Laboratory for Innovative Additive Technologies

• We have developed a laboratory device for multimaterial selective laser melting (SLM).
• Various materials have been studied: the VT6 titanium alloy, the 03Х17Н14М3, 06ХН28МДТ, ОЗН18К9М5Т, 12Н18Н10Нб 12Х18Н9, Х20Н80, and 40Х13 steels, the BrAl9 bronze, the Co27Cr6Mo and Co30Cr8WC cobalt alloys, the CuNi10 tribologic copper alloy (nickel bronze), the nickel superalloy Inconel 625, Ni16Cr6AlY, the intermetallic alloy Ni85Al15, Ni75Al23, Ni70Al30, Ti65Al35, composite mixtures and alloys with WC, W and TiN nanometric powders which allowed us to cover all the materials with various mechanical, optical, granulomorphometrical properties produced using SLM.
• We have researched new and prospective compositions (aluminum, copper, titanium with copper, stainless steel and others) in gas dynamic cold spraying.
• We have developed the basics of parametric analysis and correlation between quality of objects and technological parameters of manufacturing.
• The Laboratory has researched technologies and possible errors as well as durability of additive production samples.
• We have conducted analysis of shape errors and microerrors.
• Using optical diagnostics, our researchers have studied nanostructured, intermetallic materials as well as heat and mass transfer.
• We have obtained results of pyrometric research of SLM and 3D scanning using photogrammetric imaging.
• We have developed industrial designs of devices as well as produced samples of typical products.

Implemented results of research:

Conducted research has shown critical necessity of formation of collaborations with leading international centers and enterprises to conduct applied research in additive manufacturing (AM). Advantages of AM methods are obvious, diversity of processes allows to apply them in various domains of manufacturing: for direct and indirect manufacturing of functional units of machines, models and prototypes, fast orchestration, reverse imaging etc. The economic aspect is a significant limiting factor that does not allow to launch AM into production everywhere. Areas of implementation of AM are light equal strength structures, objects with inner channels (cooling, heating, separation, chemical reactors), products with complex geometric shapes allowing to get rid of additional shape processing and assembly operations, maintenance. The technology can be implemented in the aircraft industry, car manufacturing, power generation, including the nuclear industry, general machinery engineering.

Education and career development:

• We have created the «Additive manufacturing» course that consists of 12 lectures, 4 seminars and 4 case studies. The course is included in the study program for bachelor and master degree students.
• The Laboratory conducts case studies to demonstrate and teach students to analyze additive manufacturing technologies.
• Several coursebooks and methodological guidebooks have been published.
• Two students from Switzerland and France have completed internships at the Laboratory
• 6 candidate dissertations and one master degree thesis have been defended.

Collaborations:

• National School of Engineering in Saint-Etienne (France): joint research, student exchange
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (Switzerland): internships of students at the Laboratory
• University of Zielona Góra (Poland): educational events organized by members of the academic staff of the Laboratory