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[charlie T colton]

Short Q&A with ORNL Phd on metal AM.

I'm following up on post #2063.

It seems that I've enrolled during the middle of the current course "3D Opportunity: The course on additive manufacturing for business leaders." Our collaboration partners include America Makes, 3D Systems, Marquette University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

There was a live chat session with Dr. Amy Elliott from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Kevin Collier from America Makes, and Mark Cotteleer - research director with Deloitte Service.
This was a last minute participation opportunity on my part and I was not prepared.

My original post is not visible now but all follow up messages are.

I asked Amy Elliott what information she could share on the progress of the in-situ process monitoring and real time feedback control of metal additive manufacturing at the ORNL.

Amy Elliott (Teaching Assistant)
Hi Charlie - we are working with the OEM's developing thermal-imaging processes to predict defects in the parts as they are printing. The next step is to correct for those defects during the creation of the layer.

Charlie
Thank you.

I've read the Processing Science Related to the Electron Beam Melting Additive Manufacturing Process. Page 31 talks about "Advanced Beam Controls and Unique Processing Parameters used to Control Texture" having "Potentially the most important development in Metal AM since conception".

I have a limited imagination - What are the possible real world benefits to having this type of control?

It's been about 6 months since that report was put out. What further work has been done to explore this development?

Amy Elliott (Teaching Assistant)
Charlie - being able to control grain structure in metals in a localized fashion is huge. This is something we cannot do with any other process out there. A major example of how this is useful is that I can divert a fatigue crack through a certain path in my part that will avoid catastrophic failure. Also it give me more control over the material properties in specific orientations or along specific stress routes.

Charlie
Super answer!

I'm an engineer (not mechanical or metalurgical), we take great care when designing systems so that if there is a component failure (or more), there should be a predictable, "known", end state for the equipment - preferably NOT catastrophic.


Some information about Dr. Amy Elliott at the ORNL.
She has a website at http://www.amytheengineer.com/home.html
Re-fostering innovation in America: Amy Elliott at TEDxVirginiaTech