Direct Digital Fabrication: Integration of Advanced Manufacturing Processes

数字制造是使用加法或减法工艺直接制造三维物体。数字制造能够在各种制造环境中实现敏捷、按需和全自动生产，并被视为未来高价值制造应用的关键使能技术。然而，目前的数字制造技术在可使用的材料范围，处理速度和分辨率方面受到限制。特别是，在单一工艺中结合多种材料（例如金属和塑料）的能力目前非常有限，因此该项目寻求解决这些限制。这将通过使用多工艺集成方法来实现数字制造，其中可以选择适合手头应用的最佳工艺。它结合了增材制造、激光加工和喷墨打印技术的优势，在每一层内沉积和集成不同的材料。该项目解决了交叉使用这些不同制造技术所需的基本科学挑战，以实现对每层不同材料的空间分布、微观结构和界面特性的细粒度控制。这些挑战包括：1)不同数字制造工艺的集成及其相关问题与加工之间的兼容性和转换。2)使用可配置的激光轮廓来控制液滴的蒸发特性，从而获得对所谓的“咖啡染色”效应的控制。3)采用基于激光的表面织构，提高各层之间的附着力，提高零件的整体力学性能。该项目将提供拆钉研究，以实现从一系列材料中生产三维结构。这项研究汇集了来自英国四所领先的研究型大学在激光加工、增材制造、喷墨打印和应用数学方面的学术专业知识，以及在高价值制造应用创新方面有着良好记录的工业合作伙伴联盟。

Digital Fabrication is the direct manufacture of three-dimensional objects using additive or subtractive processes. Digital Fabrication enables agile, on-demand and fully automated production in a wide range of manufacturing contexts and is seen as a key enabling technology for future high-value manufacturing applications. Current Digital Fabrication technologies are however limited, in the range of materials which can be used, the processing speed and the resolution. In particular, the ability to combine multiple materials, for example metals and plastics, in a single process is very restricted at present and therefore this project seeks to address these limitations. This will be achieved by using a multi-process integration approach to Digital Fabrication where the best process for the application in hand can be selected. It combines the advantages of additive manufacturing, laser based processing and ink jet printing technologies to deposit and integrate different materials within each layer. The project addresses the fundamental scientific challenges required to interleave these different manufacturing techniques in order to achieve fine-grained control over the spatial distribution, microstructure and interface properties of the different materials to be laid down in each layer. These challenges include; 1) The integration of different Digital Fabrication processes and the associated issues with the compatibility and transitioning between processing. 2) The use of configurable laser profiles to control droplet evaporation properties and as result gain control over the so-called 'coffee-staining' effect. 3) The use of laser-based surface texturing to improve the adhesion between the various layers to improve the overall mechanical properties of the part. The project will provide the unpinning research to enable the production of three-dimensional structures from a range of materials. This research brings together a unique combination of academic expertise in laser-based processing, additive manufacturing, ink jet printing and applied mathematics from four of the UK's leading research-led universities along with a consortium of industrial partners with strong track records in innovation for high value manufacturing applications.