PhD Programmes at ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals in Monash University

I recently came across this project description at my university.

Development of an innovative manufacturing technology- Selective Laser Melting(SLM) (Two PhD students)

Selective laser melting is a technology which can be used to build ready-for-use 3D components from their computer designs in one step. A 3D component is formed by using a fibre laser to scan and melt the metallic powder layered on a bed and the molten metal is consolidated into 100% dense material during subsequent cooling. The laser scanning paths are defined by the CAD file of a component and a 3D component is thus built layer by layer. The process can build highly complex or hollow components within days rather than currently years and achieve a dimensional accuracy of 10 microns, see example below. This process offers enormous benefit for component design or for manufacturing a small batch of components and it is hence being actively pursued by aerospace and defence companies. The microstructure and mechanical properties of SLMed components are obviously influenced by processing conditions. Rapid cooling of the material following laser melting will also result in thermal residual stresses in the built, leading to distortion and cracking of the material/component. Those are some of the issues the PhD programmes are aimed to address.

Its interesting to see what is currently capable in the commercial environment if nothing else.

This project is located at Monash University, Clayton campus in Victoria, Australia. If anyone is looking for a potential PhD project in this field send me a PM and I will pass on more details.

Richard.

Hi Richard,

I'm developing a SLM-system too, but actually delayed because of other urgent tasks

My equipment should be enough to meet all the needs - a fiber laser with a spot of 10 microns diameter and 50 Watts of IR-power, linear stages with microns accuracy and all the mechanics, optics and drivers needed.

For a coarse (but faster too) DIY-aproach with a IR-laser spot of 100 microns (0.1mm) you can buy fiber coupled diode lasers with 9 Watts output power for around 200-300 Euros, so this could hit the DIY-scene in the next time too

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Hi Victor

It sounds like you have an interesting project. Any chance you have a blog I could follow?

If you like I will stop by the SLM lab (its just a few doors up from a lab I work in) and get a few photos of their setup as I get the feeling it might give you a few ideas.

Richard

... no blog, but you can see some diode-relevant infos here: [objects.reprap.org]

Some of the development is partially under NDA, so i can't blog specific infos, but most results will go public, when ready.

I have an AOM for modulating the fiber laser, but no XY-scanner, so the XY-displacement will be made with a CNC or i'll make an own scanner based on two hires steppers (51200 steps per rev.) with applied mirrors.

A friend has got two old SLA-machines and will give me one of them, so i can apply the laser to the system replacing the old UV-laser.

Then i can melt different powders in the moving bed, instead of UV-curing epoxies ... maybe i'll get the scanner of the SLA-machine working for the IR-laser too, then this would be a nearly perfect setup

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Thanks for the link, it looks like I have some reading ahead of me.

Cant wait to see some results when they are ready.

Richard.

Dear Sir,

I am interested in doing PhD in the subject mentioned above. Kindly forward more info regarding the project.

Thanking you

yours faithfully

Suresh P S

Hi Suresh

I have forwarded on some info for you, check your email.

Regards,

Richard.