Design method for 3D printed compliant mechanisms

There are strict tolerances on the placement of optical components in high performance optical systems. Compliant alignment mechanisms can be used to meet these tolerances. Conventional manufacturing techniques, such as milling and spark erosion, have been used to produce an extensive library of alignment solutions but are limited in the...

Damage Tolerant Design for Additive Manufacturing: An experimental study on the fatigue behaviour of stretch dominated AlSi10Mg multiple load path specimens

To expand the use of additive manufacturing in aerospace towards more critical applications, it is required to design parts in a damage tolerant context. Therefore, the damage tolerance of additive manufactured multiple load path structures is assessed by analysing the fatigue life and damage propagation of components with increasing redundancy....

A semi-analytical thermal modelling approach for selective laser melting

Selective laser melting (SLM) wherein a metal part is built in a layer-by-layer manner in a powder bed is a promising and versatile way for manufacturing components with complex geometry. However, components built by SLM suffer from substantial deformation of the part and residual stresses. Residual stresses arise due to temperature gradients...

Fatigue crack growth in Selective Laser Melted Ti-6Al-4V

This research investigates the effect of a varying build orientation and different heat treatment on the crack propagation properties of SLM Ti-6Al-4V. Both crack propagation rate and direction are investigated. Fatigue tests are performed with a constant cyclic load and single edge notch specimens. Ten unique types of specimens were tested by...