Additive manufacturing is a growing field dominated by printing processes that soften and re-solidify material, depositing this material layer by layer to form the printed shape. Increasingly, researchers are pursuing new materials to enable fabrication of a wider variety of associated capabilities. This includes fabrication with high-viscosity materials of many new classes of material compositions, such as doping for magnetic or electrically conducting polymers. These additives complicate the materials deposition process by requiring complex, non-linear calibration to synchronize these new candidate materials with the additive manufacturing software and hardware. In essence, additive manufacturing is highly dependent on identifying the delicate balance between materials properties, hardware, and software-which is currently realized via a time-consuming and costly iterative calibration process. This thesis is concerned with reducing this cost of calibration, in particular by providing a time-based metric based on material viscosity for material retraction at the conclusion of each extrusion. It presents a novel non-contact method of determining the material retraction rate (during reversal of extrusion), by measuring the variation in laser intensity resulting from the deformation of the material reservoir due to change in material pressure. Commercially available laser measurement systems cost more than $20,000 and are limited to 1 μm at a 300 ms (3 Hz) sampling rate. The experimental setup presented in this thesis costs less than $100 and is capable of taking measurements of 1 - 2 μm at a 0.535 ms (1870 Hz) sampling rate. For comparison, the stepper motor driving the material extruder operates at 0.667 ms (1500 Hz). Using this experimental setup, an inverse correlation is shown to exist between the viscosity of a material and the rate at which the material is retracted. Using this correlation and a simplified material analysis process, one can approximate the retraction time necessary to calibrate new materials, thereby significantly improving initial estimated calibration settings, and thus reducing the number of calibration iterations required to ready a new material for additive manufacturing. In addition, the insight provided into the material response can also be used as the basis for future research into minimizing the calibration process. / Master of Science / Additive manufacturing is a growing field with an ever-expanding base of materials used in the printing process. Two types of material gaining popularity in the commercial and academic communities are pastes and liquids. These materials require a different method of printing, and users need to take into account other considerations, such as viscosity and pressure, for their precise control. Traditionally, a new material would require a time consuming or costly calibration process to properly print. To decrease the investment required for calibration, this thesis presents a new non-contact method of measuring the pressure of the liquids using a laser to detect a dimensional change in the size of the container. This measurement technique enables an initial calibration estimate that is closer to the optimal setting, potentially allowing for better printing results when working with new materials for additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is used to create geometries otherwise impossible to machine. Topology optimization, microstructural texture control, and the use of lattices could be created through AM to increase performance of systems. Currently research focuses on solution aging of printed 17-4 PH, while other heat treatments are not as heavily studied. This study identifies different heat treatments applied to additively manufactured 17-4 precipitation hardened (PH) and the effects on mechanical properties. This study used quasi-static tension, quasi-static compression, and Charpy V-notch testing to analyze the effects of heat treatment as well as the effectiveness of additive manufacturing compared to traditional machining for wrought materials. Data during testing was taken with digital image correlation to identify changes in local strain. The effectiveness of heat treatment was demonstrated in this study and can be used to estimate performance on additively produced 17-4 PH.

Composite structures have demonstrated great potential to improve mechanical performance in various applications, including ballistics protection. This study demonstrates that the integration of geometrically optimized composites into core-face sheet assemblies provide great impact resistance. The research investigated the performance of two composite manufacturing methods under low-velocity impact through residual strength and damage comparisons. Corrugated core composites were produced with traditional manufacturing methods, namely compression molding, using twelve stacking sequences. These stacking sequences were chosen to represent four laminate groups, where a unique fiber orientation scheme was employed across three laminate thicknesses (6, 8, and 12 layers). In contrast, honeycomb and auxetic cell cores were produced using continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printing. To maintain consistency, both the corrugated cores and the advanced cell cores were produced with para-aramid fibers, though the matrix differed between the two manufacturing methods. The cores were subjected to a consistent drop-weight impact event under various impact cases where the makeup of the assembly differed. The findings of this testing showed that external damage decreased as layer count increased for the laminates and that the addition of a silica damping material significantly improved post-impact, out-of-plane compressive response. In addition, testing proved that the cross-ply, longitudinally dominant laminates & the honeycomb printed composite exhibit exceptional out-of-plane compressive strength prior to and after impact. The cross-ply core retained 58.0% of its pre-impact stiffness & 68.3% of its pre-impact strength while the honeycomb core retained 88.0% of its pre-impact stiffness and did not fail under the maximum compressive load. Aside from impact testing, theoretical and numerical analyses were performed. Classic Laminate Plate Theory was employed to predict laminate engineering constants, while finite element models were created to simulate the in-plane response of the cores. The theoretical approach roughly approximated the longitudinal modulus, though the error was significant. In contrast, the finite element models developed closely mirrored experimental tensile behavior, with peak stress predicted within 5% of experimental results. The compressive response was also well captured by the model, though the displacement to buckling onset was underpredicted by 38.0%.

