Feed-Forward Controls for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Based Metal Additive Manufacturing
Navy SBIR 2018.1 - Topic N181-085 ONR - Ms. Lore-Anne Ponirakis - loreanne.ponirakis@navy.mil Opens: January 8, 2018 - Closes: February 7, 2018 (8:00 PM ET)
TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air
Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes ACQUISITION PROGRAM: 2019
Quality Made FNC OBJECTIVE: To develop
feed-forward control (FFC) hardware, algorithms, and multi-physics-based models
to allow real-time tracking of powder bed layer variability and corresponding
laser processing compensation to improve the quality of laser fusion-based
metal additive manufacturing (AM) parts. DESCRIPTION: Additive
Manufacturing (AM) technologies continue to draw increased engineering
interest, with technical advances in multiple fronts including hardware,
software, and design processes. AM is finding new applications areas with even
a few documented operational demonstrations of fracture critical components,
but this is still the exception rather than the rule. Additively manufactured
parts still require several trial and error runs with post-processing heat
treatments and machining to optimize the build, reduce residual stresses, and
meet tolerances. AM still lacks a stable process that can produce consistent,
defect-free parts. PHASE I: During Phase I, the
contractor will define and develop a concept for a FFC system including the
hardware, the software, and multi-physics models for real-time tracking and
compensation of the powder bed layer physical property variability towards the
production of quality AM parts in laser powder bed fusion-based metal AM
systems. The Principal Investigator (PI) will also describe how to prepare
powder bed test articles with a range of well-defined parameter variables for
the purpose of model development, system verification, and eventually for
technology validation. The metal powders of interest to the Navy are Ti64,
316L SS, or Inconel 625. During Phase I, the PI will continue to refine the
models, improve the hardware, and expand the number of validation tests. The
design created in Phase I will result in plans to build a prototype unit in
Phase II. PHASE II: During Phase II,
the contractor will complete the purchase of all the components necessary for
the development of a feed-forward control system and will start assembling the
prototype design. The PI will also develop a strategy for integrating the FFC
system into an existing AM unit, unless the PI is developing a completely new
AM system with the FFC already integrated into the design. It is highly
recommended that the PI team with an OEM of metal powder-based AM systems if
the PI does not have access to AM equipment. As part of the final validation,
the contractor will fabricate the test articles defined in Phase I and measure
the degree of improvement in part quality. PHASE III DUAL USE
APPLICATIONS: If Phase II is successful, the company will be expected to
support the Navy in transitioning the FFC metal AM system for Navy use.
Working with the Navy, the company will integrate the FFC Metal AM system onto
a Navy platform for evaluation to determine its effectiveness. The OEM
involved during Phase II will be part of the transition team. Phase III will
include defining the FFC system and test coupons for qualification, testing the
coupons, and establishing facilities capable of achieving full-scale production
capability of Navy-qualified parts. The small business will also focus on
identifying potential commercialization opportunities. 1. Nassar, A. R., Keist, J.
S., Reutzel, E. W., and Spurgeon, T. J. “Intra-layer closed-loop control of
build plan during directed energy additive manufacturing of Ti–6Al–4V”.
Additive Manufacturing 6 (2015) 39–52. https://edisciplinas.usp.br/mod/resource/view.php?id=241938 2. Hu, D. and Kovacevic, R.
“Sensing, modeling and control for laser-based additive manufacturing”.
International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 43 (2003) 51–60. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890695502001633 3. Everton, S. K., Hirsch,
M., Stravroulakis, P., Leach, R. K., and Clare, A. T. “Review of in-situ process
monitoring and in-situ metrology for metal additive manufacturing”, Materials
and Design 95 (2016) 431–445. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127516300995 4. Spears, T. G. and Gold,
S. A. “In-process sensing in selective laser melting (SLM) additive
manufacturing”. Integrating Materials and Manufacturing Innovation, 2016 (a
Springer Open Journal) DOI 10.1186/s40192-016-0045-4. KEYWORDS: Additive
Manufacturing; Feed-Forward Control; Feedback Control; Reliability;
Multi-Physics Models
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