Fundamental Metrology for Material Processing

This project will develop the advanced process metrology methods and tools to increase scientific understanding of existing, as well as new and emerging discrete part manufacturing processes. Industry interactions and priorities will determine specific application case studies as appropriate. Several process parameters and phenomena are expected to be of critical importance for multiple manufacturing processes, such that common and generic process metrology approaches can be devised. These process phenomena include forces, temperatures, bulk material properties, and material transformations at the material/tool interface, tool wear and performance, friction considerations, system vibrations and dynamic response of the manufacturing process.

Manufacturing of high-value, knowledge-intensive products requires timely and accurate knowledge about the manufacturing process and the condition of the equipment, process, and part. For most manufacturing processes, this knowledge is application specific, incomplete or non-quantified. Measurements of fundamental phenomena during manufacturing processes are crucial for improving the generic scientific understanding of the process.  This project is addressing the main challenge of conducting such measurements with quantified uncertainty under realistic manufacturing environments and conditions.   Development of such measurement methods and tools will enable manufacturing industry to assess its knowledge about the processes and improve science-based modeling and simulation capabilities.  Accurate modeling and simulation of manufacturing process will in turn enable industry to shorten the time to market for new products and processes.
 
Fundamental metrology methods and standards are also needed for real-time manufacturing process monitoring and control and for characterizing the key process phenomena necessary for making informed manufacturing decisions in response to changing conditions in the manufacturing environment. In addition, once timely and accurate process knowledge is obtained, further methods and standards are needed for the unambiguous representation and communication of such knowledge and the integration of information from diverse sources.

The current activities focus around the measurement of material properties (stress-strain relationship) under realistic manufacturing conditions, where strain, strain rates, temperatures and heating rates are very high, as well as the thermal and visible spectrum imaging of the manufacturing process to measure critical temperature distribution, strains and the material flow at the tool-workpiece interface.