Cyber physical systems (CPS) are an integration of computational and physical processes, where the cyber components monitor and control physical processes. Cyber-attacks largely target the cyber components with the intention of disrupting the functionality of the components in the physical domain. This dissertation explores the role of semantic inference in understanding such attacks and building resilient CPS systems. To that end, we present SIMON, an ontological design and verification framework that captures the intricate relationship(s) between cyber and physical components in CPS by leveraging several standard ontologies and extending the NIST CPS framework for the purpose of eliciting trustworthy requirements, assigning responsibilities and roles to CPS functionalities, and validating that the trustworthy requirements are met by the designed system. We demonstrate the capabilities of SIMON using two case studies – a vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) safety application and an additive manufacturing (AM) printer. In addition, we also present a taxonomy to capture threat feeds specific to the AM domain.

The results from this study, on a few commercial and model metastable beta titanium alloys, indicate that the growth restriction factor (GRF) model fails to interpret the grain growth behavior in the additively manufactured alloys. In lieu of this, an approach based on the classical nucleation theory of solidification incorporating the freezing range has been proposed for the first time to rationalize the experimental observations. Beta titanium alloys with a larger solidification range (liquidus minus solidus temperature) exhibited a more equiaxed grain morphology, while those with smaller solidification ranges exhibited columnar grains. Subsequently, the printability of two candidate beta titanium alloys containing eutectoid elements (Fe) that are prone to beta fleck in conventional casting, i.e., Ti-1Al-8V-5Fe (wt%) or Ti-185, and Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al (wt%) or Ti-10-2-3, is further investigated via two different AM processing routes. These alloys are used for high-strength applications in the aerospace industry,

<p>Polymer nanocomposites are a constantly evolving material category due to the ability to engineer the mechanical, thermal, and optical properties to enhance the efficiency of a variety of systems. While a vast amount of research has focused on the physical phenomena of nanoparticles and their contribution to the improvement of such properties, the ability to implement these materials into existing commercial or newly emerging processing methods has been studied much less extensively. The primary characteristic that determines which processing technique is the most viable is the rheology or viscosity of the material. In this work, we investigate the processing methods and properties of nanocomposites for thermal interface and radiative cooling applications. The first polymer nanocomposite examined here is a two-component PDMS with graphene filler for 3D printing via a direct ink writing approach. The composite acts as a thermal interface material which can enhance cooling between a microprocessor and a heat sink by increasing the thermal conductivity of the gap. Direct ink writing requires a shear thinning ink with specific viscoelastic properties that allow for the material to yield through a nozzle as well as retain its shape without a mold following deposition. No predictive models of viscosity for nanocomposites exist; therefore, several prominent models from literature are fit with experimental data to describe the change in viscosity with the addition of filler for several different PDMS ratios. The result is an understanding of the relationship between the PDMS component ratio and graphene filler concentration with respect to viscosity, with the goal of remaining within the acceptable limits for printing via direct ink writing. The second nanocomposite system whose processability is determined is paint consisting of acrylic filled with reflective nanoparticles for radiative cooling paint applications. The paint is tested with both inkjet and screen-printing procedures with the goal of producing a thermally invisible ink. Radiative cooling paint is successfully printed for the first time with solvent modification. This work evaluates the processability of polymer nanocomposites through rheological tailoring. </p><br>

