Amplify
Additive technics (Additive Manufacturing - AM) are becoming very popular as a quick production technique, because of their formability. For metals as well as for plastics, this production technique already is well developed, as shown by several commercially available production machines, as well as companies that are specialised in additive manifacturing of parts. For plastics, currently the main application lies in rapid prototyping: creation of prototypes that provide insight in the spatial design of a product ('show and tell'). However, these techniques are increasingly applied to produce functional components, thus making the transition to rapid manufacturing. The typical advantage of additive manufacturing, in particular the rapid manufacturing of complex geometries, offers a freedom of design which is highly relevant in the context of the increasingly extensive optimization of mechanical components.
In order to ensure a low carbon footprint, the emphasis in the design of these components lies more and more on minimal use of materials. But at the same time, the reliability of the component under a functional load should be guaranteed. These design requirements often are not compatible, while the currently used design methods for additively formed plastics offer little guidance.
The design and production of reliable functional components requires a very good understanding of the behaviour of the component under the effective stress to which it is exposed during its lifetime. AMPLIFY specifically focuses on the identification and verification of the relevant mechanical properties of these parts, such as strength and stiffness in realistic functional circumstances, to transpose these then to validated design and calculation principles. This project is in coordination of KU Leuven, Campus De Nayer. As we are experienced in orthopaedic technology, MOBILAB has the role to make the transposition of the mechanical properties to the "medical" field.
Visit our site on http://amplify.mech.kuleuven.be/.
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In order to ensure a low carbon footprint, the emphasis in the design of these components lies more and more on minimal use of materials. But at the same time, the reliability of the component under a functional load should be guaranteed. These design requirements often are not compatible, while the currently used design methods for additively formed plastics offer little guidance.
The design and production of reliable functional components requires a very good understanding of the behaviour of the component under the effective stress to which it is exposed during its lifetime. AMPLIFY specifically focuses on the identification and verification of the relevant mechanical properties of these parts, such as strength and stiffness in realistic functional circumstances, to transpose these then to validated design and calculation principles. This project is in coordination of KU Leuven, Campus De Nayer. As we are experienced in orthopaedic technology, MOBILAB has the role to make the transposition of the mechanical properties to the "medical" field.
Visit our site on http://amplify.mech.kuleuven.be/.
Back