Laser Manufacturing: Fit for the Future

工程部门对先进材料的需求日益增加，其中许多材料由于对热、冲击和磨损(如复合材料、金属玻璃和金属间化合物)的敏感性而与当前的制造工艺不兼容。这些材料的经济加工对于利用其增强的性能和克服21世纪的一些挑战至关重要，包括开发高效的零排放交通工具。交通运输是英国温室气体(GHG)排放的最大贡献者，占总排放量的28%。英国政府的交通脱碳计划旨在到2050年实现温室气体净零排放，从2030年开始分阶段实施。在航空航天和汽车的结构和推进系统中全面使用先进复合材料将显著减少温室气体排放。然而，目前，缺乏具有成本效益和可靠的制造工艺限制了航空航天和汽车行业的采用速度。该奖学金旨在开发和展示下一代基于激光的制造技术，使先进复合材料成为跨多个行业应用和采用的有效解决方案。这一目标将通过将两种新兴的基于激光的技术转化为成熟的工业解决方案来实现，为先进复合材料解决方案的大规模工业化奠定基础。其中第一项技术是水射流制导激光(WJGL)；在MTC进行的初步工作证明了其在复合材料切割方面的能力。然而，当前一代的WJGL技术是为低功率纳秒激光器开发的，不适合大规模生产的工业环境。为了解决这一问题，该合作伙伴将开发一种新型的高功率WJGL系统，该系统带有2kW微秒激光，用于切割和钻孔复合材料，在保持部件质量的同时将生产率提高10倍。超短脉冲激光(USPL)可以通过冷烧蚀的方式烧蚀任何材料。虽然这种非凡的能力已被证明使用低功率USPL用于有限数量的利基应用，但它的低材料去除率和边缘壁锥化的缺点目前限制了它在更广泛的制造业中的生存能力。为了解决功率限制，MTC及其合作伙伴正在开发平均功率为2kW的高能USPL。现在的挑战是在不失去冷烧蚀能力的情况下开发千瓦范围的USPL。这项奖学金将开发一种新型的光束扫描仪，它将促进基于灯丝的USPL光束的稳定传输和超高速光束操纵，这将使千瓦范围的USPL能够用于基于冷烧蚀的复合材料的加工，具有更高的加工速度能力，并且没有边壁锥形。与具有战略意义的高价值制造业、大学和HVM弹射中心密切合作，我的研究员旨在通过以下方式转变基于激光的制造、复合材料的可制造性，并加速其在工业中的经济开发：1.技术开发：开发基于激光的新技术，用于大批量生产和高质量的复合材料制造。科学调查：以科学为基础的调查，以发展基于激光制造的基础知识和理解。工业利用：在短期内促进汽车和航空航天工业(面临着更多的财务和环境挑战)以及更广泛的制造业部门中激光复合材料制造的开发。资源开发：丰富技能基础、领导力和基础设施，为英国在下一代基于激光的制造方面的长期可持续研发能力提供支持。

There is an increasing demand across engineering sectors for advanced materials, many of which are incompatible with current manufacturing processes due to their sensitivity with heat, impact and abrasion (e.g. composites, metallic glass and intermetallics). The economic machining of these materials is essential to exploit their enhanced properties and overcome some of the 21st century's challenges, including the development of efficient zero-emissions transportation.Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK, accounting for 28% of the total. The UK Government's Transport Decarbonisation Plan aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, with a staged introduction from 2030. Comprehensive use of advanced composites in the structure and propulsion systems of aerospace and automotive vehicles will result in significant GHG emissions reduction. Currently, however, the lack of cost-effective and reliable manufacturing processes is limiting the pace of adoption in the aerospace and automotive industry.This fellowship aims to develop and demonstrate next-generation laser-based manufacturing technology that will enable advanced composites to become effective solutions for application and adoption across multiple sectors. The goal will be achieved by transforming two emerging laser-based technologies into fully-fledged industrial solutions, underpinning the large scale industrialisation of advanced composite solutions.The first of these technologies is the water-jet guided laser (WJGL); initial work performed at the MTC has proven its capability on composite cutting. However, the current generation of WJGL technology, developed for low power nanosecond lasers, is not suitable for the mass production industrial environment. To overcome this issue, this fellowship will develop a novel high-power WJGL system with a 2kW microsecond laser for cutting and drilling of composite materials, offering a 10x increase in productivity whilst maintaining component quality. Ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) can ablate any material by cold ablation. While this extraordinary capability has been proven using low power USPL for a limited number of niche applications, its low material removal rate and its drawback of edge wall taper are currently limiting its viability in the wider manufacturing sector. To address the power limitations, the MTC together with its partners, are developing high-energy USPL with an average power of 2kW. The challenge now is to exploit the kilowatt range USPL without losing its cold ablation capability. This fellowship will develop a novel beam scanner that will facilitate stable filament-based USPL beam propagation and ultra-high-speed beam manipulation which will enable the exploitation of kilowatt range USPL for cold ablation-based machining of composites with enhanced processing rate capabilities and without edge wall taper.Working closely with strategically vital high-value manufacturing industries, universities and the HVM Catapult centre, my fellowship aims to transform the laser-based manufacturing, manufacturability of composites, and accelerate their economic exploitation in industries, through the following:1. Technical development: Development of novel laser-based technologies for high-volume throughput and high-quality manufacturing of composites.2. Scientific investigation: Science-based investigations to develop the underpinning knowledge and understanding of laser-based manufacturing.3. Industrial exploitation: Facilitate the exploitation of the laser-based composite manufacturing within the automotive and aerospace industries (both facing increased financial and environmental challenges) in the near-term and the wider manufacturing sector in the long-term.4. Resource development: Enriching the skills base, leadership, and infrastructure for a long-term sustainable R&D competency in the UK on next-generation laser-based manufacturing.