Driving Innovation for a Sustainable Future
SonicGEN™ is the heart of Ultrasonic Assisted Advanced Manufacturing (UAAM). UAAM is a hybrid manufacturing process that combines Conventional advanced manufacturing with ultrasonic vibration to improve the quality and strength of the final product. In this process, the ultrasonic energy is applied to the material during the build process to increase its bonding between layers and to create a more uniform microstructure. This results in parts with improved mechanical properties, such as increased toughness and tensile strength, compared to those produced by traditional advanced manufacturing methods.
UAAM has potential applications in a variety of industries, including aerospace, medical devices, and consumer goods. It is also a promising solution for the production of complex geometries and for the creation of lightweight and strong components, making it an exciting development for the future of manufacturing.
Core Principle
The irradiation of a material in a liquid phase with ultrasonic (>20 kHz) waves results in agitation. Sound waves propagate into the liquid media, resulting in alternating high-pressure (compression) and low-pressure (rarefaction) cycles. During rarefaction, high-intensity sonic waves create small vacuum bubbles or voids in the liquid, which then collapse violently (cavitation) during compression, creating very high local temperatures. This results in;
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Micro-structure refinement
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Higher surface quality
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Higher adhesion
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Reduction/elimination of defects
Use Case: Laser AM
Background: AM technologies have been widely applied for metal material manufacturing in numerous industries such as aerospace, marine, automotive, etc. However, these AM processes suffer from numerous inherent challenges, i.e., porosity, cavity and cracking, residual stress, large heat-affected zone, and uncertain microstructures, which will greatly affect the quality and mechanical properties of the fabricated parts.
Solution: Use of SonicGEN™ to improve the AM process by applying a high-pressure ultrasonic field during the manufacturing process to agitate the melt pool. This has improved the samples manufactured to achieve,
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~10 µm grain size compared to 40 µm without SonicGEN™
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80% reduction of defects
Schematics of the experimental setup
(a-c) without and (d-f) with processing using SonicGEN™
Empowering and revolutionising the British industry to be the global leader in engineering and technology.
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