January AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 4 8 3D PRINTSHOP LASERS ENERGIZE 3D PRINTING A new research project at Clemson University is testing a novel 3D printing technique that uses rapid laser process- ing to create protonic ceramic electro- lyzer stacks that convert electricity to hydrogen as a way of storing energy. The electrolyzers could have several uses, such as a fuel source in cars or storing energy generated fromsolar and wind power. Jianhua “Joshua” Tong, associate professor of materials science and en- gineering, is leading the research with $1.6 million from the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Ener- gy. If his team succeeds with the elec- trolyzers, the same technique could be applied to 3D printing other types of ce- ramic products including batteries and solar cells. For example, the research could lead to high-density batteries that allow smartphones to maintain a charge for days at a time. This project is the latest in a growing body of research aimed at using 3D printing to change how prod- ucts are manufactured. One of the big challenges in advanced manufacturing is figuring out how to cost effectively print with various types of materials. In Tong’s project, a 3D printer puts down a layer of ceramic while a laser sinters it at the same time, eliminating the need for a furnace. This could result in an electrolyzer made of four different types of ceramics, among other intri- cate components. clemson.edu. TO RUSSIA WITH NANOPOWDERS Faced with an increased need for nanopowders and no local source, some Russian scientists are creating their own. Scientists from the depart- ment of industrial technologies at the Yurga Institute of Technology at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are de- veloping an advanced facility for the production of high-performance metal powders used for 3D printing. The TPU project has gained recent support from the Russian Science Foundation. “Enterprises are forced to pur- chase and use powders supplied by for- eign manufacturers,” explains project leader Maksim Kuznetsov. Facilities for additive production need about 20 tons of raw materials annually, so Russian companies are interested in low cost powders that will enable them to sig- nificantly increase the effectiveness of 3D printing of industrial products. Their facility will have several advantages over other methods for the synthesis of nanosized powders. In addition, the facility will enable production of a wide range of nano- powders of different metals and alloys, which can be manufactured in the form of wire or foil or even jets of molten metal. “For example, it will be able to generate stainless, instrumental, heat resistant, titanium, and aluminum al- loys, medical cobalt-chromium and ti- tanium, as well as titanium oxide,” say project participants. www.tpu.ru/en. Nanopowders are being created at a new facility associated with the Yurga Institute of Technology with support from the Russian Science Foundation. Courtesy of TPU. From left, Jianhua Tong and Shenglong Mu are developing a new 3D printing technique that involves laser processing. Courtesy of Clemson. EATON EARNS NEW AEROSPACE CRED Power management company Eaton, Cleveland, announces that its Additive Manufacturing Center of Ex- cellence in Southfield, Mich., recently earned AS9100 Rev D certification. The designation, a comprehensive quality system for providing safe and reliable products to the aerospace industry, will enable Eaton to supply 3D-printed met- al components to both civil andmilitary aerospace customers. eaton.com.