China3D printingNet, September 12th, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts has received a three-year US$25 million award from the US Army’s Combat Capability Development Command Army Research Laboratory (CCDC-ARL) for the development of metal for the battlefield. Cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) process.
In this project, WPI’s mission is to characterize and test the alloy, and ultimately be able to produce and repair military-grade components. This eliminates the extensive waiting time and high cost of manufacturing new military components.
Danielle Cote, director of WPI’s material processing data center and chief researcher of the ARL project, said: “Cold spray is a basic technology with broad application prospects in the military and other fields.”
ARL’s interest in cold spray additive manufacturing
CSAM uses pressurized gas to deposit metal powder to a speed close to supersonic speed. Without first melting the powder, the spray adheres to the metal on contact due to the impact force. The process can be simplified to a portable handheld applicator, which makes it attractive to use in the field. This technology has previously been used by engineers to repair engine gearboxes and manufacture electric motors.
“If you are on a mission and need to move quickly to a safer place, and a critical part of the vehicle will be interrupted, then unless you can quickly fix it, you will be trapped. This is where the cold spray comes from.” Cote Added.
“The Army’s Cold Spray3D printingInterest is a repair technique[修复一个零件比更换它更便宜], You can get back to using the equipment faster, so the Army is interested in it. “
Last month, ARL also awarded $14.5 million to Rowan University in New Jersey for the development of polymer CSAM. As part of the ARL project, the WPI research team will also cooperate with a number of subcontractors, including the University of California, Irvine, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Pennsylvania State University.
Custom CSAM metal powder
For most manufacturing methods, such as casting and forging, the metal alloy is changed by first melting and then heat treating. On the other hand, the alloy will not melt before cold spraying, nor will it undergo heat treatment after coating. CSAM does not require that the alloy can be melted for application. Therefore, compared with other manufacturing methods, the research team can obtain a wider range of potential materials.
In order to develop and study the chemical and structural properties of nano-sized powders, WPI has received various equipment as part of the ARL Award. These tools include SEM/EDS units, simultaneous laser diffraction and dynamic image particle analyzers for measuring powder morphology, and nanoindenters for measuring nanoscale mechanical properties.
The team found that by gradually heating, the performance of cold powder spraying can be fine-tuned and enhanced. Develop a calculation model to determine the selected alloy for research and the heat treatment plan adopted. The model is based on extensive laboratory experiments and utilizes WPI’s rich metal property database to provide a possible and more effective method for custom-designed powders for specific cold spray applications.
WPI is developing such metal powders for cold spraying. Photo from WPI.
Improve military readiness through CSAM
WPI’s powder modification technology can produce engineering grade alloys with high strength, toughness and ductility. For example, it usually takes months or even years to replace a helicopter gearbox. In particular, the gearbox requires frequent maintenance, and the cost of repair and replacement is high. On the other hand, CSAM can effectively repair or even manufacture gearbox components to quickly return the helicopter to the air.
Although ARL’s main focus is on repairing alloys, the award also allows WPI to explore CSAM applications outside the battlefield, such as applying antibacterial copper coatings on equipment. In addition, researchers in the WPI Robotics Engineering Program will explore the use of multi-axis robots to automate CSAM.
Cote (left) is working with researcher Kyle Tsaknopoulos, a postdoctoral researcher. Photo from WPI.
China3D printingNet original article, please indicate the source for reprinting!
(Editor in charge: admin)
0 Comments for “U.S. Army allocates $25 million to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to develop cold spray 3D printing materials”