Electroactive polymers are a class of materials capable of reallocating their shape in response to an electric field while also having the ability to harvest electrical energy when the materials are mechanically deformed. Electroactive polymers can therefore be used as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. The parameters for manufacturing flexible electroactive polymers are complex and rate limiting due to number of steps, their necessity, and time intensity of each step. Successful additive manufacturing processes for electroactive polymers will allow for scalability and flexibility beyond current limitations, advancing the field, opening additional manufacturing possibilities, and increasing output. The goal for this research was to use additive manufacturing techniques to print conductive and dielectric substrates for building flexible circuits and sensors. Printing flexible conductive layers and substrates together allows for added creativity in design and application.

WAAM is a relatively unexplored additive manufacturing method. Although research in this area has been performed for some years and the hardware is relatively cheap, the method is not widely used. As the name suggest, it uses wire and an arc welding equipment to deposit beads on top of each other to create a geometry. As WAAM is a near net-shape method, the parts must be machined to its net-shape after the beads has been deposited. BAE Systems Hägglunds AB are investigating the use of WAAM in an industrial robot cell and this Master’s thesis has been written with the purpose of enabling the use of WAAM for manufacturing parts at the company. This report investigates how a part is prepared for WAAM and near net-shape machining. A formula for approximating the cost of manufacturing a part is investigated. A software for slicing a .STL file for generating a toolpath is developed in Matlab. The software then exports the toolpath to a code that the robot can read. It can also generate a digital model of the work piece for net-shape machining through CATIA macro. A model for calculating the cost of using the WAAM-cell once the toolpath for a part is known is presented. The investigated areas and the developed software are then applied to a part, and the results of the report is discussed.

3DP (three-dimensional printing) technologies have become more than just a tool to help companies with prototyping and designing in the pre-production stage. Some firms have already implemented 3DP technology to produce parts and end-use products. However, there are several challenges and barriers that this technology must overcome to replace traditional manufacturing methods. One of the most significant obstacles associated with 3D printing is its low level of accuracy in variable repeatability when it comes to making separate batches of the same product. There are several arguable reasons behind this variation. Some of the factors that can influence repeatability are the type of material, the design, the type of product produced, and the orientation, or the location of the build inside the building envelope. The goal of this study was to determine whether the location of the build inside the surface area of the working envelope can affect the properties (height, width, depth, and weight) of the product. Western Kentucky University (WKU) provides students with a few 3D printers on campus. One of those printers, a Stratasys (model: BST 768/SST 768), is in the Senator Mitch McConnell Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratory. The researcher used this printer for the study to determine if the location of the printer influenced the final product. The conclusion of the research did reveal that the printing location does affect the quality of the final product.

