A Novel 3D Printer to Support Additive Manufacturing of Gradient Metal Alloy Structures

Gradient metal alloy structures possess multi-functional properties that conventional monolithic metal counterparts do not have. Such structures can potentially change the paradigm of material selections and mechanical designs to enable more efficient space vehicles to be built. Existing laser-based additive manufacturing techniques for gradient metal alloy fabrication suffer from the following two major drawbacks: high system cost and slow printing speed. In this proposal, AlphaSense details the development of a novel 3D printer for the fabrications of gradient metal alloy structures. Key innovations of this proposal include the following: a) The fabrication of gradient metal alloy parts using low-cost resin as starting materials, b) The development of novel printing suspensions containing micro-/nano- sized metal particles and photo-curable resins to fabricate the green parts, and c) The application of a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector for simultaneous layer exposure. With such innovations, the merits of the proposed 3D printing method for metal part fabrication include the following: a) Low fabrication cost, b) High printing speed, c) Superior printing quality, d) Easy to scale up and e) Easy and well-controlled process.

The proposed printing tool will support NASA Space Launch System to create gradient metal alloy structures with superior mechanical properties, and to build more efficient space vehicles.

In addition to the NASA applications, the proposed 3D printer can also be used in various military and civilian market sectors for quick prototyping and low-volume productions of parts with complex shapes and configurations. The tool is highly flexible, and allows the user to produce polymer, ceramic and metallic parts directly from a digital 3D model file. Consequently, it can significantly reduce the tooling requirements and shorten the turnaround time. The tool can be used by hobbyists, scientists and engineers to quickly fabricate prototypes to validate their designs for a wide variety of applications, spanning from toys, dental products, industrial and aerospace parts (e.g. gears, valves, and blades etc.) to medical phantoms for educational purposes and surgical aids.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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