Digital Fabrication of High-Temperature Metals Using Selective Inhibition of Sintering

该奖项的研究目标是建立金属粉末烧结过程的微观机械抑制理论，并开发用于制造具有较高烧结温度的金属部件的选择性抑制烧结过程。在选择性缓蚀烧结过程中，缓蚀剂用于成形零件的几何形状。为了了解这一过程背后的科学原理，将对不同烧结温度的金属进行系统的抑制现象研究。建立了印刷缓蚀剂的化学成分、印刷参数和烧结路径与缓蚀性能之间的关系。将进行统计设计的实验，以了解工艺参数与制造性能之间的关系，如制造时间、零件精度、分辨率和材料特性。这项研究将建立一个示范系统，以确定过程控制和优化的关键因素。如果成功，这项研究将提供一种新的添加剂制造工艺，与其他金属基添加剂制造工艺相比，它可以使机器成本降低数量级，制造速度提高数量级。这种金属零件制造技术的实际应用将使包括航空航天、国防、汽车和医疗在内的各种行业受益，特别是在制造不锈钢和钛等难加工材料方面。这项资助的活动将为南加州大学和马鞍峰学院周围贫困地区的研究生和高中生提供教育机会。马鞍峰学院的本科生也将在国家快速技术中心RapidTech进行密集的实验和演示。

The research objective of this award is to establish a microscopic mechanical inhibition theory underlying the metal powder sintering process and to develop the Selective Inhibition Sintering process for fabrication of parts in metals that have high sintering temperature. In the Selective Inhibition Sintering process, an inhibitor agent is used in shaping the part geometry. To understand the scientific principles underlying such a process, systematic study of the inhibition phenomenon will be performed for metals with various sintering temperatures. The relation between inhibition capability and the printed inhibitors including their chemical components, printing parameters and sintering path will be established. Statistically designed experiments will be performed to understand the relations between process parameters and fabrication performances such as fabrication time, part accuracy, resolution, and material properties. A demonstration system will be built for the identification of the key factors for process control and optimization.If successful, this research will provide a novel additive manufacturing process that can present an order of magnitude reduction in machine cost and an order of magnitude improvement in building speed as compared with other metal-based additive manufacturing processes. Practical uses of such a metallic part fabrication technique will benefit a wide variety of industries including aerospace, defence, automotive, and medical, especially for fabrication of hard-to-machine materials such as stainless steel and titanium. The funded activity will provide educational opportunities for graduate students and for high school students from underprivileged areas around the University of Southern California and Saddleback College. Undergraduate students from Saddleback College will also be intensely involved in experimentation and demonstrations at RapidTech, which is a National Center for Rapid Technologies.