Multi-scale Metamorphic Manufacturing (MMM): Double-Sided Incremental Forming for Functional Metal Plates with Multi-scale Riblet Textures
Abstract
Objective: The overarching vision is the development of a groundbreaking technology – Multiscale Metamorphic Manufacturing (MMM) - that will facilitate the rapid manufacture of sheet/plate type components for naval vessels at the point-of-need. The salient features of the process are that it does not necessitate geometry-specific tooling as required in conventional processing, allows the simultaneous generation of arbitrary riblet denticles for drag reduction and the imprinting of micro-scale textures to facilitate enhanced anti-biofouling paint adhesion. Navel Relevance: Naval manufacturing has unique characteristics: low-volume production and the demand for point-of-need manufacturing, i.e., when a part is needed at a location far from a base or a production site. In both cases, rapid digital manufacturing technologies are needed for exploring/validating various designs at low cost and for fulfilling mission needs in a timely fashion. Furthermore, what we propose here is to enable multi-functional performance of formed plates, i.e., aid drag reduction and anti-biofouling. Technical Approaches: The realization of the envisioned technology is rooted in innovative extensions of the Double Sided Incremental Forming (DSIF) process, pioneered in the PIs’ group through three interrelated tasks: (1) Robot-driven meter-scale structure forming with process control and compensation of machine compliance errors and springback through a combination of physics-based process models and neural networks to ensure global geometric accuracy when forming meter-scale hull structures; (2) Toolmarks-driven mm-scale riblet denticle generation for drag reduction for the generation of precisely controlled riblet/scallop geometries and textures for drag reduction using geometry-guided force control that capitalizes on the extensions of our DSIF toolpath generation software; and (3) Imprinting-driven micro-scale texturing for adhesion enhancement in which rotating tools with embedded micro-features are used to imprint microtextures aimed at enhancing anti biofouling paint adherence to hull surfaces. Anticipated Outcomes and Impacts on DoD Capabilities: The MMM process capable of creating multi-scale features (from meter-scale to micro-scale) on a plate/sheet in a single process will be developed. Stiffness and springback compensation algorithms and process planning methods transferrable to general robotics setups will be formulated. The innovations brought by MMM will: 1) reduce costs, design-to-product times and eliminate the need for geometry-specific tooling; 2) increase the functionality of metal sheets/plates by having multi-scale features; 3) enable rapid assessment of designs by rapid prototyping; 4) empower on-site repair in a combat environment and reduce inventory by digital manufacturing and the ability to use scrap sheets; 5) compliment additive manufacturing by its ability to make sheet/plate parts; and 6) advance lightweighting by forming plates with variable thickness. The largest potential impacts of MMM in manufacturing industries will be: 1) the establishment of flexible deformation-based digital manufacturing processes enabling distributed and point-of-need manufacturing, in conjunction with machining centers and additive manufacturing processes; and 2) alleviating the reliance on sophisticated supply chains and, therefore, increasing the resilience of manufacturing operations
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 09, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112484
Entities
People
- Jian Cao
Organizations
- Northwestern University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy