In-Process Quality Control and Optimization for Ceramic 3D Printing

Wednesday, September 15, 2021: 1:40 PM
230 (America's Center)
Dr. Zhaolong Zhang , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
Prof. Richard D Sisson , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
Prof. Jianyu liang , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
Mr. Zhaotong Yang , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, WORCESTER, MA
Advanced ceramics are widely used in aerospace, automotive, and other industries. To achieve the geometric and material property complexities that are difficult to obtain in conventional manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing of ceramic materials has been studied intensively in recent years. However, the in-process control/feedback is not currently implemented in any commercially available ceramic 3D printer. In this project, in-process control/feedback is studied experimentally to improve control of the amount of material being deposited. Materials, processes, and machine parameters and their influence on the quality parameters are studied first. Robocasting is one of the most widely used additive manufacturing methods for a variety of ceramic-based materials at a low cost. This study uses robocasting as an example to implement an in-process control/feedback loop in a ceramic additive manufacturing process. Key parameters for ceramic robocasting are prescribed and a database of the relationship between these parameters and the quality of the printed part is established. Finally, a closed-loop robocasting process is described.