Advanced materials processing and manufacturing involve engineering raw-materials into finished products through various industrial processes using either mechanical or chemical means, placing particular emphasis on transport phenomena as an essential factor.
This unit explores major metallic processing technologies, such as casting, thermomechanical processing and welding. Additionally, ceramic processing techniques as well as processing-microstructure property relationships will also be discussed.
Materials
Advanced manufacturing materials come from natural sources or can be engineered through engineering techniques, with each material going through primary, secondary, and tertiary processing operations to transform it from its raw state into forms suitable for specific applications.
Structure is altered in materials to achieve specific properties like strength, durability, shape memory and responses to environmental or stimuli (smart materials). They can also be comprised of polymers, ceramics and certain metals.
Carbon fiber composite materials have become a go-to choice in drones and stealth aircraft due to their weight reduction benefits and superior strength, shock absorption capabilities and radar transparency.
Processes
Engineered materials have become a critical component of modern society, from metal alloys used in cars to polymer pollution filters at your local power plant. But what goes into these materials? Engineers work across every step of production from synthesis through processing and manufacturing.
Food extrusion, hot rolling, thermal spray coating and soldering all rely heavily on thermal transport through material during fabrication to achieve consistent characteristics of final products. As such, understanding basic mechanisms and creating mathematical models which serve as bases for analysis, simulation and experimentation is of utmost importance for success in these processes.
These models help predict the outcome of processes and suggest ways to enhance them, while also providing applied scientists with tools for searching existing materials for specific features and basic scientists with ways to develop potentially useful ones from scratch.
Analysis
Engineered materials play an essential role in modern society. Engineers develop and refine manufacturing methods that produce these high-quality engineered materials at scale.
Research in this area covers not only traditional manufacturing technologies such as casting, extrusion, welding, hot rolling, thermal spray coating and injection molding but also newer advanced processes such as thin film deposition and fabrication of optical fibers. A key focus is understanding transport phenomena to enhance prediction and control over these systems.
At this stage, mathematical models are being created which provide insight into the mechanisms involved and may also guide experimental design as well as provide computational solutions.
Simulation
Society relies heavily on engineered materials – from metal alloys in automobiles to polymer pollution filters at local power plants – engineered materials are integral parts of society and engineers use simulation software to monitor how these am materials behave and ensure their intended functionality.
Simulation provides an accurate representation of real world processes as they occur, such as knowing exactly how long it takes to serve each customer and accounting for factors related to customer flow like number of items purchased, time between visits and wait times.
Simulation can provide decision makers with a glimpse into the future without risking resources by changing processes, hiring additional staff or purchasing new equipment. Simulation allows decision makers to view how different scenarios would unfold by simply simulating future outcomes without making too many assumptions that may not hold. Simulation gives decision makers an accurate glimpse into future events without having to change processes, hire more staff or purchase equipment themselves.
Experimentation
Experimentation is a key component of the scientific method. It serves to test hypotheses and establish cause-and-effect relationships, while also making improvements to existing processes or designing new ones.
Physical sciences experimenters utilize different methodologies than their social science counterparts (for instance, observation and description in our Description module). Experiments used in physical sciences typically utilize replication and random assignment in order to reduce potential confounding factors.
Industry requires experimentation to modify processes or aluminum materials, optimize performance, improve quality and manage costs effectively. Experimentation can help industries solve complex issues or develop innovative products more quickly by eliminating investments that don’t work and saving both time and resources from time-wasters.
