Rapid Innovation Call – October 2022

AM processes frequently include a variety of mechanical, optical, and electrical systems which can influence material and product quality.  Various operational features, material characteristics, and processing conditions present a wealth of opportunity for verifying an AM process is performing within a range of acceptance.  Verification of modeling and monitoring methods for AM processes can be significantly influenced by outlying factors, such as process drift, and remains a persistent challenge.  The objective of this topic is to develop a method to characterize and calibrate an AM process for a single material along with the associated data retention protocols which will significantly benefit those in the AM modeling and monitoring community. 

Probabilistic analysis methods represent an opportunity to address the needs of the AM community for product qualification and certification.  These analysis methods lend to quantifying defect occurrence, detection, and mitigation.  In order to understand the benefits and limitations of these analysis methods, further evaluation is necessary.  This topic looks to offer the membership an opportunity to assess and mature probabilistic analysis methods for the purpose of predicting probability of occurrence and detection, as well as effect on final part performance.  Approaches in response to this topic may offer a means of quantifying risk analysis and process failure modes and effects analysis (PFMEA). 

The unique combination of feedstock forms and energy sources used in DED offer a range of material and product benefits.  America Makes continues to invest in the development and maturation of these important AM processes.  There exists a need to understand how fabrication of sub-scale elements or coupons for DED processes relate to product performance and quality in a reliable and repeatable manner.  Approaches in response to this topic shall include a quantitative analysis of factors which are known to influence product quality.  Responses to this topic shall analyze specimen-property and part performance relationships while exploring factors which promote variation in thermal history, microstructure, and critical to quality properties (mechanical, physical, etc.) for different component geometries using a DED AM process.  Material and part performance are influenced by microstructure and defect distributions arising from various phenomena occurring during fabrication. 

Certification of safety-of-flight or critical applications represents a high value opportunity and substantial challenge for AM technologies.  These applications may often require damage tolerancing and durability analysis which includes quantitative understanding of effects of defects.  While many studies in recent years have shown various AM material flaws, not all of these flaws or discontinuities are defects.   In the case of this discussion, defects are flaws or discontinuities which exhibit a validated and unacceptable effect on material or product quality when present in some form, location, morphology, or number density.   Responses to this topic should demonstrate discontinuity or flaws effects on critical to quality metrics (such as mechanical or physical material properties) which verify these discontinuities are a known (validated) defect.  Approaches should quantify the effects of the defect(s) in additively manufactured components or material with the goal of setting quantitative inspection (procedure and acceptance) criteria.  It is desired that offerors deliver a specification which defines and quantifies limits on defect(s) to establish inspection, material, and process acceptance criteria.  Outcomes of efforts proposed in response to this topic shall aim to accelerate the maturation of available and qualified inspection methods for AM materials and products.  Discontinuities, flaws, and defects should be relevant to relatively higher criticality (unacceptable consequence of failure) components.

There remains a need for known and trusted methods to analyze and characterize AM machines for the purpose of AM machine qualification.  The 2022 AMMO AM Workshop identified AM machine qualification as a high priority opportunity for research which will foster the development of datasets necessary for the eventual publication of normative standards.  At present, there is a lack of understanding of measurement methods, tools, and techniques which afford AM operators and engineers necessary data and information to facilitate actionable data which can be paramount for AM machine qualification.