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CEEAM Components for Energy Efficiency in Transport by Additive Manufacturing. Piyal Samara-Ratna Mechanical Engineer & Project Lead Space Research Centre Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Project Overview. Funding by the Transport iNet 18 month project – Started September 2010
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CEEAM Components for Energy Efficiency in Transport by Additive Manufacturing Piyal Samara-Ratna Mechanical Engineer & Project Lead Space Research Centre Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Project Overview • Funding by the Transport iNet • 18 month project – Started September 2010 • Collaboration: • Space Research Centre • Mechanics of Materials Group at Leicester University • Additive Manufacturing group at DMU • MTT (industrial collaborator) • Project objectives: • Bring additive manufacturing into Space and other commercial markets for regional benefit • 4 businesses engaged with collaborations with HEIs • 4 businesses assisted to improve performance • 1 job safeguarded • 6 graduates employed and 1 assisted in STEM training
What is Additive Manufacturing? Conventional Machining Additive Manufacturing Additive manufacturing now available to manufacture components in metal
Benefits of Additive Manufacturing • No limit to complexity of parts • No time/cost penalty for complexity • No additional tooling costs • Minimal wastage: • All excess material can be recycled and reused immediately • Potential to be extremely environmentally friendly • It’s a process that encourages the engineer to make the component as efficient as possible • It enables engineers to manufacture products that were simply never possible • High performance lattice structures
Space Research Centre (SRC) • The Space Research Centre needs to adopt innovative manufacturing techniques to remain competitive in building space instrumentation: • Technology improvements are driving tougher design requirements • The SRC needs to produce real hardware that works • We also need to prove to our customers that it works • Facilities to be a customer and technology developer for additive manufacturing • Current SRC portfolio highlights: • 3 instruments on the future ESA Mars Rover • 1 Instrument on the replacement to Hubble Space Telescope • 1 instrument on a mission to Mercury • Development of nuclear power systems for future spacecraft
The Problem? • High Production costs • Appropriate for the low volume manufacture • Technology still needs development before it is suitable for mass volume production • Lack of process control • Uncertainty in ensuring that parts have no defects • Risk of high financial losses if parts do not meet the build standard • Lack of material properties for parts produced using additive manufacturing: • The process dictates the material properties • Each machine will need to be certified
The Solution! • Development of an in-process monitoring system: • Ensures the quality of the parts • Ability to stop/alter the process • Developed primarily between DMU and MTT (additive manufacturing machine supplier) • Development of materials qualification process: • Developed primarily between Space Research Centre and the Mechanics of Materials Group • Developed to international space standards • Mechanical and thermal testing • Qualification initially for titanium (Ti64AV) and then expanded to other materials (e.g. Stainless steel)
Process Chain Evaluation Raw material handling Machine Setup Part Production Integration to end application Part post-processing Part Design Concept to Production Process Chain • Removal of support structure • Heat treatment • Surface finish • Drilling/tapping • Build orientation • Process monitoring • Quality assurance • Interfacing • Bonding • Part monitoring • Maintenance • Machine qualification • Setup procedure • Calibration • Process settings • Environmental settings • Specification • Grade • Purity • Approved suppliers • Handling • Storage Designing parts to fit the manufacturing process
Industry Collaboration • Currently working with 11 industrial collaborators in Motorsport, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, rail and dental • Promote technology by development of sample parts for each industrial sector • Free training & Free sample parts enables: • Promotional technology demonstrators • Tools to generate interest amongst industrial partner customer base • SRC to provide engineering effort: • CAD design facilities • Analysis data to support: • Mechanical • Thermal • CFD • Technology development covered by NDA
Summary • By making real working hardware the SRC bridges the gap between research and commercial industry • The SRC is paving the way for innovative manufacturing like Additive Manufacturing to be used in commercial sectors: • Proving it to work in harsh test environments • Tackling issues preventing uptake of technology • Benefits for the SRC: • Development of knowledge and experience • Fulfils obligation of the University to support the region • Opens the door to possible future research collaborations • Benefits for industry: • Low investment in new technology • Publicity of using innovative technology used on space instrumentation • Long-term establishment of regional research expertise