Eric MacDonald – författare

Laser powder bed fusion of metals is a technology that makes use of a laser beam to selectively melt metal powder layer-by-layer in order to fabricate complex geometries in high performance materials. The technology is currently transforming aerospace and biomedical manufacturing and its adoption is widening into other industries as well, including automotive, energy, and traditional manufacturing. With an increase in design freedom brought to bear by additive manufacturing, new opportunities are emerging for designs not possible previously and in material systems that now provide sufficient performance to be qualified in end-use mission-critical applications. After decades of research and development, laser powder bed fusion is now enabling a new era of digitally driven manufacturing.

Fundamentals of Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals will provide the fundamental principles in a broad range of topics relating to metal laser powder bed fusion. The target audience includes new users, focusing on graduate and undergraduate students; however, this book can also serve as a reference for experienced users as well, including senior researchers and engineers in industry. The current best practices are discussed in detail, as well as the limitations, challenges, and potential research and commercial opportunities moving forward.

Motion and Path Planning for Additive Manufacturing takes a deep dive into the concepts and computations behind slicing software - the software that uses 3D models to generate the commands required to control the motion of a 3D printer and ultimately construct objects.

Starting with a brief review of the different types of motion in additive systems, this book walks through the steps of the path planning process and discusses the different types of toolpaths and their corresponding function in additive manufacturing. Planar, non-planar, and off-axis path planning are examined and explained. This book also presents pathing considerations for different types of 3D-printers, including extrusion, non-extrusion, and hybrid systems as well as 3- and 5-axis systems.

Engineers, researchers, and designers in the additive manufacturing field can use this book as a reference for every step of the path planning process, as well as a guide that explains the computations underlying the creation and use of toolpaths.

The success of future innovative technology relies upon a community with a shared vision. Here, we present an overview of the latest technological progress in the field of printed electronics for use in harsh or extreme environments. Each chapter unlocksscientific and engineering discoveries that will undoubtedly lead to progression from proof of concept to device creation.

The main topics covered in this book include some of the most promising materials, methods, and the ability to integrate printed materials with commercial components to provide the basis for the next generation of electronics that are dubbed “survivable” in environments with high g‑forces, corrosion, vibration, and large temperature fluctuations. A wide variety of materials are discussed that contribute to robust hybrid electronics, including printable conductive composite inks, ceramics and ceramic matrix composites, polymer‑erived ceramics, thin metal films, elastomers, solders and epoxies, to name a few. Collectively, these materials and associated components are used to construct conductive traces, interconnects, antennas, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, power inducting devices, strain sensors and gauges, soft actuators, supercapacitors, piezo ionic elements, resistors, waveguides, filters, electrodes, batteries, various detectors, monitoring devices, transducers, and RF systems and graded dielectric, or graded index (GRIN) structures. New designs that incorporate the electronics as embedded materials into channels, slots and other methods to protect the electronics from the extreme elements of the operational environment are also envisioned to increase their survivability while remaining cognizant of the required frequency of replacement, reapplication and integration of power sources. Lastly, the ability of printer manufacturers, software providers and users to work together to build multi‑axis, multi‑material and commercial‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) integration into user‑friendly systems will be a great advancement for the field of printed electronics.

Therefore, the blueprint for manufacturing resilient hybrid electronics consists of novel designs that exploit the benefits of advances in additive manufacturing that are then efficiently paired with commercially available components to produce devices that exceed known constraints. As a primary example, metals can be deposited onto polymers in a variety of ways, including aerosol jetting, microdispensing, electroplating, sintering, vacuum deposition, supersonic beam cluster deposition, and plasma‑based techniques, to name a few. Taking these scientific discoveries and creatively combining them into robotic, multi‑material factories of the future could be one shared aim of the printed electronics community toward survivable device creation.

The success of future innovative technology relies upon a community with a shared vision. Here, we present an overview of the latest technological progress in the field of printed electronics for use in harsh or extreme environments. Each chapter unlocksscientific and engineering discoveries that will undoubtedly lead to progression from proof of concept to device creation.

The main topics covered in this book include some of the most promising materials, methods, and the ability to integrate printed materials with commercial components to provide the basis for the next generation of electronics that are dubbed “survivable” in environments with high g‑forces, corrosion, vibration, and large temperature fluctuations. A wide variety of materials are discussed that contribute to robust hybrid electronics, including printable conductive composite inks, ceramics and ceramic matrix composites, polymer‑erived ceramics, thin metal films, elastomers, solders and epoxies, to name a few. Collectively, these materials and associated components are used to construct conductive traces, interconnects, antennas, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, power inducting devices, strain sensors and gauges, soft actuators, supercapacitors, piezo ionic elements, resistors, waveguides, filters, electrodes, batteries, various detectors, monitoring devices, transducers, and RF systems and graded dielectric, or graded index (GRIN) structures. New designs that incorporate the electronics as embedded materials into channels, slots and other methods to protect the electronics from the extreme elements of the operational environment are also envisioned to increase their survivability while remaining cognizant of the required frequency of replacement, reapplication and integration of power sources. Lastly, the ability of printer manufacturers, software providers and users to work together to build multi‑axis, multi‑material and commercial‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) integration into user‑friendly systems will be a great advancement for the field of printed electronics.

Therefore, the blueprint for manufacturing resilient hybrid electronics consists of novel designs that exploit the benefits of advances in additive manufacturing that are then efficiently paired with commercially available components to produce devices that exceed known constraints. As a primary example, metals can be deposited onto polymers in a variety of ways, including aerosol jetting, microdispensing, electroplating, sintering, vacuum deposition, supersonic beam cluster deposition, and plasma‑based techniques, to name a few. Taking these scientific discoveries and creatively combining them into robotic, multi‑material factories of the future could be one shared aim of the printed electronics community toward survivable device creation.