Feb_March_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 | F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 2 0 6 4 3D PRINTSHOP These miniaturized super magnets were produced using laser-based 3D printing. Courtesy of TU Graz. 3D-PRINTED SUPER MAGNETS Permanent magnets have many electrical applications, from wind tur- bines and electric motors to sensors and magnetic switching systems. The production of these magnets usually involves sintering or injection mold- ing. But due to the increasing minia- turization of electronics and the more exacting requirements, these conven- tional methods are frequently coming up short. Additive manufacturing tech- nologies, however, offer the required flexibility of shape, enabling production of magnets tailored to the demands of each application. Researchers at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Austria—in col- laboration with the University of Vien- na and Friedrich-Alexander Universi- tät Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) as well as Joanneum Research in Graz—have now succeeded in manufacturing super magnets with the help of laser-based 3D printing technology. Their method uses a powdered form of the magnetic material, which is applied in layers and melted to bind the particles, resulting in components made purely of met- al. The scientists are now able to print magnets with a high relative density while still managing to control their microstructures. The initial focus of the research group was the production of neodymi- um, or NdFeB, magnets. The rare earth metal neodymium is used as the ba- sis for many strong permanent mag- nets, which are crucial components for many applications, including comput- ers and smartphones. In other appli- cations, such as electric brakes, mag- netic switches and certain electric mo- tor systems, the strong force of NdFeB magnets is unnecessary and also unde- sirable. Further research is being con- ducted on the 3D printing of iron and co- balt magnets, which are more attractive based on environmental and sustain- ability considerations. www.tugraz.at . NEW PRINTING PROCESS IMITATES NATURE Engineers need to get more cre- ative in their approach to additive manufacturing (AM) systems, by taking inspiration from the way humans grow and develop, say researchers at the Uni- versity of Birmingham. In a new paper, published in The International Journal of Advanced Man- ufacturing Technology, teams from the University’s School of Engineering and Centre for Reproductive Science have proposed a design approach for 3D printing, which opens a world of poten- tial for the development of new materi- als and products. Dr. Lauren Thomas-Seale, lectur- er in Engineering Design explains, “Al- though we refer to it as additive manu- facturing, traditionally engineers learn to design parts based on a long history of subtractive manufacturing. This leads to well-acknowledged constraints in design creativity. Additive manufac- turing has to break out of this inertia if it is to reach its full potential.” Dr. Jackson Kirkman-Brown, co- author on the paper says, “While using biological inspiration in engineering design is commonplace, studying the growth of humans and translating this to advanced manufacturing systems of- fers a whole new perspective.” The study outlines how growth processes of a fetus change over the du- ration of a pregnancy. Yet, the “growth” of an AM part during manufacture is limited to where the material is depos- ited or fused. Time can be considered an unutilized variable in design for AM. The authors propose Temporal Design for AM as a new approach that will un- leash the potential of time through the additive build, to create new materials and 3D printed parts. www.bham.ac.uk . COST-EFFECTIVE METAL POWDER PRODUCTION FOR AEROSPACE Researchers from the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Russia, have developed a high- ly efficient and economical method of producing starting materials for ad- ditive printing – composite titanium/ aluminum spherical powders. It will reduce the cost of the material, making it more affordable for the manufactur- er and expanding the ability to create compact products of complex shapes for the aerospace industry. The results of their study, “Production of Rounded Reactive Composite Ti/Al Powders for Selective Laser Melting by High-energy Ball Milling,” has been published in Met- allurgical and Materials Transactions B (2019). ASMmembers can access the ar- ticle via the ASM website when logged in. https://en.misis.ru . Studying nature helped researchers at the University of Birmingham develop their theory of Temporal Design for AM.