Additive Manufacturing Method with Metal Powder by Selective Sintering and Melting Using Micro Electrical Discharge

• Project/Area Number: 15K05735
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Production engineering/Processing studies
• Research Institution: Toyota Technological Institute
• Principal Investigator: FURUTANI Katsushi 豊田工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (00238685)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 付加製造技術 / 放電 / 粉末床溶融結合 / 走査 / ツイン電極 / 帯電 / 積層造形 / 放電加工 / 微細加工 / 粉末 / 堆積加工 / 溶融 / 放電回路 / 焼結 / 静電気

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study proposed an additive manufacturing method with metal power solidified by electrical discharge and demonstrated three-dimensional (3D) shape fabrication.
3D modeling machines by Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) can be used to fabricate prototypes and small-lot products by solidifying metal powder directly. Because their heat sources such as laser or electron beam are still expensive, it is difficult to lower the cost of the machines.
The proposed method is a kind of PBF. A 3D shape is fabricated by repeating the spread of metal powder and solidification by electrical discharge with twin electrodes in air. The twin electrodes are connected to a capacitance discharge circuit with a bipolar DC power supply. The fabrication of 3D shapes were demonstrated by scanning the twin electrode and lifting powder layers. The powder around the discharge position sometimes scattered due to the discharge or adheres to the electrode. Using a transistor discharge circuit reduced the scattering.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 選択的放電固化による積層造形法の基礎検討 (2019)
  • Author(s): 古谷克司, 山岸宏規, 土屋昂敬
  • Journal Title: 電気加工学会誌 Volume: 53 Issue: 134 Pages: 193-199
  • NAID: 130007828380
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 放電を利用した金属粉末積層造形法における粉末挙動 (2017)
  • Author(s): 古谷克司，山岸宏規
  • Organizer: 平成29年度 電気・電子・情報関係学会東海支部連合大会
• [Presentation] Fundamental Experiments of Additive Manufacturing Method by Selective Solidification Using Electircal Discharge (2017)
  • Author(s): Katsushi Furutani, Takahiro Tsuchiya, Hiroki Yamagishi
  • Organizer: 32nd Annual Meeting of American Society for Precision Engineering
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 選択的放電固化による積層造形法に関する基礎実験 (2016)
  • Author(s): 古谷克司,土屋昂敬, 山岸宏規
  • Organizer: 第128回電気加工研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋工業大学
• [Presentation] 選択的放電固化による積層造形法(第1報)基礎実験 (2015)
  • Author(s): 古谷克司
  • Organizer: 2015年度精密工学会秋季大会学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 宮城県仙台市青葉区・東北大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-04