SBIR Phase II: Simulation for structural integrity of as manufactured 3D printed parts

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project relates to the notion of distributed manufacturing using 3D printing, where structural parts may be manufactured onsite, meeting on-demand needs while eliminating transportation costs and inventory storage. Unique, one-off prints, such as may often occur in the medical industry are another virtue of 3D print technology. For these reasons, virtually every major US manufacturing industry is exploring avenues to utilize 3D printing. While 3D printing is unquestionably entering the mainstream of manufacturing technology, a glaring gap in advancing the industry is the simulation of the performance of an "as manufactured" part. A common question surrounding 3D print manufacturing today is: "How do I know if my part will perform as envisioned?" The proposed technology brings an industry leading software simulation to the product engineer and designer to answer this very question, enabling engineers to predict part performance, prior to attempting a build. The speed and simplicity of the software solution is transformative, accelerating the adoption of this disruptive manufacturing technology. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the technical challenge of predicting structural performance of an "as manufactured" fiber-reinforced 3D printed part. Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers the product engineer or designer tremendous freedom to create parts not achievable by more traditional processes. However, parts produced by AM are fundamentally different than those produced by conventional methods. For example, a machined aluminum part is largely homogenous, while a 3D printed part allows for internal lattice (infill) structures. A 3D printed part can also exhibit a multitude of process anomalies such as voids, delamination between layers, warping produced by residual stresses as the part cools, and, in the case of fiber filled plastics, fiber orientation that varies throughout the part. Collectively, these features can have a dramatic impact on the ultimate performance of the part and must be understood by the engineer early in the design stage. This project seeks to develop a commercial software simulation product that predicts the structural performance of a part produced by 3D printing, while optimizing the infill (lattice) structure for strength and weight. Speed, simplicity, and high-fidelity results are hallmarks of the proposed solution and are at the core of the value proposition. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.