Search results for " Additive Manufacturing"
showing 10 items of 14 documents
Towards criteria for sustainable process selection: On the modelling of pure subtractive versus additive/subtractive integrated manufacturing approac…
2017
Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes can be counted among the disruptive technologies that are capable of transforming conventional manufacturing routes. The ability to create complex geometries, the reduction in material scraps during manufacturing, and the light-weighting due to the think-additive redesign of the components represent the main points of strength of AM. However, for some applications (such as the production of metal components for the automotive and aerospace industries), the surface finishing and dimensional/geometrical part tolerancing that can be achieved via AM processes might not be adequate to satisfy the imposed product specifications, and finish machining operation…
Mechatronic Design for an Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Machine
2017
3D printers, especially in the implementation of innovative extrusion processes which do not have a long history of development, are often built by adapting mechanical designs, drives and controls previously developed for generic machine tools. This is done through a process of choice and integration which is based principally on empirical criteria and taking into account separately the different aspects and parameters. Hereafter, we present an integrated mechatronic approach which has been adopted to design from the scratch a machine to implement the innovative metal injection moulding (MIM) technology. Its extrusion rate involves the adaptation of the generated trajectories and consequent…
Improving surface integrity of additively manufactured GP1 stainless steel by roller burnishing
2020
Abstract Additive manufacturing can rapidly fabricate the desired components by selectively melting and solidifying feedstock, rather than conventional subtractive machining. However, the difference between the two routes in terms of surface integrity of the final component is relevant. This paper presents a strategy to control the surface characteristics of additively manufactured stainless steel by roller burnishing. In particular, process parameters have been carefully selected to improve the surface integrity of the worked material. The quality of the surface has been analyzed in terms of roughness, hardness, microstructure and residual stresses. The overall product endurance under high…
Green Composites Based on PLA and Agricultural or Marine Waste Prepared by FDM
2021
Three dimensional-printability of green composites is recently growing in importance and interest, especially in the view of feasibility to valorize agricultural and marine waste to attain green fillers capable of reducing bioplastic costs, without compromising their processability and performance from an environmental and mechanical standpoint. In this work, two lignocellulosic fillers, obtained from Opuntia ficus indica and Posidonia oceanica, were added to PLA and processed by FDM. Among the 3D printed biocomposites investigated, slight differences could be found in terms of PLA molecular weight and filler aspect ratio. It was shown that it is possible to replace up to 20% of bioplastic …
Microstructural characterization of a 3D-printed soil
2022
Transversal applications of 3D-printing (or Additive Manufacturing) have been recently implemented in the field of Geomechanics. In a 3D-printing process, the printed volume is obtained from successive layering of adjacent soil filaments. In this work, the fabric of an as-printed soil has been carried out by combining Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) tests and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations, with the aim to highlight how the particle arrangements and the orientation and shape of pores are linked to the printing operation. The microstructural analyses showed that macropores are the result of the relative position of the filaments and their initial distortion in quasi-undr…
A new control parameter to predict micro-warping-induced job failure in LPBF of TI6AL4V titanium alloy
2023
Abstract Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) includes a few printing techniques widely used, in recent years, concerning the additive manufacturing of Ti6Al4V alloys. These produced parts, typically utilized in sectors such as aerospace and biomedical, are characterized by very high added value. It is therefore fundamental to identify the influence of process parameters typical of LPBF technology on the occurrence of warping leading to process failure. This study deals with the characterization of single-track and “micro-scale” level warping phenomena which may lead to protrusion of material over the powder bed and process failure before normal termination. This phenomenon was investigated as a …
The Role of re-design for Additive Manufacturing on the Process Environmental Performance
2018
Abstract At present, economic and technological design criteria for products and processes should be matched with the minimization of environmental impact objectives. Manufacturing, material production, and product design are strictly connected stages. The choice of a production system over another could result in significant material and energy/resource savings, particularly if the component has been properly designed for manufacturing. In this scenario, Additive Manufacturing, which has been identified as a potential disruptive technology, gained an increasing interest for the creation of complex metal parts. The paper focuses on the tools, based on the holistic modelling of additive and …
Assessment of Cost and Energy Requirements of Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and Machining Processes
2017
Additive Manufacturing is under the spotlight as potential disruptive technology, particularly for the production of complex-shaped structural metallic components. However, the actual AM process capabilities present some limitations in achieving the strict part quality requirements imposed by the aerospace and automotive sectors. Therefore, the integration of AM and conventional manufacturing represents an emerging scenario to be investigated. In this paper, a pure machining process and a hybrid production route (based on EBM and finish machining) are compared. The influence of material usage-related factors on costs and energy demand is discussed. The results prove that, despite precise pr…
Mechanical Bistable Structures for Microrobotics and Mesorobotics from Microfabrication to Additive Manufacturing
2018
International audience; The use of mechanical bistable structures in the design of microrobots and mesorobots has many advantages especially for flexible robotic structures. However, depending on the fabrication technology used, the adequacy of theoretical and experimental mechanical behaviors can vary widely. In this paper, we present the manufacturing results of bistable structures made with two extensively used contemporary technologies: MEMS and FDM additive manufacturing. Key issues of these fabrication technologies are discussed in the context of microrobotics and mesorobotics applications.
Design of a wiper as compliant mechanisms with a monolithic layout
2020
The increasingly important need to design simpler structures, reducing the number of constituent components, has motivated the approach outlined in this paper which proposes an effective re-engineering example of a product belonging to the automotive industry, combining the advantages offered by the compliant mechanisms with production opportunities linked to the use of additive manufacturing. Take advantage of compliant mechanisms makes it possible to significantly improve the component's production phase, leading to undoubted benefits on the supply chain and on product’s time to market, benefits made possible by exploiting the outstanding characteristic of additive manufacturing to produc…