Hybrid Manufacturing
Manufacturing, from mining to product delivery, serves as the cornerstone of our industry. Hybrid manufacturing processes integrate methods or machines to enhance the efficiency and productivity of producing parts. Our approach integrates metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) with other fabrication methods. The metallic materials produced will be thoroughly analyzed for their microstructure and various properties, with a particular focus on mechanical properties, to establish relationships between manufacturing and material properties. This approach offers new technical capabilities, significantly enhances processing characteristics, reduces production time, improves machinability and surface quality, while also decreasing tool wear.
Advancing Material Solutions for a Sustainable Future
As the growing climate crisis is increasingly endangering human lives and ecosystems, the efficient use of materials will play a substantial role in curbing this global issue. In 2020, metal manufacturing accounted for 9% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the urgency for sustainable practices.
Our research aims to advance fabrication techniques and material design, streamlining the refinement process for metal elements and their processing. By doing so, we seek to minimize the need for extensive mining and refining operations, thereby conserving significant energy resources. Of particular importance is the integration of recycling practices, which offer a powerful means to address concerns regarding material scarcity and future availability. Examples include the extraction of specific elements from scrap metals and the adjustment of impurity limits, such as carbon content, within alloys.
Microstructural Engineering for Harsh Conditions
We design alloys capable of withstanding extreme environments, including high temperatures, cryogenic conditions, energy generation systems, and lunar exploration missions. Our development strategy hinges on the modification of nano/micro-structures within metallic materials, integrating multi-phase and/or multi-scale structural heterogeneity to enhance desired properties beyond their intrinsic characteristics. This approach involves a comprehensive understanding of thermomechanical processing, thermodynamic phenomena, and kinetic behaviors.