SBIR Phase II: Automation of a Novel Low Cost Aluminum Additive Manufacturing Method

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响是改善铝添加剂制造(AM)。AM仍然是原始设备制造商(OEM)非常感兴趣的产品，因为它承诺按需生产部件；然而，铝粉的低产量和高成本限制了其采用。这项拟议的技术生产的零件与现有的合金一致，例如常用的6061铝合金。这些合金在维修传统设备部件和使车辆更轻方面立即有了商业应用，从而提高了效率和减少了碳排放。此外，这项技术可以支持中低产量，允许较小的制造商利用AM作为创新平台。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在以铸造的单位成本提供按需生产。研究目标是优化新型铝材-金属板材粘接技术的核心工艺，实现工艺自动化。这项技术提供了具有高强度锻造合金特性的按需部件，以及设计以前无法用传统制造工艺考虑的创新部件的能力。预计的结果是材料和机械性能的改善、系统集成、吞吐量和部件复杂性的增加。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 of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to improve aluminum additive manufacturing (AM). AM remains of great interest to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for its promise of producing parts on-demand; however, low throughput and high costs of aluminum powder limit adoption. The proposed technology produces consistent parts with established alloys, such as the commonly used 6061 aluminum alloy. These alloys have immediate commercial applications in servicing legacy equipment parts and for making vehicles more lightweight, thus improving efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Further, this technology can support low-to-medium production volumes, allowing smaller manufacturers to take advantage of AM as a platform for innovation. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to deliver on-demand production at the unit cost of casting. The research objectives will optimize core processes for a novel aluminum metal-to-metal sheet bonding technology, and achieve process automation. This technology provides on-demand parts with high strength wrought alloy properties and the capability to design innovative components that could not be previously considered with traditional manufacturing processes. The anticipated results are improved material and mechanical properties, system integration, and increased throughput and part complexity.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.