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 3 2 9 particular emphasizes implementation in society. You are correct in that we consciously designed the center in this way. There is sometimes a criticism of too much “seed research” at universities, which is one of the reasons we believe in increasing the amount of practical research taking place. HK: Considering the current spread of digital science throughout society and its impact on materials science, it’s interesting to note you were among the first to establish a research center for additive manufacturing at Osaka University in 2014. What were your aims? TN: I did not anticipate the current situation when I started my research. As a graduate student, I studied titanium-aluminum inter- metallic compounds and received my degree in this field. However, I gradually became involved in research on bio- materials, especially artificial bones. For example, I was pursuing the relationship between the orientation structure of crystals (crystal aggregate structure) and bone strength, which is necessary to manufacture optimal artificial bones (Fig. 3). As a consequence of this materials science perspective, I arrived at the need for technology to control the anisotropy of material crystals and to design and manufacture the 3D structures very precisely. The research center was established under these circumstances. It is gratifying to see that AM, which initially spread as a method to quickly form prototypes, has developed into a technology for finishing products close to the final state without conventional processing. I am deeply impressed by the increasing importance of this technology. HK: Can you tell me about the different facilities in your center? TN: Within our laboratories, we have equipment that enables various kinds of additive manufacturing. For example, we have an inkjet laminate molding machine, a thermal AM machine, and a machine that can analyze the formed material. We also have two large electron beam systems and two laser AM systems (Fig. 4). We use these to support our two core technologies. The first is what we call a cyber-physical system. This system analyzes a high quality database accumulated in physical space (through the AM process) in cyberspace (via simulation) and feeds it back to the process. By integrating cyberspace and physical space, we aim to optimize the AM process and create materials with enhanced functionality. The second core technology we support involves atomic orientation, structure, and isotropic/anisotropic design (Fig. 5). In the AM process, in addition to controlling complex 3D shapes, the crystal orientation can be controlled at the atomic level to shift from isotropic, in which physical properties and functions are expressed uniformly in all directions, to anisotropic, in which specific functions are realized in a particular direction. This multiscale control of structure and material properties is a core technology of our center. Fig. 4 — Comparison of 3D printers based on laser and electron beammelting. Fig. 3 — Relationship between crystal orientation structure and bone strength.
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