scholarly journals Robotic additive manufacturing system for dynamic build orientations

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-667
Author(s):  
Nicholas R. Fry ◽  
Robert C. Richardson ◽  
Jordan H. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Manufacturing System ◽  
Print Quality ◽  
Orientation Relationships ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Build Orientation

Purpose This paper aims to present a multi-axis additive robot manufacturing system (ARMS) and demonstrate its beneficial capabilities. Design/methodology/approach ARMS was constructed around two robot arms and a fused filament fabrication (FFF) extruder. Quantitative experiments are conducted to investigate the effect of printing at different orientations with respect to gravity, the effect of dynamically changing build orientation with respect to the build tray when printing overhanging features, the effect of printing curved parts using curved, conformal layers. These capabilities are combined to print an integrated demonstrator showing potential practical benefits of the system. Findings Orientation with respect to gravity has no effect on print quality; dynamically changing build orientation allows overhangs up to 90° to be cleanly printed without support structures; printing an arch with conformal layers significantly increases its strength compared to conventional printing. Research limitations/implications The challenge of automatic slicing algorithms has not been addressed for multi-axis printing. It is shown that ARMS could eventually enable printing of fully-functional prototypes with embedded components. Originality/value This work is the first to prove that the surface roughness of an FFF part is independent of print orientation with respect to gravity. The use of two arms creates a novel system with more degrees of freedom than existing multi-axis printers, enabling studies on printing orientation relationships and printing around inserts. It also adds to the emerging body of multi-axis literature by verifying that curved layers improve the strength of an arch which is steeply curved and printed with the nozzle remaining normal to the curvature.

Additive manufacturing of 316L stainless-steel structures using fused filament fabrication technology: mechanical and geometric properties

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Caminero ◽  
Ana Romero ◽  
Jesús Miguel Chacón ◽  
Pedro José Núñez ◽  
Eustaquio García-Plaza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Austenitic Stainless Steel ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Steel Structures ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Geometric Properties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Build Orientation ◽  
Manufacturing Alternatives

Purpose Fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique using metal filled filaments in combination with debinding and sintering steps can be a cost-effective alternative for laser-based powder bed fusion processes. The mechanical behaviour of FFF-metal materials is highly dependent on the processing parameters, filament quality and adjusted post-processing steps. In addition, the microstructural material properties and geometric characteristics are inherent to the manufacturing process. The purpose of this study is to characterize the mechanical and geometric performance of three-dimensional (3-D) printed FFF 316 L metal components manufactured by a low-cost desktop 3-D printer. The debinding and sintering processes are carried out using the BASF catalytic debinding process in combination with the BASF 316LX Ultrafuse filament. Special attention is paid on the effects of build orientation and printing strategy of the FFF-based technology on the tensile and geometric performance of the 3-D printed 316 L metal specimens. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a toolset of experimental analysis techniques [metallography and scanning electron microcope (SEM)] to characterize the effect of microstructure and defects on the material properties under tensile testing. Shrinkage and the resulting porosity of the 3-D printed 316 L stainless steel sintered samples are also analysed. The deformation behaviour is investigated for three different build orientations. The tensile test curves are further correlated with the damage surface using SEM images and metallographic sections to present grain deformation during the loading progress. Mechanical properties are directly compared to other works in the field and similar additive manufacturing (AM) and Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) manufacturing alternatives from the literature. Findings It has been shown that the effect of build orientation was of particular significance on the mechanical and geometric performance of FFF-metal 3-D printed samples. In particular, Flat and On-edge samples showed an average increase in tensile performance of 21.7% for the tensile strength, 65.1% for the tensile stiffness and 118.3% for maximum elongation at fracture compared to the Upright samples. Furthermore, it has been able to manufacture near-dense 316 L austenitic stainless steel components using FFF. These properties are comparable to those obtained by other metal conventional processes such as MIM process. Originality/value 316L austenitic stainless steel components using FFF technology with a porosity lower than 2% were successfully manufactured. The presented study provides more information regarding the dependence of the mechanical, microstructural and geometric properties of FFF 316 L components on the build orientation and printing strategy.

