Alloy development and process optimization for extrusion-based metal additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM, also referred to as metal 3D printing) promises to revolutionize the manufacturing sector by allowing custom parts to be printed on demand. Despite manufacturing accounting for 10% of Canada’s GDP, less than 5% of Canadian companies use AM. Among the limiting factors to the adoption of this technology are a lack of printable materials, poor part quality, and lack of skilled workers with the knowledge to take advantage of AM. In this project, we will work with one of Canada’s only AM system providers (Rapidia Tech Inc) to alleviate these barriers and accelerate the adoption of AM technology by Canadian businesses. Our research will develop new copper and titanium materials that can be used with Rapidia’s printer. We will design the composition of a metal powder paste, optimize 3D printing settings, and design a heat treatment to bond the metal powders in the paste. The development of printable copper and titanium materials will increase the potential applications that AM can be applied to, broadening Rapidia’s customer base.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Benoit;Adam Clare;Adam Clare

Student:

Partner:

Rapidia Tech Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

The University of British Columbia; The University of British Columbia - Okanagan; University of Waterloo

Program: