X-ray Computed Tomography Evaluation and Analysis of Cast Aluminum Test Specimens Conducted Under the Army Research Laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Co-Design Program

Author(s):

William Green, Keaton Klaff, Charles Pergantis, and Taylor Cain

Abstract:

The objective of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Co-Design Program is to exceed the traditional design paradigm in time and quality. The trade-off between quality of solution and time spent searching the immense design space dictates when and what solution is attainable. In traditional design, process optimization and part optimization are performed independently, ignoring the inherent dependence of materials and part properties on processing conditions. A main focus of the co-design program is to develop and test novel additive manufacturing (AM) and casting methods for near-net or net-shape production of aluminum metallic components. The co-design program builds AM thermoplastic polyester polylactic acid specimens or parts, which are then used to produce metallic specimens or components using a novel casting process. X-ray computed tomography scanning and evaluation was used to generate complete, closed-surface models of several cast metallic specimens, which were used to perform nominal-to actual comparison analyses of production or desired surface models (i.e., STL files) to the surface geometries of their actual manufactured specimens.