On the build orientation effect in as-printed and as-sintered bending properties of 17-4PH alloy fabricated by metal fused filament fabrication

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanun Suwanpreecha ◽  
Anchalee Manonukul
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Bending Strength ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bending Properties ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Flexural Mode ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Edge Orientation ◽  
Build Orientation ◽  
Bending Strain

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the influence of build orientation on the anisotropic as-printed and as-sintered bending properties of 17-4PH stainless steel fabricated by metal fused filament fabrication (MFFF). Design/methodology/approach The bending properties of 17-4PH alloy fabricated by low-cost additive manufacturing (MFFF) using three build orientations (the Flat, On-edge and Upright orientations) are examined at both as-printed and as-sintered states. Findings Unlike tensile testing where the Flat and On-edge orientations provide similar as-sintered tensile properties, the On-edge orientation produces a significantly higher bending strain with a lower bending strength than the Flat orientation. This arises from the printed layer sliding due to the Poisson's effect, which is only observed in the On-edge orientation together with the alternated layers of highly deformed and shifted voids. The bending properties show that the Upright orientation exhibits the lowest bending properties and limited plasticity due to the layer delamination. Originality/value This study is the first work to study the effect of build orientation on the flexural properties for MFFF. This work gives insight information into anisotropy in flexural mode for MFFF part design.

Episodic supply chains at times of disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Öberg
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Transformational Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Metal Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Contemporary Technology ◽  
Metal Additive

Purpose Additive manufacturing has been described as converting supply chains into demand chains. By focusing on metal additive manufacturing as a contemporary technology causing ongoing disruption to the supply chain, the purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how incumbent firms act during an ongoing, transformational disruption of their supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Interviews and secondary data, along with seminars attracting approximately 600 individuals operating in metal additive manufacturing, form the empirical basis for this paper. Findings The findings of this paper indicate how disruption occurs at multiple positions in the supply chain. Episodic positions as conceptualised in this paper refer to how parties challenged by disruption attempt to reach normality while speeding the transformational disruption. Originality/value This paper contributes to previous research by theorising about episodic positions in light of a supply chain disruption. The empirical data are unique in how they capture supply chain change at the time of disruption and illustrate disruptive, transformational change to supply chains. The paper interlinks research on disruption from the innovation and supply chain literature, with contributions to both.

A statistical method for build orientation determination in additive manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yicha Zhang ◽  
Ramy Harik ◽  
Georges Fadel ◽  
Alain Bernard
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Statistical Method ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Generic Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Build Orientation ◽  
Cad Models ◽  
Feature Based ◽  
Orientation Determination

Purpose For part models with complex shape features or freeform shapes, the existing build orientation determination methods may have issues, such as difficulty in defining features and costly computation. To deal with these issues, this paper aims to introduce a new statistical method to develop fast automatic decision support tools for additive manufacturing build orientation determination. Design/methodology/approach The proposed method applies a non-supervised machine learning method, K-Means Clustering with Davies–Bouldin Criterion cluster measuring, to rapidly decompose a surface model into facet clusters and efficiently generate a set of meaningful alternative build orientations. To evaluate alternative build orientations at a generic level, a statistical approach is defined. Findings A group of illustrative examples and comparative case studies are presented in the paper for method validation. The proposed method can help production engineers solve decision problems related to identifying an optimal build orientation for complex and freeform CAD models, especially models from the medical and aerospace application domains with much efficiency. Originality/value The proposed method avoids the limitations of traditional feature-based methods and pure computation-based methods. It provides engineers a new efficient decision-making tool to rapidly determine the optimal build orientation for complex and freeform CAD models.

3D printing technology in musical instrument research: reviewing the potential

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1511-1523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antreas Kantaros ◽  
Olaf Diegel
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Musical Instruments ◽  
Wind Instruments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Class ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Applications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to discuss additive manufacturing (AM) in the context of applications for musical instruments. It examines the main AM technologies used in musical instruments, goes through a history of musical applications of AM and raises the questions about the application of AM to create completely new wind instruments that would be impossible to produce with conventional manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach A literature research is presented which covers a historical application of AM to musical instruments and hypothesizes on some potential new applications. Findings AM has found extensive application to create conventional musical instruments with unique aesthetics designs. It’s true potential to create entirely new sounds, however, remains largely untapped. Research limitations/implications More research is needed to truly assess the potential of additive manufacturing to create entirely new sounds for musical instrument. Practical implications The application of AM in music could herald an entirely new class of musical instruments with unique sounds. Originality/value This study highlights musical instruments as an unusual application of AM. It highlights the potential of AM to create entirely new sounds, which could create a whole new class of musical instruments.

