April_AMP_Digital

iTSSe TSS 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 | A P R I L 2 0 2 0 4 1 iTSSe TSS detrimentally altering its properties. Further, the CSAMprocess combined with in-situ machining allows completely new de- sign freedom for ductile and high-strengthmaterials, and even combinations of those, such as creating conformal cooling in mold and dies, repair or adaptation of vintage serial machine parts, and creating stiffener ribs (Fig. 3) to improve buckling strength on preformed panels for trains and buses, as well as aircraft fuselages and wings for example. This design flexibility of cold spray hybrid additive man- ufacturing can also be exploited in completely new domains, such as, for example, in the direct fabrication of permanent magnets for electric motor parts without the need for cum- bersome assembly steps as a means to boost electrically pow- ered vehicle performance and drive down their cost [13] . The technology of cold spraying the heat sensitive NdFeB-Al com- posites into the complex shapes of rotor components at high deposition rates (up to several kilograms per hour) vastly out- performs the labor intensive and geometrically limited assem- bly approach using the standard sintered magnets. The highly adhering deposits retain both the coercivity and remanence of the original material. Demonstrating such innovative technol- ogies for mass production is a key mandate of the PolyCSAM facility. A VERY RESOURCEFUL PARTNERSHIP Both Polycontrols and the NRC bring significant and di- versified contributions to the PolyCSAM project. Polycontrols has over a 20-year track record in thermal/cold spray process integration, industrial automation, robotics, and gas pressur- izing/recycling/distribution systems. Polycontrols also con- tributes game-changing technology related to ultra-fine pow- der feeding (Fig.4), mobile dust collection system (Fig.5), and multi-process controller platforms. The NRC is a global lead- er in cold-spray R&D, driving activities for 15 years through fundamental and applied research, creation of industrial groups, and technology transfer. Throughout the years, sever- al breakthrough innovations in the field of CSAM, laser-assist- ed cold spray, robotics, and advanced machining have been accomplished. The NRC-McGill cold spray facility has had col- laborative projects with more than 30 companies. In addition, over 40 post-doctoral fellows, undergraduate, and graduate students have been trained in the technology. In total, a pool of FEATURE 7 Fig. 3 — Cold sprayed additively manufactured stiffener ribs for structural reinforcement of panels and wings. Fig. 4 — Polycontrols M4 series powder feeder for cold spray additive manufacturing. Fig. 5 — A mobile dust collection unit travels parallel to the two 6-axis robots during cold spraying of a large part (up to 8m); a Polycontrols innovation, in partnership with Machinerie Bergeron.