AIR Option 1: Technology Transition - Commercialization of Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Parts Using Selective Inhibition from Sintering

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于翻译一种名为选择性抑制烧结(SIS)的添加剂制造技术，以填补用于制造金属部件的廉价且功能强大的3D打印机的空白。目前，所有的金属部件打印机价格高昂，对于小型制造公司和日益壮大的制造商群体来说是负担不起的。转换后的技术具有以下独特特征：a)它将比当前的金属部件打印机便宜一个数量级，b)它可以加工非常高温的金属和合金，如具有广泛用途的高温合金，c)它可以同时制造大量零件，因此适合于中小型批量制造。与该市场领域的领先竞争技术(如DMLS、EBM和Lens)相比，该技术提供了典范的成本效益和高吞吐量。该项目通过系统的研究、开发和实验过程实现了这一目标，从而产生了可靠的工艺知识和预生产机器，该机器可以低成本批量生产，并能够打印出各种金属和合金的精确部件。该合作伙伴关系与RapidTech、ASCO Sintering、ProMetals和3D Systems合作，在金属AM领域的技术方面和其他与商业相关的方面提供指导，因为它们涉及将技术转化为可能导致竞争性商业现实的道路的潜力。在该技术投入商业应用后的两年内，潜在的经济影响预计将超过3000万美元，并在接下来的几年中产生更大的影响，这将有助于美国在快速增长的金属添加剂制造市场空间中的竞争力。从长远来看，社会影响将是至关重要的，因为拟议的项目将产生一种负担得起的机器，能够快速地用青铜、不锈钢和钛以及其他粉末冶金中常用的金属粉末制造零件。这种技术的实际应用包括制造航空航天和汽车工业的功能部件，以及医疗器械的定制设计部件，主要使用不锈钢、钛和高温合金等难加工的材料。SIS工艺对传统的粉末冶金行业特别有用，因为它可以消除制造昂贵模具的需要。最后，到目前为止，金属3D打印一直超出了日益增长的制造商群体的能力范围。SIS承诺向这个创意社区提供所需的能力，这个社区已经在美国产生了重大的经济和社会影响。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating an Additive Manufacturing technology called Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS) to fill the gap for an inexpensive and capable 3D Printer for fabrication of metallic parts. Currently all metallic part printers are highly priced and are unaffordable by small manufacturing firms as well as by the growing maker community which is increasingly becoming the source of much innovation in the U.S.The translated technology has the following unique features: a) It will be an order of magnitude less expensive than current metallic part printers, b) it can process very high temperature metals and alloys such as super alloys which have extensive uses, and c) it can build a large number of parts concurrently hence is suitable for small to medium lot size manufacturing. The technology provides exemplary cost effectiveness and high throughput when compared to the leading competing technologies (such as DMLS, EBM, and LENS) in this market space. The project accomplishes this goal by a systematic research, development and experimentation process resulting in a reliable process knowledge and a pre-production machine that can be mass produced at low cost and will be able to print precise parts out of a variety of metals and alloys. The partnership engages RapidTech, ASCO Sintering, ProMetal and 3D Systems to provide guidance in the technical aspects of metallic AM domain and other aspects of commercial relevance as they pertain to the potential to translate the technology along a path that may result in a competitive commercial reality. The potential economic impact is expected to be over $30M in two years after the commercial introduction of the technology and much more in the succeeding years, which will contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in the rapidly growing metallic Additive Manufacturing market space. The societal impact, long term, will be paramount as the proposed project will yield an affordable machine that will be capable of rapidly fabricating parts out of bronze, stainless steel, and titanium as well as other metal powders generally used in powder metallurgy. Practical uses of such a technique includes fabrication of functional parts for the aerospace and automotive industries, and custom design parts for medical devices, primarily using hard-to-machine materials such as stainless steel, titanium and super alloys. The SIS process will be particularly useful for the conventional powder metallurgy industry because it can eliminate the need for fabrication of expensive molds. Finally, metallic 3D Printing has so far been out of the reach of the growing maker community. SIS has the promise of making the needed capability available to this creative community which is already making significant economic and social impact in the US.