NSF/DARPA DDFRP: The Distributed Design and Fabrication of Metal Parts and Tooling by 3D Printing

这项研究的目标是为机械零件的设计和制造提供一个“干净的界面”，这些机械零件将由固体自由成形制造，使用三维打印作为原型工艺。“干净接口”将在集成电路设计实践后建模。它是基于能够表达三维打印的广泛制造能力的表示的设计者的可用性，以及确保用这种表示创建的设计是可制造的能力。该计划将研究：(1)具有局部组合控制的部件的表示，这是现有表示尚未解决的能力；(2)设计规则，这些规则以简单的方式捕捉到制造技术的局限性，例如对局部成分变化的限制；(3)对不能作为简单设计规则捕获的工艺技术方面的模拟，例如由分层产生的表面纹理；(4)从包含局部组成变化的综合零件表示中推导出三维打印机的指令。该计划还将与设计师进行互动交流，以测试设计师如何使用提供给他们的工具的假设。零件的制造将基于来自工业现场、学术研究项目和制造本科课程的设计师的远程输入。在设计和制造之间，一个成功的“干净的界面”将允许零件的设计者通过Solid Freeform fabrication将信息发送给制造商，并在没有与制造商进行任何讨论的情况下得到一个好的零件。这种机械零件设计和制造之间的清晰分离将：(1)促进分布式设计和制造；(2)降低了实体自由曲面制造用户的进入门槛；(3)使设计人员能够更充分地利用固体自由成形工艺的灵活性，同时保证可制造的设计。

The goal of this research is to provide a "clean interface" between design and fabrication for mechanical parts to be made by Solid Freeform Fabrication using Three Dimensional Printing as a prototypical process. The "clean interface" will be modeled after the practice in the design of integrated circuits. It is predicated upon the availability to the designer of representations capable of expressing a wide range of fabrication capability of Three Dimensional Printing, coupled with the ability to ensure that designs created with this representation are manufacturable. This program will investigate: (1) representations for parts with local composition control, a capability not now addressed by existing representations; (2) design rules which capture in simple terms the limitations of the fabrication technology, such as limitations on variation of local composition; (3) simulations for aspects of process technology which cannot be captured as simple design rules, for example for the surface texture resulting from layering; and (4) the derivation of instructions for a Three Dimensional Printing machine from comprehensive part representations, which include local variation in composition. This program will also operate an interactive communication link to designers in order to test hypotheses about how designers use the tools provided to them. Parts will be fabricated based on remote input from designers at sites in industry, academic research programs, and in an undergraduate course in manufacturing. A successful "clean interface" between design and fabrication will allow the designer of parts to be made by Solid Freeform Fabrication to send information to the fabricator and to get back a good part without any discussion with the fabricator. This clean separation between design and fabrication for mechanical parts will: (1) facilitate distributed design and fabrication; (2) lower the barriers to entry for users of Solid Freeform Fabrication; and (3) empower designers to make more co mplete use of the flexibility of Solid Freeform Fabrication processes, while guaranteeing manufacturable designs.