Compared to conventional methods, additive manufacturing processes often exhibit lower surface quality, which is why subsequent machining is often necessary to achieve the desired dimensional and geometrical tolerances, and surface qualities. The combination of the two manufacturing processes requires elaborate process planning and coordination between the processes to produce economical and high-quality products.
In their preliminary experiments, the project team examined a thin-walled, long cantilever beam using finite element method (FEM) simulations. A harmonic excitation similar to the one occurring during milling was assumed, and the vibration mode of the beam was compared with and without reinforcements.
Huuk: "Our results have shown that the reinforcements lead to a significant reduction in vibrations and deformations during machining." Thus, the first natural frequency of the beam increases from approximately 350 Hz to 1050 Hz with the introduction of reinforcements, with additional damping effects achieved through the ribs. This means that targeted reinforcement structures enable machining of components prone to vibrations. In the next step, the project team will compare different reinforcements and apply them to more complex components to investigate their effects on component quality.
The goal of the research project "OptiWas" is to develop a methodology based on these findings that analyzes the interaction between additive and machining manufacturing and integrates information gained from production into the product development process of subsequent generations. The approach of "Technical Inheritance" is used, which was previously developed in the Collaborative Research Center 653 " Gentelligent components in their lifecycle" . The scientists will strategically implement reinforcement structures in additive manufacturing to reduce vibrations during machining and enhance the quality and efficiency of producing functional surfaces. The final component geometry remains unchanged as the reinforcement structures are removed after machining. This allows for optimal utilization of the design freedom of additive manufacturing. By capturing and processing data and information from manufacturing, universal design guidelines for the combination of additive manufacturing and machining will be developed. Scientist Huuk: "The knowledge gained can be used to optimize new component generations and test the transferability to other primary forming processes."
Contact:
For further information, please contact Julia Huuk, Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools at Leibniz University Hannover, by phone at +49 511 762 5209 or by email at huuk@ifw.uni-hannover.de.
