Direct Digital Fabrication: Integration of Advanced Manufacturing Processes
Lead Research Organisation:
Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: Sch of Engineering and Physical Science
Abstract
Digital Fabrication is the direct manufacture of three-dimensional objects using additive or subtractive processes. Digital Fabrication enables agile, on-demand and fully automated production in a wide range of manufacturing contexts and is seen as a key enabling technology for future high-value manufacturing applications. Current Digital Fabrication technologies are however limited, in the range of materials which can be used, the processing speed and the resolution.
In particular, the ability to combine multiple materials, for example metals and plastics, in a single process is very restricted at present and therefore this project seeks to address these limitations. This will be achieved by using a multi-process integration approach to Digital Fabrication where the best process for the application in hand can be selected. It combines the advantages of additive manufacturing, laser based processing and ink jet printing technologies to deposit and integrate different materials within each layer.
The project addresses the fundamental scientific challenges required to interleave these different manufacturing techniques in order to achieve fine-grained control over the spatial distribution, microstructure and interface properties of the different materials to be laid down in each layer.
These challenges include;
1) The integration of different Digital Fabrication processes and the associated issues with the compatibility and transitioning between processing.
2) The use of configurable laser profiles to control droplet evaporation properties and as result gain control over the so-called 'coffee-staining' effect.
3) The use of laser-based surface texturing to improve the adhesion between the various layers to improve the overall mechanical properties of the part.
The project will provide the unpinning research to enable the production of three-dimensional structures from a range of materials. This research brings together a unique combination of academic expertise in laser-based processing, additive manufacturing, ink jet printing and applied mathematics from four of the UK's leading research-led universities along with a consortium of industrial partners with strong track records in innovation for high value manufacturing applications.
In particular, the ability to combine multiple materials, for example metals and plastics, in a single process is very restricted at present and therefore this project seeks to address these limitations. This will be achieved by using a multi-process integration approach to Digital Fabrication where the best process for the application in hand can be selected. It combines the advantages of additive manufacturing, laser based processing and ink jet printing technologies to deposit and integrate different materials within each layer.
The project addresses the fundamental scientific challenges required to interleave these different manufacturing techniques in order to achieve fine-grained control over the spatial distribution, microstructure and interface properties of the different materials to be laid down in each layer.
These challenges include;
1) The integration of different Digital Fabrication processes and the associated issues with the compatibility and transitioning between processing.
2) The use of configurable laser profiles to control droplet evaporation properties and as result gain control over the so-called 'coffee-staining' effect.
3) The use of laser-based surface texturing to improve the adhesion between the various layers to improve the overall mechanical properties of the part.
The project will provide the unpinning research to enable the production of three-dimensional structures from a range of materials. This research brings together a unique combination of academic expertise in laser-based processing, additive manufacturing, ink jet printing and applied mathematics from four of the UK's leading research-led universities along with a consortium of industrial partners with strong track records in innovation for high value manufacturing applications.
Planned Impact
This research is expected to have significant commercial, technological and scientific impact as it will enable the production of multi-material Three-Dimensional geometries. The integration of novel manufacturing processes will provide unprecedented agile and more cost effective manufacturing processes with complexity and geometry no longer affecting manufacturability. Digital Fabrication will enable the creation of innovative products, through the design and integration of new materials. The resultant long-term impact of this research will benefit our industrial consortium and UK industry as a whole to develop new business models, innovative products and the creation of new supply chains. The beneficiaries of this research are:
- UK industry will benefit from this multi-disciplinary research through increased scientific knowledge creating new applications areas for Digital Fabrication.
- The industrial partners will not only directly gain from the research developed in this project but also from the new relationships formed between the academic institutions and industrial partners which will continue well after the project has completed.
- Academic Research will benefit from increased cross-disciplinary research and the new links arising between academics while also expanding the universities world leading research portfolios. The project will directly complement a number of ongoing activities in high value manufacturing research. It will generate the underpinning research for the production of bespoke multilayer electronic circuits contained within a 3D geometry. In addition, it will form the basis for future developments in electronic packaging to enable embedding of electronics and sensors during the build process. The outputs from this research are also expected to have farther-reaching impact in fields such as: printed electronics, microsystems and medical devices. The models developed during the project will benefit various other areas in the mathematical sciences such as fluid dynamics, numerical analysis and partial differential equations.
- The EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing will directly benefit from this research, particularly the Centre in Additive Manufacturing from the increased scientific understanding of the use of surface modification to improve adhesion and wettability of AM deposited layers and from multi-process alternatives to solve various problems arising from multi-material integration. The will also benefit the Centre in Laser-based Production Processes by opening up new application areas in hybrid AM processes.
- UK skills base in high value manufacturing will directly benefit as a result of training and the development of skilled researchers in this field (PhD and 4 RAs). This seed-corn funding will also help develop future potential leaders in manufacturing research, by providing them with the resources to undertake ground-breaking multi-disciplinary research for the benefit of UK manufacturing and at the same time facilitating them to grow and develop their networks through collaborative research.
-The public and Society - The creation of bespoke, mass customised production has greater benefits to society enabling products to be tailored to the application in hand. In addition, the layer based manufacturing approach of Digital Fabrication helps to secure UK manufacturing technologies against the increasing scarcity of raw materials, energy and other resources through the reduction of process steps and material wastage, benefiting the overall economy and environment. The impact of the UK being at the forefront of Digital Fabrication research will provide a positive economic benefit to the overall economy through ensuring the UK has a significant share of this market and the creation of new jobs.
