Additive manufacturing

What is additive manufacturing (3D printing)?

Additive manufacturing is a generic term for techniques to build objects layer by layer in 3D. There are multiple additive manufacturing methods. Objects can, for instance, be ‘printed’ by hardening polymers (plastic) using UV or – more recently – by melting metal powder with a laser. In other words, the term ‘printing’ is not fully representative of the technology. We at Flanders Make focus on 3D printing of metal. 

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Benefits of 3D printing of metal

The benefits of 3D printing:

  • You can manufacture complex 3D objects in one piece. In this way, you can make new structures that were technically unfeasible up until now; 
  • You do not need to make a model as the 3D printer operates directly on the basis of the digital drawing. As such, it is ideal for rapid prototyping;
  • You can manufacture low volumes in a cost-efficient way;
  • The time-to-market of 3D printed products is considerably reduced.

3D printing or additive manufacturing fits perfectly within the trend towards mass customisation and the production of small series. This also makes it one of the pillars of Industry 4.0: the production is further automated, the production flexibility increases and the environmental impact of the manufactured parts reduces. We at Flanders Make perform research into printing metal (powder) and everything connected to this. Other materials are currently not within our focus. 

CHALLENGES FOR 3D PRINTING OF METAL

Still, 3D printing of metal is challenging: 

  • The metal melting process is not quite perfected at the moment, making it slow and expensive. 
  • Often, the quality of finished products is inadequate so that post-processing remains necessary. 
  • All too often, hidden defects appear that limit the proper operation and durability of the part. Think of porous parts, solidifications, etc. 

    Building blocks of our research

    It is clear that some of the processes still require improvement. In its research, Flanders Make focuses on the following techniques:

    1. techniques for accelerating the printing process;
    2. techniques for monitoring the quality of the process;
    3. techniques for monitoring the quality of the product, detecting defects and adjusting them during the production process.

    1. PROCESS ACCELERATION THANKS TO IMPROVED CONTROL OF SCANNING HEAD

    When melting metal powder, the scanning head brings the laser to the correct spot. So, when printing a large object, the laser will move up and down millions of times. As such, the speed at which the scanning head moves has a major impact on the total printing time.

    By using an optimised controller for the scanning head, we can reduce the production time by 15%.

      2. PROCESS MONITORING THANKS TO MELT POOL MONITORING

      Porous products are directly linked to the geometry and dynamics of the melt pool. By monitoring the melt pool, we can collect data on the melting process. Subsequently, special software builds in real time a digital twin of the component to be printed. As of then, models can predict the quality of the digital model. In the longer term, we will add a second step in which additional algorithms will enable to shape the laser beam in real time and adjust the printing process on-the-go. 

      The digital twin will thus predict the quality of the end product in real time, allowing to adjust the process. 

      3. PRODUCT MONITORING THANKS TO AI VISION SYSTEMS

      The rapid development of product monitoring systems requires intelligent, self-learning algorithms. We compare the quality of the printed part with CAD drawings of the original part. Subsequently, deep learning algorithms look at the differences between the printed and the original, ideal object. These algorithms will become increasingly smart as they inspect ever more parts of the same type. 

      ROLE OF DIGITAL TWINS

      Apart from the above-described digital twins, it is also possible to make a digital twin of the 3D printer. As such, we can not only map machine wear but also changing process parameters. This increases our understanding of the machine and can teach us why certain parameters change when consecutively printing multiple parts. 

      A digital twin of product and printer will:

      • reduce the number of trial-and-error tests;
      • prevent errors;
      • make printing metal objects commercially more attractive. 

      The possibilities of digital twins have not yet been fully mapped. At Flanders Make, we fully believe in this technology and follow it from close-by. 

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