SBIR Phase II: Simulation for structural integrity of as manufactured 3D printed parts

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力与使用3D打印的分布式制造概念有关，其中结构部件可以在现场制造，满足按需需求，同时消除运输成本和库存存储。3D打印技术的另一个优点是独特的、一次性的打印，比如医疗行业中经常出现的打印。出于这些原因，几乎每个美国主要制造业都在探索利用3D打印的途径。尽管3D打印无疑正在进入制造技术的主流，但在推动该行业发展的过程中，一个明显的差距是对制造时部件性能的模拟。如今围绕3D打印制造的一个常见问题是：“我怎么知道我的零件是否会像预期的那样表现呢？”建议的技术为产品工程师和设计师带来了行业领先的软件模拟来回答这个问题，使工程师能够在尝试制造之前预测部件性能。软件解决方案的速度和简单性是变革性的，加速了这种颠覆性制造技术的采用。这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目解决了预测制造时纤维增强3D打印部件的结构性能的技术挑战。附加制造(AM)为产品工程师或设计师提供了极大的自由来制造更多传统工艺无法实现的部件。然而，AM生产的零件与传统方法生产的零件有根本的不同。例如，机械加工的铝部件在很大程度上是均匀的，而3D打印部件允许内部晶格(填充)结构。3D打印部件还可能表现出大量工艺异常，例如空洞、层之间的分层、在部件冷却时由残余应力产生的翘曲，并且在纤维填充塑料的情况下，纤维取向在整个部件中变化。总而言之，这些功能可能会对部件的最终性能产生巨大影响，工程师必须在设计阶段的早期就了解这些功能。该项目旨在开发一种商业软件模拟产品，预测3D打印产生的部件的结构性能，同时优化填充(网格)结构的强度和重量。快速、简单和高保真的结果是建议解决方案的标志，也是价值主张的核心。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project relates to the notion of distributed manufacturing using 3D printing, where structural parts may be manufactured onsite, meeting on-demand needs while eliminating transportation costs and inventory storage. Unique, one-off prints, such as may often occur in the medical industry are another virtue of 3D print technology. For these reasons, virtually every major US manufacturing industry is exploring avenues to utilize 3D printing. While 3D printing is unquestionably entering the mainstream of manufacturing technology, a glaring gap in advancing the industry is the simulation of the performance of an "as manufactured" part. A common question surrounding 3D print manufacturing today is: "How do I know if my part will perform as envisioned?" The proposed technology brings an industry leading software simulation to the product engineer and designer to answer this very question, enabling engineers to predict part performance, prior to attempting a build. The speed and simplicity of the software solution is transformative, accelerating the adoption of this disruptive manufacturing technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the technical challenge of predicting structural performance of an "as manufactured" fiber-reinforced 3D printed part. Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers the product engineer or designer tremendous freedom to create parts not achievable by more traditional processes. However, parts produced by AM are fundamentally different than those produced by conventional methods. For example, a machined aluminum part is largely homogenous, while a 3D printed part allows for internal lattice (infill) structures. A 3D printed part can also exhibit a multitude of process anomalies such as voids, delamination between layers, warping produced by residual stresses as the part cools, and, in the case of fiber filled plastics, fiber orientation that varies throughout the part. Collectively, these features can have a dramatic impact on the ultimate performance of the part and must be understood by the engineer early in the design stage. This project seeks to develop a commercial software simulation product that predicts the structural performance of a part produced by 3D printing, while optimizing the infill (lattice) structure for strength and weight. Speed, simplicity, and high-fidelity results are hallmarks of the proposed solution and are at the core of the value proposition.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.