STTR Phase II: Support Material Characterization for Ultrasonic Rapid Prototyping

这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第二阶段项目将完成超声固结(UC)直接金属快速成型的支持材料的开发，并展示建造具有高长宽比或悬垂特征的结构的能力。这种将UC应用于更复杂形状的能力将使工程师能够更快、更便宜地设计重要部件。在超声波激励下开发的金属机械性能的基本信息也将在其他工业过程中有用，如挤压和球磨。该项目将使用第一阶段的结果来确定用户友好、成本效益、环境友好和易于移除的支持材料，并证明其应用程序可以与商业UC平台集成。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase II project will complete the development of a support material for Ultrasonic Consolidation (UC) direct metal rapid prototyping and demonstrate the ability to build structures with high aspect ratios or overhanging features. This ability to apply UC to more complex shapes will enable engineers to design important parts more rapidly and less expensively. Basic iinformation developed on the mechanical properties of metals experiencing ultrasonic excitation will also be useful in other industrial processes, such as extrusion and ball milling.The project will use the results from Phase I to identify a user friendly, cost effective, environmentally benign and easily removed support material, and demonstrate that its application can be integrated with the commercial UC platform.