Design for Additive Manufacturing
(GT4-SA-DESIGN)
Exploitable Results (ER)ER1 / New Knowledge / Expertise for Industry Partners - Improved Design Capabilities that can lead to locally designed optimised products. Local direct manufacturing and indirect manufacturing opportunities of both bespoke (limited) and complex parts- limited and batch production opportunities.
ER2 / Design and FEA Toolkit or guidelines for various AM platforms, AM materials and growing styles or parameters as inputs for specific increased product design and product functionality or increased designer capabilities, e.g. Conformal Tooling Design; Part Consolidation; Weight Reduction and Material Minimisation with simultaneous increase in strength and parallel cost reduction.
Current focus is on Design for AM using various Polymer processes (FDM, LS, Inkjet printing of polymers and ceramics, Poly-Jet printing, etc.), in addition to Metals processes (DMLS), with medical; aerospace; tooling, jigs, guides, surgical or experimental models, casting patterns, consumer products, prostheses and assistive devices, etc., as earmarked applications.
Characterization of Exploitable Results
ER1: New Knowledge / Expertise for Industry Partners.
Describe the type of result and the innovation content of it. / Creation of a design optimization process, which results in predominantly skills development, so as to create an innovative service and/or innovation / innovation product development capability.Who are the potential customers? / Individuals wanting to enhance their personal skills;
Academia that wants to enrich their curriculum and short course portfolio;
Industry that wants to train / retrain existing staff, but simultaneously want to apply this ability/expertise to increase innovation output and produce innovative new products, optimize production as a result, lower costs, increase market share and as such, higher turnovers
What benefit will it bring to the customers? / Innovative capacity and output; New business or enterprise development; Localized production increased market share; Increased competitive capability, Reduction in costs; Reduction in errors; Increased turnover.
What is the Technological Readiness Level of the result? / Currently between 6- 8 in various projects (varying between participating institutions), but can easily progress to 9 for all participants.
What are your milestones in the TRL progression up to TRL9? / Progression from:
· 6-7: Benchmarking: Proving the capabilities through applicable/repeatable case studies;
· 7-8: Prototype production and testing (one-offs or batch production, dependent on the nature of the product) of new, innovative products.
· 8-9: Producing innovative, final, repeatable production batches that contributes to local production of new and innovative products that makes technological, financial, environmental and social contributions.
What are the main technical challenges in this result? / · Software acquisition and training costs
· Case study and resultant technology transfer costs
· Benchmarking problems (often as a result of competitive products and possible IP/in-house know-how)
What is the time to market (Mth/yr)? / Full implementation:12/2016
IPRs - Have you protected or will you protect this result before disclosing it? How? When? / Virtually no IPR involved in this ER – more based on skills and know-how, in parallel with licensing of enabling software
ER2: Design and FEA Toolkit or guidelines for various AM platforms, AM materials and growing styles or parameters as inputs for specific increased product design and product functionality or increased designer capabilities.
Describe the type of result and the innovation content of it. / Creation of design rules for different AM Platforms, Processes or Materials and parameters that can impact on part quality and strength, which in turn can impact on its application / application area, e.g. Medical applications, Aerospace applications, Tooling applications, general direct part manufacturing, etc. The foci of the envisaged results are process development and enhancement of the traditional results to lead to an innovative service and/or innovation / innovative product development capabilities.Who are the potential customers? / Individuals wanting to enhance their personal skills;
Academia that wants to enrich their curriculum and short course portfolio;
Industry that wants to train / retrain existing staff, but simultaneously want to apply this ability/expertise to increase innovation output and produce innovative new products, optimize production as a result, lower costs, increase market share and as such, higher turnovers.
In addition, there is a significant medical, social and quality of life impact, together with a social entrepreneurship component.
What benefit will it bring to the customers? / Innovative capacity and output leading to new products; New business or enterprise development; Localized production and increased market share; Increased competitive capability, Reduction in costs; Reduction in errors; Increased turnover, and on the opposite of the value chain, issues such as increased quality of life, health-related aspects, etc.
What is the Technological Readiness Level of the result? / Currently between 2- 6 in various projects (varying between participating institutions and application areas), e.g.:
· Design rules for Polymer-based processes in high-end / high value addition applications: 2-3;
· Development of FEA parameters for polymer processes: 2-3;
· Design rules for:
o Polymer-based medical applications such as surgical guides, medial jigs/holding guides, etc.: 3-4;
o Metals-based medical applications : 3-4;
o Metals-based tooling applications: 4-5;
o Ceramics (sand) for casting processes: 5-6;
o Polymers for investment-casting processes: 5-6
What are your milestones in the TRL progression up to TRL9? / Progression (indicated in brackets) will be achieved through:
· Laboratory validation (3-4)
· Technology Validation in Industry applications (4-5);
· Technology Demonstration through repeatable case studies (5-6);
· Technology validation through real-life industrial applications, including design, simulation, optimization, inspection, testing measuring and NDA (6-7);
· Qualification processes where applicable (7-8);
· Final operational applications (8-9)
What are the main technical challenges in this result? / · Development of suitable industrial / real-life case studies
· Case study and resultant technology transfer costs
· Benchmarking problems (often as a result of competitive products and possible IP/in-house know-how)
What is the time to market (Mth/yr)? / Possible progression dates:
· TRL 3 - TRL4: 12/2016
· TRL 4 - TRL 5: 06/2017
· TRL 5 - TRL 6: 12/2017
· TRL 6 - TRL 7: 06/2018
· TRL 7 - TRL 8: 12/2018
· Full implementation with process qualification where applicable:07/2019
IPRs - Have you protected or will you protect this result before disclosing it? How? When? / IPR may be vested in:
· Licensing of software packages or proven process methodologies;
· Design Registration;
· In-house know-how / “trade secrets”
· Transfer (selling/licensing) of production knowledge