STTR Phase I: A Multi-Axis Planning System (MAPS) for Direct Fabrication Processes

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will research and develop an innovative Multi- Axis Planning System, or MAPS, for layered manufacturing processes. The objectives of this Phase I research project is to explore the feasibility of developing an efficient MAPS algorithm to drive the manufacturing system and to actually test the algorithm in a production machine with the participating industrial partners. This proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility to develop an efficient and robust planning and control system for a multi-axis machine to build general 3-D mechanical parts. If successful, the proposed project will bring fully automated multi-axis control capability into layered manufacturing industry to produce functional metal parts with complicated shapes. Such a capability will lead to dramatic reductions in lead time and manufacturing costs for high-value, low-volume components, such as gas turbine engine cases, complex unitized airframes, and other products built from expensive raw materials or requiring high-cost finishing operations. This innovative manufacturing technology will also enable establishment of forward-deployed component repair and system sustainability.