Embedded security markers in metal additive manufacturing parts and detection via high-frequency ultrasound systems

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are now frequently used in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors for fabricating end-use components. The digital nature of the supply chain involved for metal AM production becomes increasingly susceptible to numerous types of cyber- and cyber-physical threats. There is a need for developing security and traceability markers embedded in products, as well as low-cost non-destructive testing (NDT) methods such as ultrasonic testing (UT) for detection of such security markers benchmarked against computed tomography (CT) characterization data. The collaborative project between FUJIFILM VisualSonics and the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory will investigate the design tradeoffs for embedding such security features to ensure manufacturability via metal AM, material performance, as well as meet UT detection limits based on the newest generation of phased array ultrasonic probes. The outcomes of this program have the potential of multidisciplinary academic discovery and opening a new market sector for VisualSoni

Faculty Supervisor:

Mihaela Luminita Vlasea

Student:

Partner:

FUJIFILM VisualSonics

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: