non destructive testing
3 // 3D-printed titanium
hydraulic component of
a race car “very complex parts require new
testing methods to assure their
structural health and integrity.”
AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM // SHOWCASE 2020 177
process is making sure that the final
product has stable characteristics. From a
material science perspective, that is
probably the biggest challenge of additive
manufacturing. The goal is to reduce the
number of defects that could potentially
occur. Powders that fail to completely
sinter together generate defects that may
lead to malfunctions in the final product.
Improper material processing can result in
residual stress, which in turn can cause
internal strain on the material and lead to
cracks in the part.
Mechanical simulation on CT data can
also be used to verify that the design will
be able to function properly and fulfill the
desired objective when the product is fully
developed using the final printing
parameters. Furthermore, simulating on
CT data is a great way to determine the
effectiveness of the design in terms of its
intended purpose under anticipated or
specified operational conditions. Besides
precise measurements of inner structures,
a CT model can be compared to the CAD
model to ensure production accuracy.
The possibilities of additive
manufacturing are almost limitless. The
same is true for computed tomography.
These two modern technologies are closely
linked throughout the entire product
development process and have become
indispensable to the aerospace industry.\\
Nils Achilles is the science and new materials sales
manager at Yxlon
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY’S BENEFITS
CT is arguably the most exciting method
in the NDT (non-destructive testing) world
and its applications are virtually limitless.
It’s now time to take its rightful place
as an informational tool in the research
and development phase. Many design
engineers aren’t aware of the many
benefits CT can provide in the early stages
of part design.
The valuable information that
CT provides in the discovery stage
will empower engineers, designers,
researchers, scientists and anyone
interested in additive manufacturing part
design to leverage CT to see things they
have never seen before without damaging
the object under inspection. X-ray CT
can be used to achieve more precise
inspection of parts.
Imagine going back to the future to the
initial product design phase and predict
how the design will work after production.
Seeing inside your sample, viewing
defects, making measurements, and
seeing density changes are all possible
with the power of industrial CT.
The fast-evolving technology of additive
manufacturing technology won’t be
slowing down anytime soon. The demand
for more intricate designs as well as
lighter parts will increase substantially.
As additive manufacturing becomes a
popular choice for more applications in
the future, the need for speed to market
is crucial. Stricter safety standards will be
employed by the medical and aerospace
industries creating the need for more
informational tools in the research and
development process.
Learning how to design for additive
manufacturing can pose challenges,
which is why using CT as a tool in the
research and development stage can save
time, money and possibly lives.
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