Additive Manufacturing for Affordable Missile Defense

Team will leverage advanced multi-scale material modeling, multi-physics simulation technologies, and additive manufacturing hardware to deliver an improved Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process that manufactures qualifies noncritical parts and ensures mechanical properties meet or exceed wrought properties associated with commonly used powder metals. The toolset will simulate additive manufacture of component parts, while predicting bulk thermal response, solidification, deflection, residual stress, damage initiation, crack propagation, material properties and post-fabrication mechanical performance. Resulting capability will provide a methodology to optimize fabrication process, build as designed, reduce waste, reduce costs, shorten delivery times and lead to part qualification, with pathway to certification by analysis supplemented by test. Real data will be captured at every opportunity to accelerate material qualification and model validation. Relationship between process parameters (laser power, laser beam diameter, scanning speed, hatch space, absorption rate, etc.) and thermal history will be determined in order to reduce occurrence of porosity and residual stress formation during the additive process. Component modeling and simulation optimized fabrication will be undertaken based on multi-objective parameter optimization. Inputs required for fabrication of components with tailored mechanical properties and tight acceptance standards will be formulated, such that assigned process parameters for fabrication meet MDA/Raytheon specifications and qualification. Approved for Public Release | 16-MDA-8917 (15 November 16)