Additive manufacturing using fine wire-based laser metal deposition

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-483
Author(s):  
Muhammad Omar Shaikh ◽  
Ching-Chia Chen ◽  
Hua-Cheng Chiang ◽  
Ji-Rong Chen ◽  
Yi-Chin Chou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Surface Finish ◽  
Dimensional Accuracy ◽  
Laser Metal Deposition ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Wire

Purpose Using wire as feedstock has several advantages for additive manufacturing (AM) of metal components, which include high deposition rates, efficient material use and low material costs. While the feasibility of wire-feed AM has been demonstrated, the accuracy and surface finish of the produced parts is generally lower than those obtained using powder-bed/-feed AM. The purpose of this study was to develop and investigate the feasibility of a fine wire-based laser metal deposition (FW-LMD) process for producing high-precision metal components with improved resolution, dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Design/methodology/approach The proposed FW-LMD AM process uses a fine stainless steel wire with a diameter of 100 µm as the additive material and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser as the heat source. The pulsed laser beam generates a melt pool on the substrate into which the fine wire is fed, and upon moving the X–Y stage, a single-pass weld bead is created during solidification that can be laterally and vertically stacked to create a 3D metal component. Process parameters including laser power, pulse duration and stage speed were optimized for the single-pass weld bead. The effect of lateral overlap was studied to ensure low surface roughness of the first layer onto which subsequent layers can be deposited. Multi-layer deposition was also performed and the resulting cross-sectional morphology, microhardness, phase formation, grain growth and tensile strength have been investigated. Findings An optimized lateral overlap of about 60-70% results in an average surface roughness of 8-16 µm along all printed directions of the X–Y stage. The single-layer thickness and dimensional accuracy of the proposed FW-LMD process was about 40-80 µm and ±30 µm, respectively. A dense cross-sectional morphology was observed for the multilayer stacking without any visible voids, pores or defects present between the layers. X-ray diffraction confirmed a majority austenite phase with small ferrite phase formation that occurs at the junction of the vertically stacked beads, as confirmed by the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. Tensile tests were performed and an ultimate tensile strength of about 700-750 MPa was observed for all samples. Furthermore, multilayer printing of different shapes with improved surface finish and thin-walled and inclined metal structures with a minimum achievable resolution of about 500 µm was presented. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to report a directed energy deposition process using a fine metal wire with a diameter of 100 µm and can be a possible solution to improving surface finish and reducing the “stair-stepping” effect that is generally observed for wires with a larger diameter. The AM process proposed in this study can be an attractive alternative for 3D printing of high-precision metal components and can find application for rapid prototyping in a range of industries such as medical and automotive, among others.

Smooth geometry generation in additive manufacturing file format: problem study and new formulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai-Ming Yu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Charlie C.L. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hermite Interpolation ◽  
File Format ◽  
Opposite Edge ◽  
Standard Specification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Formulation ◽  
Boundary Curves ◽  
Boolean Sum

Purpose In the newly released ASTM standard specification for additive manufacturing file (AMF) format – version 1.1 – Hermite curve-based interpolation is used to refine input triangles to generate denser mesh with smoother geometry. This paper aims to study the problems of constructing smooth geometry based on Hermite interpolation on curves and proposes a solution to overcome these problems. Design/methodology/approach A formulation using triangular Bézier patch is proposed to generate smooth geometry from input polygonal models. Different configurations on the boundary curves in the formulation are analyzed to further enrich this formulation. Findings The study shows that the formulation given in the AMF format (version 1.1) can lead to the problems of inconsistent normals and undefined end-tangents. Research limitations/implications The scheme has requirements on the input normals of a model, only C0 interpolation can be generated on those cases with less-proper input. Originality/value To overcome the problems of smooth geometry generation in the AMF format, the authors propose an enriched scheme for computing smooth geometry by using triangular Bézier patch. For the configurations with less-proper input, the authors adopt the Boolean sum and the Nielson’s point-opposite edge interpolation for triangular Coons patch to generate the smooth geometry as a C0 interpolant.

scholarly journals The flexibility of industrial additive manufacturing systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 2313-2343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Eyers ◽  
Andrew T. Potter ◽  
Jonathan Gosling ◽  
Mohamed M. Naim
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Manufacturing System ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Commercial Practice ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Manufacturing Operations

Purpose Flexibility is a fundamental performance objective for manufacturing operations, allowing them to respond to changing requirements in uncertain and competitive global markets. Additive manufacturing machines are often described as “flexible,” but there is no detailed understanding of such flexibility in an operations management context. The purpose of this paper is to examine flexibility from a manufacturing systems perspective, demonstrating the different competencies that can be achieved and the factors that can inhibit these in commercial practice. Design/methodology/approach This study extends existing flexibility theory in the context of an industrial additive manufacturing system through an investigation of 12 case studies, covering a range of sectors, product volumes, and technologies. Drawing upon multiple sources, this research takes a manufacturing systems perspective that recognizes the multitude of different resources that, together with individual industrial additive manufacturing machines, contribute to the satisfaction of demand. Findings The results show that the manufacturing system can achieve seven distinct internal flexibility competencies. This ability was shown to enable six out of seven external flexibility capabilities identified in the literature. Through a categorical assessment the extent to which each competency can be achieved is identified, supported by a detailed explanation of the enablers and inhibitors of flexibility for industrial additive manufacturing systems. Originality/value Additive manufacturing is widely expected to make an important contribution to future manufacturing, yet relevant management research is scant and the flexibility term is often ambiguously used. This research contributes the first detailed examination of flexibility for industrial additive manufacturing systems.

Barriers in adoption of additive manufacturing in medical sector supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Choudhary ◽  
Anish Kumar ◽  
Varun Sharma ◽  
Pradeep Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Organizational Barriers ◽  
Medical Sector ◽  
Network Process ◽  
And Training

PurposeAdditive manufacturing (AM) is expected to significantly transform the operations in manufacturing sector. It is also proposed to have optimistic applications in the medical supply chains (SC). However, its adoption in medical sector is faced with a range of barriers. Motivated by the need to establish an AM-based medical SC in a developing economy, the present paper analyses the potential barriers that would hinder the adoption of AM in medical SC.Design/methodology/approachBased on an extensive literature review and expert discussions, 12 significant barriers have been identified, which are analysed using an integrated interpretive structural modelling–analytical network process (ISM–ANP) methodology. An interrelationship between these barriers using ISM has been analysed to determine the driving-dependence power of these barriers using MICMAC (Matrice d' Impacts Croises-Multiplication Applique' e a' Classement) analysis. The barriers are then ranked using the ANP approach.FindingsIt has been focussed that the non-availability of a variety of materials, lack of education and training to designers and workers and production technology limitation are the most critical barriers. The results suggest that the managers should give greater significance to the technological and organizational barriers.Originality/valueAn approach to overcome these barriers can help the managers and organizations to develop successful AM-based SCs. The study is the first to identify and analyse the barriers for successful adoption of AM in medical SC context.

Maximizing design potential: investigating the effects of utilizing opportunistic and restrictive design for additive manufacturing in rapid response solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohan Prabhu ◽  
Jordan Scott Masia ◽  
Joseph T. Berthel ◽  
Nicholas Alexander Meisel ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Design For Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Efficiency ◽  
Material Usage ◽  
Build Time ◽  
Rapid Prototyping And Manufacturing ◽  
Design For Am

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in numerous innovative engineering design solutions, several of which leverage the rapid prototyping and manufacturing capabilities of additive manufacturing. This paper aims to study a subset of these solutions for their utilization of design for AM (DfAM) techniques and investigate the effects of DfAM utilization on the creativity and manufacturing efficiency of these solutions. Design/methodology/approach This study compiled 26 COVID-19-related solutions designed for AM spanning three categories: (1) face shields (N = 6), (2) face masks (N = 12) and (3) hands-free door openers (N = 8). These solutions were assessed for (1) DfAM utilization, (2) manufacturing efficiency and (3) creativity. The relationships between these assessments were then computed using generalized linear models to investigate the influence of DfAM utilization on manufacturing efficiency and creativity. Findings It is observed that (1) unique and original designs scored lower in their AM suitability, (2) solutions with higher complexity scored higher on usefulness and overall creativity and (3) solutions with higher complexity had higher build cost, build time and material usage. These findings highlight the need to account for both opportunistic and restrictive DfAM when evaluating solutions designed for AM. Balancing the two DfAM perspectives can support the development of solutions that are creative and consume fewer build resources. Originality/value DfAM evaluation tools primarily focus on AM limitations to help designers avoid build failures. This paper proposes the need to assess designs for both, their opportunistic and restrictive DfAM utilization to appropriately assess the manufacturing efficiency of designs and to realize the creative potential of adopting AM.

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