Invited Paper AM+EM+MS+TF-WeM12
Printing Multi-Functionality using Additive Manufacturing
Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 11:40 am, Room 211B
Since the commercial introduction of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies more than two decades ago, considerable advancements in processing speed, accuracy, resolution and capacity have been achieved and the available AM materials have expanded considerably, enabling customized end-use products to be directly manufactured for a wide range of applications. Many AM technologies have been released that use different processes for fabricating the individual layers from a variety of liquid, solid, and powder-based materials ranging from photoreactive polymers to metals. In 2000, the University of Texas at El Paso identified AM as an emerging technology and invested strategically in establishing the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation (Keck Center). The Keck Center has grown to occupy over 13,000 sq. feet with more than 50 commercial and experimental AM machines, representing 10 system manufacturers, nine distinct layer processing methods, and several custom AM-based patented and patent-pending systems. One particular focus of Keck Center research is on developing the methods and systems required to have automated control over material placement and structure creation, leading to, for example, the realization of complex 3D devices that integrate electronics and thus intelligence within mechanical structures as well as 3D spatially complex bioactive, implantable, tissue engineered constructs. There are myriad issues associated with combining multiple materials to create functional products – from the deposition and processing of different materials to the combined performance of the materials in the resulting product. Despite these issues, the opportunities for AM in aerospace, defense, biomedical, energy and enumerable other applications continue to expand as the achievable length scales in AM decrease, the number of materials available for use in AM increases, the performance of these materials are characterized and controlled in the final product, and new strategies for integrating AM with other manufacturing technologies are successfully demonstrated.