Reduced Human Intervention For Additive Manufacturing at Large-Scale - Manufacturing the future - Manufacturing Technologies

三个主要目标如下：1.创建一个新型的大规模，传感器负载的热塑性复合材料挤出系统，以及适当的模拟和建模工具，专注于其直接生产的适用性。- 自动化机器人AM工艺将首先被虚拟化，并用于探索不同工艺监控策略的集成、工艺参数的变化及其对工艺效率、成本降低和生产率的影响。该模型将解锁强大而深入的流程理解，并虚拟地尝试新的策略和方法。该模拟将被编写为过程不可知的，这样它就可以应用于任何机器人沉积过程（例如线+弧增材制造），其开放性大大增强了工作的学术影响。[2]第二章从材料性能、零件质量、成本和交货时间等方面，定量地展示这种开发所带来的改进。- 一个挤出机将被建立作为机器人的末端执行器。挤出机将包含过程中监测功能，并包括传感器以监测诸如挤出速率、挤出机偏移、挤出物轨道宽度和温度、轨道分离、层间温差和材料特性等变量。[3]挤出机包将实时监控这些参数，并通过以太网与机器人控制器通信，使其能够做出改变打印策略和/或修改其挤出参数的决定。整个系统的架构将由传感器组成，用于监控变量，例如零件存在检查，使用机器视觉和零件温度曲线进行零件故障分析。3.为了进一步证明这种增强型系统对于生产选定的演示组件（如航空航天和汽车组件）的适用性，在英国AM活动的背景下，该项目旨在克服英国AM国家战略中确定的几个障碍，例如对工艺、材料和机器的深入理解以及缺乏适当技能的要求。[4]2015年的一份定位文件指出了增材制造领域的机遇，例如需要更大的构建平台、增材制造的建模和仿真、表面光洁度改进、速度/生产率、可靠性、材料属性信息、数据管理、减少浪费以及教育和培训。[5]它还确定，目前市场上存在着开发新的生产工具的空白，而不是适合原型设计的系统。据估计，通过满足这些需求，英国可以获得50亿英镑的全球AM市场，预计到2025年将达到690亿英镑。[6]参考资料1. Malte，B.，虚拟化、去中心化和网络建设如何改变制造业格局：工业4.0视角。“International Journal of Mechanical，Industrial Science and Engineering 8，1（2014）：37-44.2.威廉姆斯，S. W.，等人“Materials Science and Technology 32，no. 7（2016）：641-647.3. Abinesh Kurapatti，R.，等人的“An in-process laser localized pre-deposition heating approach to inter-layer bond strengthening in extrusion based polymer additive manufacturing.”Journal of Manufacturing Processes 24（2016）：179-185。

The three key objectives are as follows:1. To create a novel large-scale, sensor-laden thermoplastic composite extrusion system, together with appropriate simulation and modelling tools, focussing on their suitability for direct production. - An automated robotic AM process will first be virtualised and used to explore the integration of different process monitoring strategies, variation of process parameters and their impact on process efficiencies, cost reductions and production rates. The model will unlock a robust and deep process understanding as well as enabling trialing of new strategies and methods virtually. The simulation will be written to be process agnostic, such that it can be applied to any robotic deposition process (e.g. Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing) with the open nature greatly enhancing the academic impact of the work.[2]2. To quantitatively demonstrate the improvements resulting from such development, in terms of material properties, part quality, cost and delivery lead-time. - An extruder will be built as an end effector for the robot. The extruder will incorporate in-process monitoring features and comprise of sensors to monitor variables such as extrusion rate, extruder offset, extrudate track width and temperature, track separation, inter-layer temperature differential and material properties.[3] The extruder package will monitor these parameters in real-time and communicate with the robot controller over ethernet enabling it to make a decision to alter the print strategy and or modify its extrusion parameters. The architecture of the entire system will comprise of sensors to monitor variables such as part presence check, part failure analysis using machine vision and part temperature profile. 3. To further demonstrate the suitability of this enhanced system for the production of selected demonstrator components such as those for aerospace and automotive.Within the context of AM activity within the UK, the project seeks to overcome several barriers identified in the UK National strategy for AM, such as requirements for deeper understanding of processes, materials and machines as well as lack of appropriate skills.[4] A 2015 positioning paper identified opportunities in the field of AM such as the need for bigger build platforms, modelling and simulation for AM, surface finish improvements, speed/productivity, reliability, material property information, data management, waste reduction and education and training.[5] It also identified that there are currently gaps in the market for the development of a new production tools rather systems suited for prototyping. It is estimated that by addressing these needs, the UK can gain £5bn of the global market for AM, which is forecast to reach £69bn by 2025.[6] References1. Malte, B., et al. "How virtualization, decentralization and network building change the manufacturing landscape: An Industry 4.0 Perspective." International Journal of Mechanical, Industrial Science and Engineering 8, 1 (2014): 37-44.2. Williams, S. W., et al." Materials Science and Technology 32, no. 7 (2016): 641-647.3. Abinesh Kurapatti, R., et al. "An in-process laser localized pre-deposition heating approach to inter-layer bond strengthening in extrusion based polymer additive manufacturing." Journal of Manufacturing Processes 24 (2016): 179-185.