Research Area: ADAM - Advanced Design for Metallic Additive Manufacturing
Title: ADAM-ME1 – Evaluation and predesign of the end effector of a collaborative robot for surface finishing
Supervisor: Alfredo Rocha de Faria
Duration: 24 months
Co-Advisor: -
Number of Vacancies: 1 vacancies
Application Deadline:
12/05/2024
Expected Graduation: Bachelor in Mechanical, Aerospace or Mechatronics (Control & Automation) Engineering or a related field
Languages: English and Portuguese
Is the student required to undertake admissions exams / approval and enrollment on ITA Post Graduate Program?: Yes
Expected Beginning of Scholarship:
02/03/2025
Scope
Today AM has the potential to produce parts and aerostructures of very good quality with few internal defects and pores. Moreover, very stringent dimensional tolerances of parts fabricated through Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) can be achieved. Nonetheless, the surface of the parts produced is usually rough, with possibly visible deposition layers and/or powder not fully solidified. Poor surface finish is aesthetically undesirable, but, even more troubling is the fact that it may impair durability and render inspection more difficult or even impossible. Despite recent advances, the quality of the surface of AM produced parts must be almost inevitably improved by post-processing treatments usually carried out by surface machining or shot peening, although internal surfaces are difficult to reach and finish. This is even more problematic in parts whose geometries that have been obtained through topology optimization (Bendsøe et al., 2003; Berrocal et al., 2019; Meng et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2016), rendering them unfit for aerospace applications due to certification issues.
Surface quality of printed parts is greatly influenced by the stair effect, which is the stepped approximation by layers of curves and inclined surfaces that is consequence of the fabrication of layers. A surface roughness value, Ra, between 7.6 15.2 m can be expected for titanium parts built by L-PBF process. However, for many applications, this is insufficient, and Ra values of as low as 3 m or less are often required. In addition, this heterogeneous surface roughness on complex parts poses a substantial challenge for conventional finishing processes. Alternative methods for enhancing surface quality are necessary, such as electro-chemical milling (Hinduja et al., 2016; Koyano et al., 2017) or abrasive flow machining (Li et al., 2014; Dixit et al., 2021). Another possibility is to employ collaborative robots using an assisted learning solution to finish the complex parts by grinding (Wan et al., 2021; Zhu et al., 2020).
Objectives
The objective of this MSc project is to assess the viability of using collaborative robots to perform surface finishing in AM parts. The requirements and functionalities of an end effector designed for surface finishing must be determined and costs associated must be assessed. The efficacy of end effector components may be experimentally proven through implementation of codes.
Expected Results
The objective of this MSc project is to assess the viability of using collaborative robots to perform surface finishing in AM parts. The requirements and functionalities of an end effector designed for surface finishing must be determined and costs associated must be assessed. The efficacy of end effector components may be experimentally proven through implementation of codes.
Additional Information
The ADAM-ME1 scholarship FAPESP reference value will apply (https://fapesp.br/valores/bolsasnopais), for 40 hours for a period of 24 months. Possible additional benefits. The scholarship holder must have a full-time dedication. The work must be carried out in person. Location: FLYMOV - ITA Innovation Center, Building E-024 Address: Praça Marechal Eduardo Gomes, 50 - Vila das Acacias, São José dos Campos - SP - CEP: 12228-900.
To Apply
Send your CV and other additional information to the email below
arfaria@ccm-ita.org.br