Modeling and Simulation for

Advanced Metal Manufacturing

Ernesto Gutierrez-Miravetewww.ewp.rpi.edu/~ernesto

Rensselaer at Hartford

SHPE 2012 ConferenceFort Worth, TX

November, 2012

CCAT and RPI

• RPI received a multi-year grant form CCAT to support investigation in modeling and simulation of advanced metal manufacturing.

• RPI-Hartford (www.ewp.rpi.edu/hartford) was created in 1955 to serve the educational needs of the aerospace industry in CT.

• The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT; www.ccat.us ) was created in 2005 to serve as an economic development center of excellence.

Motivation for the Study

• US Leading Role in Advanced Metal Manufacture.

• Global Supply Chains.

• Global Interconnectedness and Development.

• Mathematical Modeling and Computer Simulation.

Advanced Metal Manufacturing Processes Models Investigated

• Casting

• Forming

• Machining

• Welding

• Heat Treating

Investment Cast Superalloy Turbine Blade

Machined High Strength Steel Helicopter Rotor Hub

Formed NbTi Superconducting Wire

Findings• Mature and reliable software for faithful modeling

and simulation of advanced metal manufacturing operations is now commercially available.

• Using existing computational capabilities it is now possible to create virtual representations of processes to perform experiments and trials that are less expensive and faster than tinkering with the real thing.

• However, the software tools are still generally complex and difficult to use effectively; some in the advanced metal manufacturing industry are still skeptical and reluctant to adopt.

Acknowledgements• The Manufacturing Modeling program at RPI has

been possible in part thanks to a multi-year grant from the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT).

• Technical support from the following software developers is gratefully acknowledged:

– Third Wave Systems (AdvantEdge, Production Module)

– Manufacturing Automation Laboratory (CutPro)

– ESI Group (ProCast, SysWeld, PAM-RTM)

– Scientific Forming Technologies (DEFORM, HeatTreat)