Ultrasonic Rapid Manufacturing of Meso/Microscale Functional and Active Structures

本课程将介绍和分析一种新的快速制造技术，用于制造集成智能结构和封装组件的功能微型器件。这将基于超声波焊接（USW）工艺，这是一种固态冷连接技术，可以在不同的金属和其他材料之间产生牢固的结合。超声波快速制造（URM）将利用多种材料箔和纤维，这些材料箔和纤维将在随后的层中粘合，然后通过超声波辅助金刚石刻划到适当的轮廓。通过混合实验和计算过程分析，将解决对微尺度USW的基本理解和综合建模。将在实验室中对铝键与其他选定金属合金的连接结构和性能进行广泛的表征。从这项研究中获得的知识将定义最佳的工艺条件，允许对微尺度材料效应进行深入研究，并通过将其纳入连续的超声波变换数据库中。在实验工作的同时，还将对USW过程中相互依赖的力学、热和扩散分布进行数值模拟。塔夫茨大学和东北大学的研究人员将在这个项目上合作。这项URM研究将与工程课程相结合，以利用快速制造教育。这将通过一个新的本科/研究生快速成型，工具和制造课程来促进，作为未来快速制造辅修课程的基础；邀请行业专家举办新的SFF和微加工系列研讨会；以及面向全国大学生群体的年度快速制造大赛。该计划将涉及伙伴院校的密切合作。Axcelis Technologies、Honda R&amp；D Americas和Stapla Ultrasonics也将通过实物设备和技术支持提供工业赞助。新技术的优势将被利用在微型多材料内部结构的设计和制造中，嵌入预制元件（传感器、执行器、处理器、MEMS等），在机电、光电、微流体、生物医学微设备等领域提供多领域功能。

This program will introduce and analyze a new rapid manufacturing technology for fabrication of functional miniature devices with integrated intelligent structures and encapsulated components. This will be based on the ultrasonic welding (USW) process, a solid-state, cold joining technique, yielding strong bonding between dissimilar metals and other materials. Ultrasonic rapid manufacturing (URM) will utilize multiple material foils and fibers, that will be bonded in subsequent layers, followed by ultrasonically assisted diamond scribing to the proper contours. Fundamental understanding and comprehensive modeling of microscale USW, will be addressed by a hybrid experimental and computational process analysis. Extensive characterization of the joint structure and properties of aluminum bonds to other selected metal alloys will be performed in the laboratory. Knowledge gained from this research will define optimal process conditions, allow intensive study of microscale material effects, making it accessible through incorporation in a continuous ultrasonic transformation database. Numerical simulation of the interdependent mechanical, thermal and diffusion distributions during the USW process will be conducted in concert with the experimental work. Researchers at Tufts University and Northeastern University will collaborate on this project.This URM research will be connected with the engineering curriculum to leverage rapid manufacturing education. This will be promoted by a new undergraduate/graduate course on Rapid Prototyping, Tooling and Manufacturing, as a basis for a future Rapid Manufacturing minor; a new SFF and Microfabrication Seminar series with invited industry experts; and an annual Rapid Manufacturing Contest for undergraduate student groups nationwide. The program will involve close collaboration of the partnering institutions. Industrial sponsorship through in-kind equipment and technical support will also be provided by Axcelis Technologies, Honda R&D Americas and Stapla Ultrasonics. The benefits of the new technology will be harnessed in the design and fabrication of miniature multi-material internal structures, with embedded prefabricated elements (sensors, actuators, processors, MEMS etc), providing multi-domain functionality in mechatronic, optoelectronic, microfluidic, biomedical microdevices etc.