Incremental manufacturing platform for the fabrication of lightweight high-strength aluminum vehicle structures

如今，金属增材制造在生产小尺寸（= 1m）、非常复杂的零件方面显示出了强大的潜力，在大幅减轻重量（某些零件可减轻80%）的同时提高了性能，特别是在与零件设计的拓扑优化技术相结合时。不幸的是，目前涉及材料熔化的工艺对于使用高强度铝合金的大型部件是有限的，因此限制了它们的使用。冷喷涂是一种固态沉积材料的技术，能够在很少的限制下沉积，特别是受益于高沉积速率（几公斤/小时）。它的其他优点使得该技术在克服基于融合的增材制造工艺的局限性方面特别有吸引力。麦吉尔大学-美国核研究委员会冷喷涂设施创建于2007年，已将自己定位为所有金属冷喷涂增材制造发展的世界领导者。然而，对于运输行业感兴趣的铝合金，例如al6061或Al7075，在大规模和物理上和经济上可行的方式应用该工艺仍然存在重大挑战。该项目汇集了NRC、麦吉尔大学、ETS和METALTec工业集团的成员，旨在通过使用高性能铝合金冷喷涂大型部件（长达几米）来开发和展示增材制造的潜力。该项目将特别侧重于实施高性能铝合金冷喷涂的创新解决方案，同时开发材料和数字解决方案，以在线测量，建模和控制要生产的3D部件的几何演变。该项目的成功将基于麦吉尔-NRC在冷喷涂方面的专业知识，NRC在过程模拟和3D视觉方面的专业知识以及ETS在计量机械模拟方面的知识的结合。该项目通过超过29个METALTec成员与工业联系在一起，形成了一个围绕运输行业金属加工的网络，覆盖了从原材料到成品的整个价值链，在魁北克，加拿大和国际上。

Metal additive manufacturing has today demonstrated a strong potential for producing small-dimension (= 1m), very complex parts, offering increased performance with a major saving in weight (up to 80% for certain parts), especially when coupled with topological optimization techniques for the design of parts. Unfortunately, the current processes involving the melting of materials are limited for large components using high strength aluminum alloys, thus limiting their use. Cold spray is a technique for depositing material in the solid state capable of depositing with very few constraints, benefiting in particular from a high deposition rate (several kg / h). Its other advantages make this technique particularly attractive for overcoming the limitations of fusion based additive manufacturing processes. The McGill University-NRC cold spray facility, created in 2007, has positioned itself as a world leader in the development of additive manufacturing by cold spray of all metals. However, significant challenges remain in applying this process on a large scale and in physically and economically viable ways with aluminum alloys of interest to the transport industry, e.g. Al 6061 or Al7075.This project, which brings together the NRC, McGill University, ETS and members of the industrial group of METALTec, aims to develop and demonstrate the potential of additive manufacturing by cold spraying for large components (up to several meters in length) using high performance aluminum alloys. The project will focus in particular on the implementation of an innovative solution for the cold spraying of high performance aluminum alloys, while developing material and digital solutions to measure, model and control the evolution of geometry, online, of the 3D part to be produced. The success of this project will be based on the combination of McGill-NRC's expertise in cold spraying, NRC's expertise in process simulation and 3D vision and ETS's knowledge in metrology mechanical simulation. The project is connected with industry via the more than 29 METALTec members forming a network around metal fabrication for the transport industry, covering the entire value chain, from raw materials finished products, in Quebec, Canada and international.