Fabrication of Advanced Functional Electroceramic Components by Layered Manufacturing (LM) Methods

摘要

In the last decade, Layered Manufacturing (LM) techniques have been utilized to provide a cost-effective route to rapidly turn new ideas and designs into net-shape components. In LM techniques, components are built in a layer-by-layer fashion via a computer-controlled dispensing system directly from a CAD file. Fused Deposition of Ceramics (FDC), Robocasting (RC), Micropen (MP), and Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) are a few examples of LM techniques employed to produce a variety of electroceramic components. Piezoelectric and electrostrictive actuators have been prototyped via FDC and electromechanically characterized. Using a newly developed multi-materials deposition facility, multi-material actuators have been prototyped in a single deposition step and studied to determine how field-induced strain can be enhanced. Piezocomposite sensors with various connectivity patterns have also been fabricated by LM methods. The concept of Templated Grain Growth (TGG) has been combined with FDC to initiate fabrication of net-shape single crystal and grain-oriented components. LOM, which uses rapid laser cutting in a layer-by-layer fashion, has been utilized to fabricate torsional and telescoping ceramic actuators. Robocasting, a computer controlled slurry casting system, has been implemented to make 3-3 piezocomposites and fine scale photonic band gaps structures. The Micropen technique has provided the capability to fabricate multifunctional integrated ceramic components such as RC filters, multilayer voltage transformers, and other passive components.