44 and ML has been used to capture the unique thermal signature associated with keyhole pore generation. Porosity in metal parts remains a major hurdle for wider adoption of LPBF in some industries. Keyhole porosity is the most challenging defect type when it comes to real-time detection using lab-scale sensors, given that it occurs beneath the surface, but this highresolution detection of keyhole pore generation can be readily applied in many AM production processes. Self-healingmaterials AM also allows for self-healing laminated composites to create structures that can repair themselves without having to be removed from service. Previous self-healingmaterials had to be removed in order to heal, for example by heating in an oven, which can’t be done for large components or while a given part is in use. This repair process might also only be possible a few times. Laminated composites on the other hand aremade from layers of glass or carbon fibre that are bonded together. Damagemost often occurs when the ‘glue’ that binds the layers together begins to peel away from the reinforcement, a process known as delamination. The laminate is created by 3Dprinting a pattern of thermoplastic healing agent onto the reinforcementmaterial and embedding thin ‘heater’ layers in the composite.When an electrical current is applied, the heater layerswarmup, which in turnmelts the healing agent that flows into any cracks or microfractures and repairs them. This process can be repeated at least 100 times while maintaining the effectiveness of the self-healing. The printed thermoplastic is also inherently more resistant to fracture compared to moulded structures by as much as 500%, meaning more energy is needed to cause delamination in the first place. In addition, the healing agent and heater layers are all made from readily available materials, and are relatively inexpensive. If incorporated into aircraft wings or propeller blades, the internal heating elements would avoid the need for chemical agents to remove ice and also provide de-icing in flight. June/July 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology AUSTRIA Voestalpine High Perf Metals +49 211 522 0 www.bohler.de/en AUSTRALIA Evok3D +61 1800 386 533 www.evok3d.com.au BELGIUM Materialise – www.materialise.be CANADA Burloak Technologies +1 905 592 0244 www.burloaktech.com FRANCE AddUp SAS +33 4 73 15 25 00 www.addupsolutions.com Pollen +33 1 58 46 20 52 www.pollen.am GERMANY EOS +49 89 893 36 0 www.eos.info ExOne – www.exone.com GKN Additive – www.gknpm.com Oerlikon +49 39203 510 60 www.oerlikon.com/am OWL +49 15901 313 89 7 www.owl-additive-manufacturing.com ITALY 3NTR – www.3ntr.eu CRP Technology +39 059 821 135 www.crptechnology.com Sinthesi Engineering +39 331 556 557 www.sinthesieng.it JAPAN ARRK – www.arrk.com Mimaki – www.mimaki.com Ricoh – www.ricoh.com NETHERLANDS Additive Industries +31 40 218 0660 www.additiveindustries.com NEWZEALAND Zenith Tecnica – www.zenithtecnica.com SWEDEN Sandvik +46 8 456 11 00 www.sandvik.com UK 3DDC +44 1234 391894 www.3ddc.eu 3T AdditiveManufacturing +44 1635 580284 www.3t-am.com Some examples of additivemanufacturing suppliers
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4