Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Sustainability, resilience, and cost-efficiency are the highest priority global challenges for the future of manufacturing, requiring technological, societal, and policy disruption. The proposed Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Additive Manufacturing (AM) will work to mitigate such global challenges via transformative research in binder jetting AM (BJAM), an AM technology with the highest potential for sustainability through low-cost scale-up part production. In metal BJAM, components are made by sequentially spreading thin layers of powder and selectively depositing a liquid binder, layer-by-layer. The parts require heat treatments to densify, to impart required material properties, and to converge to a final geometry. Currently, barriers in BJAM adoption for sustainable scale-up production include shortcomings in part quality, geometric fidelity, low-cost materials, and multi-material printing. As such, the proposed research will focus on three objectives (OB): (OB1) process innovation via mechatronic machine development and exploration of the next generation of BJAM systems; (OB2) advanced digital twins of complex process phenomena via modelling, intelligent process monitoring, and data analysis; (OB3) collaborative development of novel low-cost sustainable materials. OB1 will be addressed by developing and integrating novel mechatronic modules (multi-printhead binder delivery, multi-powder dispensing) to achieve digitally-tailored and industrially-relevant materials. OB2 will explore novel BJAM digital twins based on two approaches: in-situ process supervision and predictive modeling and simulation frameworks. For in-situ process supervision, sensors (vision, thermography, thermometry) will be deployed for process monitoring, feature extraction, fault detection and mitigation. Predictive frameworks will focus on advanced multi-scale modeling and simulation of BJAM sintering phenomena to predict densification, geometric distortion, and geometric compensation factors. Digital tools developed in OB2 will provide solutions for quality assessment and process optimization. OB3 will explore innovations in developing novel binder and powder materials, targeting environmental and economic sustainability. The proposed research is not only scientifically innovative, but it is profoundly timely and necessary to respond to climate-driven sustainable production needs globally, while balancing industrially relevant design, performance, and cost requirements.