- UK industry will benefit from this multi-disciplinary research through increased scientific knowledge creating new applications areas for Digital Fabrication.
- The industrial partners will not only directly gain from the research developed in this project but also from the new relationships formed between the academic institutions and industrial partners which will continue well after the project has completed.
- Academic Research will benefit from increased cross-disciplinary research and the new links arising between academics while also expanding the universities world leading research portfolios. The project will directly complement a number of ongoing activities in high value manufacturing research. It will generate the underpinning research for the production of bespoke multilayer electronic circuits contained within a 3D geometry. In addition, it will form the basis for future developments in electronic packaging to enable embedding of electronics and sensors during the build process. The outputs from this research are also expected to have farther-reaching impact in fields such as: printed electronics, microsystems and medical devices. The models developed during the project will benefit various other areas in the mathematical sciences such as fluid dynamics, numerical analysis and partial differential equations.
- The EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing will directly benefit from this research, particularly the Centre in Additive Manufacturing from the increased scientific understanding of the use of surface modification to improve adhesion and wettability of AM deposited layers and from multi-process alternatives to solve various problems arising from multi-material integration. The will also benefit the Centre in Laser-based Production Processes by opening up new application areas in hybrid AM processes.
- UK skills base in high value manufacturing will directly benefit as a result of training and the development of skilled researchers in this field (PhD and 4 RAs). This seed-corn funding will also help develop future potential leaders in manufacturing research, by providing them with the resources to undertake ground-breaking multi-disciplinary research for the benefit of UK manufacturing and at the same time facilitating them to grow and develop their networks through collaborative research.
-The public and Society - The creation of bespoke, mass customised production has greater benefits to society enabling products to be tailored to the application in hand. In addition, the layer based manufacturing approach of Digital Fabrication helps to secure UK manufacturing technologies against the increasing scarcity of raw materials, energy and other resources through the reduction of process steps and material wastage, benefiting the overall economy and environment. The impact of the UK being at the forefront of Digital Fabrication research will provide a positive economic benefit to the overall economy through ensuring the UK has a significant share of this market and the creation of new jobs.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Jonathan Shephard (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Li J
(2016)
Hybrid additive manufacturing of 3D electronic systems
in Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
Li J
(2018)
Micro electronic systems via multifunctional additive manufacturing
in Rapid Prototyping Journal
Stringer J
(2016)
Integration of additive manufacturing and inkjet printed electronics: a potential route to parts with embedded multifunctionality
in Manufacturing Review
Ta D
(2015)
Nanosecond laser textured superhydrophobic metallic surfaces and their chemical sensing applications
in Applied Surface Science
Ta V
(2016)
Laser textured surface gradients
in Applied Surface Science
Ta V
(2016)
Laser textured superhydrophobic surfaces and their applications for homogeneous spot deposition
in Applied Surface Science
| Description | A key aim was to investigate ways to combine multiple materials, for example metals and plastics, in a single process. The approach investigated was multi-process integration combining the advantages of additive manufacturing, laser-based processing and ink jet printing technologies. The project therefore looked to address the fundamental scientific challenges required to interleave these different manufacturing techniques. Specifically, in this project we demonstrated that a low cost, robust laser system suitable to a high productivity manufacturing environment could be used to alter the materials surface properties and control the deposition of materials from a liquid. A key problem with depositing solids from liquids is that as the liquid evaporates the solid material tends to form a ring - commonly known as a as "coffee stain" pattern which for most processes is undesirable. By using the laser we could both eliminate the coffee stain effect resulting in a homogeneous uniform deposition of the material and additionally we could control exactly where the material was deposited. This enabled the ability to directly write tracks of material onto a substrate. Additionally, we could condition the surface of the material to make liquids preferentially adhere to certain regions. We demonstrated that using this flexible laser process we could: 1) Alter the surface properties of metals such that we could control whether a specific region of the surface was wetting or non-wetting - this gives control of which regions the material adheres to. 2) Control droplet evaporation properties and as result gain control over the so-called 'coffee-staining' effect - this enabled a much more controlled deposition process from the droplet. 3) Directly write onto the material surface non-wetting regions as the process uses a digital template (rather than a physical mask) providing a higher degree of flexibility over existing mask based techniques. |
| Exploitation Route | Non-wetting surfaces have many potential applications from anti-bacterial and anti-fouling surfaces through to chemical sensing. By demonstrating that such surfaces can be directly written onto a metal without the need for a physical mask, high cost laser system or harsh etching chemicals then there is a more feasible manufacturing route and potential for uptake across many sectors. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Electronics,Energy,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | This project has seen the researchers career flourish as a result of the experience with Dr Ta taking a post in Kings College London and subsequently an academic post in his home country. The Industrial partners have also benefited from this project from the fostering of new collaborations, developing new application areas, additional equipment sales and improved product development capability. The work produced from this research directly underpinned a successful European Horizon 2020 project bid: "SHARK Industrial Laser Surface Texturing" involving many industrial, commercial and academics partners across europe. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | The investigators, post-graduate researchers and PhD students from this project organised a 2. 5day off-site team development activity in Argyll, Scotland. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A facilitator was used to organise a range of activities off-campus around team development activities, research planning, creative thinking and blue sky research ideas generation. All project investigators and project researchers attended this event from the 5-7th April 2016 in Argyll Scotland. The researchers particular found the various sessions very useful for developing multidisciplinary research ideas. In addition, the team came up with some new concepts for developing into publications and research proposals as a result of this event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |