J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University’s Post

🎉 A Science paper on metal 3D printing 3D printing or additive manufacturing enables rapid production of metallic components with applications from aerospace to biomedical fields. However, coarse columnar grains and heterogeneously distributed phases commonly form in the 3D printed components and are commonly regarded as unfavorable microstructures, because they can lead to undesirable variability in mechanical properties.   Published in Science, Jingqi Zhang et al. from Prof. Matthew S Dargusch’s group in UQ AMPAM - Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing - one of the four research centres within the UQ School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering demonstrate an alloy design strategy killing "two birds" with one stone – a single addition of Mo particles to Ti−5Al−5Mo−5V−3Cr titanium alloy not only prevents coarse columnar grains from forming, but also suppresses the formation of unwanted phases. The microstructure changes owing to the bifunctional additive result in uniform and enhanced mechanical properties.   Please find more detailed information in our fresh Science paper at https://lnkd.in/g6Yg-5VZ

🌟 Innovating the Future of 3D-Printed Titanium Alloys 🌟 Exciting breakthroughs in materials science are happening right now, and I'm thrilled to share a recent development that's setting new standards for 3D-printed titanium alloys! 🔬 A groundbreaking study by Jingqi Zhang and team, published in Science (Vol 383, Issue 6683), unveils a novel alloy design that significantly enhances the strength and ductility of 3D-printed titanium. By ingeniously incorporating molybdenum nanoparticles into a Ti−5Al−5Mo−5V−3Cr model alloy, the team has achieved a remarkable transformation in the microstructure of these materials. The key? A strategic move to refine grain structures and eliminate unwanted phase heterogeneities, which traditionally compromised the mechanical properties of 3D-printed metals. This dual-action approach not only smoothens the path for symmetric grain growth but also dodges the bullet of metastable phases and columnar-shaped crystals that have long been a thorn in the side of additive manufacturing. 🏗️ The Impact: The result is ultrauniform, strong, and ductile titanium alloys directly from the printer, promising a future where custom-built metal parts don't just match but exceed the quality and performance of their traditionally manufactured counterparts. 🚀 This isn't just a step forward; it's a giant leap in 3D printing and materials science, paving the way for more reliable, high-performance components in aerospace, automotive, biomedical devices, and beyond. 🔗 Dive into the details of this fascinating study and discover how a single additive can redefine the potential of 3D-printed metals: DOI: 10.1126/science.adj0141 #3DPrinting #MaterialScience #Innovation #TitaniumAlloys #ResearchHighlight

Check out our latest publication in the journal “Composites Part B: Engineering”! In this paper, we delve into the innovative possibilities of producing Continuous Carbon Fiber (CCF) reinforced metal matrix composites through material extrusion 3D printing. Check out our work and discover how we're advancing the field of composite materials. #3DPrinting #CompositeMaterials #EngineeringInnovation #Research

🎉 Excited to Announce!🎉 I’m thrilled to share that I’ve successfully completed the *Introduction to Additive Manufacturing* course through Coursera, in collaboration with Arizona State University. This course provided me with deep insights into the world of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies. Throughout the program, I explored various types of additive manufacturing, including: - Material Extrusion (like FDM) 🛠️: Understanding the process of creating objects layer by layer through extrusion. - Material Jetting 🌐: Learning about precise deposition of materials to create intricate designs. - Vat Photopolymerization & Stereolithography (SLA)🖨️: Delving into the fascinating process of using light to solidify liquid resin into complex forms. - Binder Jetting and more 🚀: Gaining an appreciation for advanced techniques that open doors to creative and industrial solutions. This journey has equipped me with the knowledge to apply these techniques in real-world applications, from prototyping to complex manufacturing projects. 💡 Looking forward to applying these skills and contributing to innovative projects in the field of engineering and manufacturing. #AdditiveManufacturing #3DPrinting #Innovation #Learning #ArizonaStateUniversity #Coursera #Engineering

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has become a powerful tool for scientists and artists, enabling the creation of complex geometries with which traditional methods struggle. While many are familiar with plastic 3D printing, metal 3D printing using infrared lasers is gaining traction for applications like hip implants and electric vehicles. Ottman A. Tertuliano, AMA Family Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), and researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have achieved a significant breakthrough in metal 3D printing. The group introduced nanoscale grooves to metal powders like copper and tungsten, which boosted the materials’ ability to absorb laser energy. This advancement leads to more efficient and precise printing, unlocking new possibilities for manufacturing reflective and high-melting-point metals. https://bit.ly/3ZVHKNS Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania

In my quest for open-access quantum hardware, the thought of 3D printed superconducting microwave cavities crossed my mind. I was delighted to find that this has been developed into a real experiment. The paper below talks about using Selective LASER Melting to print the metal. Now, I am curious on how similar the results would be for a filament-based metal 3D printed cavity since the article says "...unaffected by the surface roughness of the cavity walls due to the 3D printing process. A combination of machining and polishing smooth the cavity interior, followed by annealing at 770 K for 4 h to drive off residual silicon impurities was found to improve the Q-factor by approximately a factor of two". Exciting ideas! Here is a link to the paper published in Applied Physics Letters: https://lnkd.in/gEx-jqxz Here is the arXiv version: https://lnkd.in/giq-WB5x #quantumhardware #microwave #rf #quantumengineering #3dprinting #ideas #quantumeducation #openaccess

💡Article spotlight: Impact of 3D Printing Infill Patterns on the Effective Permittivity of 3D Printed Substrates This paper gives an extremely comprehensive and detailed treatment of 3D printing for use in creating inexpensive and mass-produced circuits in the 1-10 GHz range. The authors go into extreme experimental and analytic detail in characterizing the 3D printed structures with varying fill-factors and pattern generation and the impact on the realized dielectric permittivity. Anyone planning to use this technique for building up microwave transmission lines will benefit from reading this thorough analytic paper. This paper is part of our April 2024 issue. 📎 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnav2zea  🌐 Topics covered in this article: Mixture models, 3D-printing, additive manufacturing, dielectrics, material characterization 📝 Authors: Jeevan Persad, Sean Rocke

<Spiking news> There is an interesting webinar about feasibility of 3D printing electronics for space applications, organized by Nano Dimension. Space is considered as one of the most extreme environment, in term of radiaiton, temperature, debris, etc. Can the 3D printed PCB withstand such harsh conditions? Time to watch the research breakthrough from experts in town and ask them challenging questions, if you have. Many to Stephan Krause for your invitation email. This webinar is very relevant to SC3DP. Many of SC3DP collaborators will be attending this webinar.

We have a new PhD! On Tuesday, a physicist who is developing 3D printing technology, have become one 🧊 Romuald Petkevic, a physicist at the FTMC Department of Laser Technologies, is the new Doctor of Technology! He successfully defended his thesis on "Development and Application of Laser Sintering Technology for Metallic Particles" (academic supervisor: Dr. Genrik Mordas).   Congratulations to our colleague and best wishes for every success! 🎉 The new PhD was aimed at improving the laser metal deposition (LMD) method of such printing, which is available on the market, by providing more precision. In the LMD process, the starting material (usually a metal powder) is typically laser melted and deposited on a substrate. This produces a new metal object.   "3D printing produces very rough and coarse parts (which is good for large objects), and in order to make them more precise, it requires removing quite a large layer of metal from the surface through machining. So my work was designed to remove less of that layer," says the physicist. For this purpose, he and his team were the first in the world to combine two technologies used by LMD! 🆕 Interested? Read more by clicking on this link: https://lnkd.in/dtGUZDNq

🎉 Thrilled to share that our research paper, *"Complex Part Machining on Hastelloy with 3D Printing and Electroplated PLA Electrodes"* has been published in the **AIP Conference Proceedings** following its presentation at the *International Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2023.* 🛠️📚 This study explores the innovative use of **3D printed PLA electrodes for Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM)**, highlighting the potential benefits of cost-effectiveness, design flexibility, and reduced machining time. While PLA presents unique challenges, the findings pave the way for further research in advancing sustainable and efficient EDM processes. I am immensely grateful to **Dr. Ganesh Dongre** and **Prof. Pramod Kale** for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this work. Your mentorship made this achievement possible. 🙏 Excited to contribute to advancements in additive manufacturing! 🚀 #Research #3DPrinting #EDM #AdditiveManufacturing #Sustainability https://lnkd.in/g4qq7XTp