Michaud N.B.
REM Surface Engineering, US
Keywords: additive manufacturing, post-process superfinishing, space applications
Growing adoption of Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies promises revolutionary beneficial changes in manufacturing, however, in many industries, particularly industries such as Aerospace (with complex qualifying standards), challenges in the form of various defects/flaws (both surface and sub-surface) inherent to the printing process serve as barriers to full adoption of Metal AM. These flaws can reduce performance and potentially lead to critical component failure, and no single existing post-process surface finishing technique exists which can holistically remediate the flaws without additional barriers to production/cycle-times and/or cost. This paper will serve as a primer to both the promises and the challenges inherent to Metal AM as well as research conducted by REM Surface Engineering to develop a novel optimal finishing technique (OFT) capable of remediating all surface/subsurface defects with minimal impacts to production and cost. Furthermore, the paper will explore data on performance enhancements imparted by the OFT, current applications of the OFT, as well as potential future industry and compenent applications.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2021
Published: October 18, 2021
Pages: 27 - 30
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topics: 3D Printing, Advanced Manufacturing
ISBN: 978-0-578-99550-2