和工程师提供了改变参数的能力，以修改机器内金属粉末的加热和固化方式。通过控制金属的晶粒尺寸、形状和方向，也就是所谓的微观结构，在机器内控制这种热处理，可以进一步控制金属在以后的使用中如何表现。细小的晶粒代表坚硬、坚固的材料，而较大的晶粒则提供更大的韧性和延展性。将这种改变组件加热和冷却的能力与通过喷墨打印添加其他材料的能力相结合，我们还可以控制组件的组成。再一次，这为工程师提供了更多的控制，使他们能够改变材料的晶体结构，它的成分，甚至在金属框架内生产纳米复合材料。第三个也是最后一个要素是在制造过程中监控构建，这可以在构建过程中提供有关组件结构的实时信息，使反馈循环能够控制构建中可能发生的任何缺陷，从而确保机器上的每件东西都符合规格。

This strategic equipment bid is for a facility to unlock the ability to understand control and manipulate metal components that are manufactured by a method called metallic laser powder bed fusion, a type of Additive Manufacturing technique, more well known as 3D Printing. The two instruments and will provide a degree of flexibility not available in commercially available equipment, that is now used in a wide range of industries, including healthcare (i.e. hip implants) or aerospace components, (i.e. fuel injectors on GE Leap engines). The flexibility offered provides scientists and engineers the ability to change parameters to modify how the metal powders within the machine heat up and solidify. Controlling this heat treatment within the machine provides further control on how the metal performs later in service, through controlling the metals grain size, shape and direction, otherwise known as it's microstructure. Small fine grains characterise hard, strong materials, whereas larger grain sizes provide greater toughness and ductility. Coupling this capability of modifying the heating and cooling of components with the ability to add in other materials through inkjet printing we can also control the components composition. Again, this provides more control to the engineer, giving the ability to change the materials crystal structure, it's constituents and even to produce nano-composites within a metal framework. The third and final element of this bid is that of monitoring the build during manufacture, this can provide real time information on the component's structure as it's being built, enabling a feedback loop to control any defects that might occur within the build and therefore make sure that everything coming off the machine is in specification.