US military researchers are working with industry to advance the use of additive manufacturing for critical structural parts by developing the ability to predict the durability and viability of 3D-printed parts during manufacturing.
Led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the SURGE (Structures Uniquely Resolved to Guarantee Endurance) program aims to revolutionize existing approaches in additive manufacturing. To this end, methods are to be developed that make it possible to predict the service life of components directly from data collected during the printing process. The aim is to make these predictions applicable across machines, materials, locations and geometries.
The initiative plans to integrate in-situ sensor technologies, process modeling and microstructure-based fatigue life methods to quantify the usability of manufactured hardware components. The accuracy of these predictions will be ensured through extensive experimental validation.
In contrast to current practice, which aims to optimize individual additive manufacturing machines over months or years, SURGE takes an innovative approach: the service life of each uniquely manufactured component should be able to be predicted on-the-fly. This makes it possible to produce virtually any geometry on any machine, anywhere in the world, at any time, while guaranteeing the service life of the parts.
Interested companies are invited to submit their proposals via DARPA’s online tool. Abstracts must be submitted no later than May 9, 2024 and full proposals by July 1, 2024.
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