Next Generation of Additive Manufacturing Technologies

附加制造(AM)，即三维(3D)打印，是一项新兴技术，预计将在2030年前改变整个制造企业。根据Wohler报告(2013)，AM活动在过去三年以32.2%的复合年增长率(CAGR)增长。如此高的复合年增长率促使世界各国政府迅速而有力地投资于AM研发活动(例如，美国(2012)投资10亿美元)。AM是一种颠覆性技术，通过逐层添加材质来构建3D对象。它有可能取代许多传统的制造工艺，并使新的行业实践得以发展。尽管AM有明显的好处，但一些问题，如无法去除小型3D/保形通道的粉末，阻碍了AM在医学和工程应用中的完全采用，在这些应用中，需要具有不同内部属性的结构。*本研究计划的主要目标是开发下一代AM技术；不仅解决AM中现有的挑战，而且通过整体方法促进变革性研究，并推动AM技术走向商业化。这项前沿研究还将通过提高HQP在AM多学科领域所需的理论和实践工程技能来促进HQP的培训这项成果将推动开发一种可靠且廉价的AM工艺，用于制造具有不同内部结构的结构。*这项建议的短期目标是：i)为新型AM工艺开发一个全过程建模框架，以预测AM制造部件所需的各向异性和/或各向同性机械性能的最佳工艺参数；ii)表征AM工艺及其相关的工程牺牲品和目标材料，以开发具有不同孔率/密度的复杂形状结构；Iii)开发用于测量粉末颗粒扩散过程中接触力的传感设备以及实时闭环控制算法，以提高工艺的可靠性和重复性；iv)确定AM和烧结后参数与AM制造的部件的最终机械和孔隙率性能的相关性；以及，v)采用开发的AM工艺，以轻量化航空航天应用的复杂形状结构和生物医学领域的解剖形状植入物。*这项变革性研究将显著增强加拿大在这一尖端制造技术研究领域的竞争力和创新能力。业界非常需要在其业务计划/产品中采用AM，因此该项目的成果在为国内和出口市场提供新的前沿技术方面具有很高的潜力。*

Additive manufacturing (AM), (i.e., 3-dimensional (3D) printing), is an emerging technology slated to change the entire manufacturing enterprise by 2030. Based on Wohler Report (2013), AM activity has increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.2% over the last three years. This high CAGR has prompted swift and strong investment in AM research and development initiatives by governments across the world (e.g., $1B in USA (2012)). AM is a class of disruptive technologies that builds 3D objects by adding materials layer-by-layer. It has the potential to replace many conventional manufacturing processes as well as to enable the development of new industry practices. Despite the clear benefits of AM, several issues, such as the inability to de-powder small-sized 3D/conformal channels, have hindered full adoption of AM to medicine and engineering applications, in which structures with heterogeneous internal properties are required.***The major objective of this research program is to develop the next generation of AM technologies; to not only address the existing challenges in AM but to foster transformative research through a holistic approach and push the AM technology towards commercialization. This leading-edge research will also promote the training of HQP by enhancing their theoretical and practical engineering skills required for the multidisciplinary area of AM. The output will advance the long-term vision concerning the development of a reliable and inexpensive AM process for the fabrication of structures with a heterogeneous internal architecture.***The short-term objectives of this proposal are to: i) develop a through-process modeling framework for the novel AM process to predict optimum process parameters for desired anisotropic and/or isotropic mechanical properties of AM-made parts; ii) characterize the AM process and the associated engineered sacrificial and target materials to develop complex-shaped structures with heterogeneous porosity/density; iii) develop sensing devices for measuring contact forces during the powder particles spreading, as well as real-time closed-loop control algorithms to improve the process reliability and repeatability; iv) identify correlations of the AM and the post-sintering parameters with final mechanical and porosity properties of AM-made parts; and, v) adopt the developed AM process to lightweight complex-shaped structures for aerospace applications and anatomically-shaped implants for the biomedical sector.***This transformative research will significantly enhance Canada's competitiveness and innovation capacity in this cutting-edge area of advanced manufacturing technology research. The industrial need to adopt AM into their business plans/products is highly significant, thus the outcomes of this project have high potential for providing new leading-edge technologies for domestic and export markets.***