Subtractive manufacturing are the most common methods in the aerospace industry to manufacture components. In these parts the buy to fly ratio is low and it needs accurate strengths analyses to static and dynamic loads especially were the different parts relate to each other with fasteners in the assembly work. Additive manufacturing has now been developed to be of such quality that the aerospace industry see the potential to use the technology in their production of parts. It has been possible to make them lighter, stronger and reduce the total amount of parts in an assembly. This mean probably some changes to the stakeholders in the process of their product development. Engineers who are working on the products will need to face the design aspects and restrictions with AM to choose the right component/sub-assemblies to convert to AM parts. This thesis will address the possibility to redesign a wing rudder and to get some knowledge about the engineer’s point of view of AM and how it may affect them. Today there are several aerospace industries adopting AM and get airworthy components to less critical parts as brackets but also parts in the engines as the fuel nozzle in an Airbus (Trimble, 2016). For larger parts, there have also been studies to use AM for example internal galley partition but the result is it will take too long time to print by todays machines. There are several different methods for AM and Powder Bed System is popular in the aerospace industry according to its geometrical correctness to the CAD model (Dordlofva, Lindwall, &amp; Törlind, 2016). Commercial aircrafts industry starts to get harder regulations for their emissions to get lighter planes and less air resistance. AM open up the possibilities to meet these requirements by producing parts which was impossible to produce before. The design process for AM design today are not fully known yet, which leave a lot to imagination. There are general design rules on how to design for AM build but it does not necessary mean the part will be correctly built. There are several cost driven aspects with AM, the most expensive part is the print time but there are different aspects to. For example, CNC machining may be needed after the AM build and add cost for subtractive manufacturing. Interviews with engineer’s groups have been made to conduct their thoughts and knowledge of AM and how it may affect their work. Some uncertainties were mentioned and it was most focused on the process and the reliability of the finished part. The engineers think the design process will be almost the same and only change boundary conditions. To get ideas, a workshop was made with some design guidelines for development of different designs on the wing rudder and to bring positive and negative aspects to the design. An overall cost calculation was made for a few parts and the result shows that it is hard to compete with the design of the wing rudder today. The most important aspects for a success of AM is the print speed, qualified manufacturing processes and CAD software support for the engineers. / Flygindustrin använder sig främst av subtraktiv bearbetning i sin framställning av de olika komponenterna till ett flygplan. Det blir då ofta en väldigt låg grad av materialutnyttjande, endast några procent återstår av det inköpta utgångsmaterialet. Till det tillkommer monteringsarbete och noggranna hållfasthetsanalyser, både statisk och utmatningshållfasthet av sammanbyggda skarvar där fästelement är en del. Den additiva tillverkningen har nu utvecklats och visat sig inneha kvalitéer för att klara kraven som ställs i flygindustrin. Det kan göra detaljerna lättare, starkare och minska antalet komponenter i monteringsarbetet. Det kan innebära en hel del förändringar för olika intressenter som får börja tänka annorlunda. Ingenjörer som arbetar med produktframtagning kommer att ställas inför utmaningen att applicera denna teknik på lämpliga delar/delkonstruktioner. Detta examensarbetet undersöker möjligheten att designa ett vingroder till ett flygplan och bilda en uppfattning om ingenjörernas förtroende för additiv tillverkning samt hur det kommer påverka dem. Det finns idag flera flygindustrier som har påbörjat att ta fram flygvärdiga komponenter, framförallt mindre kritiska fästelement men även en del artiklar i motorer så som bränslemunstycke hos Airbus (Trimble, 2016). De har analyserat möjligheten att använda additiv tillverkning på större artiklar såsom inre kabinstruktur men har kommit fram till att det tar för lång tid att tillverka med dagens maskiner. Det finns flertalet olika additiva tillverkningsmetoder men den som står ut är pulverbäddskrivaren då den har en bättre geometrisk korrekthet gentemot CAD modellen (Dordlofva, Lindwall, &amp; Törlind, 2016). Nya reglementen för utsläpp i den komersiella flygindustrin pressar företagen att bygga bättre flygplan som är lättare och därmed får mindre luftmotstånd. Designprocessen för additiv tillverkning är inte given då det inte finns några givna processer som täcker hela processen. Det finns generella design-riktlinjer i vad de olika maskinerna klarar av att bygga, men samtidigt är det ingen garanti att genom att följa dessa riktlinjer skapa en fungerande design. Det finns flera olika kostnadsdrivande aspekter med additiv tillverkning. Det som mest driver kostnaden idag är den låga skrivarhastigheten. Andra kosnadsdrivare är om det tillkommer efterarbete för att uppfylla toleranser eller få en korrekt / plan sammanfogningsyta. Arbetet har utförts med intervjuer av ingenjörsgrupper för att skapa en uppfatting om deras syn på additiv tillverkning och hur det skulle ändra deras arbete. En viss osäkerhet förekom men det berodde framförallt på osäkerheten för säkring av processen, dvs tillverkningsprocessen och att kunna vara säker på att detaljen håller måttet. De ansåg att designprocessen inte skulle förändras så mycket, utan bara att randvillkoren skulle ändras. Utifrån workshops och designriktlinjer har koncept tagits fram och utvärderats med för och nackdelar. En översiktlig kostnadskalkyl har gjorts som visar på att det blir svårt att designa roder som en större enhet för additiv tillvekning som är ekonomiskt jämförbart med dagens tillverkingsmetoder. De viktigaste framgångsfaktorerna för additiv tillverkning är ökad skrivarhastighet, kvalificering av tillverkningsprocesserna och CAD stöd för ingenjörerna.