METAMORPHIC MANUFACTURING – ROBOTIC BLACKSMITHING AND THE 3RD WAVE OF DIGITAL MANUFACTURING

PROJECT NUMBER: 70

AUTHOR: Lauren Drew, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | MENTOR: Kester Clarke, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

ABSTRACT

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Advanced manufacturing continues to move toward full automation with new developments such as additive manufacturing and CNC machining (subtractive manufacturing) now enabling customized component manufacture with the quality of mass production. The goal of this project is to design robotic controls to automate the blacksmithing process and use deformation processes to enhance mechanical properties of components without the need of extra machining or tooling. This results in a new “metamorphic” process that combines the customization of blacksmithing with the quality of modern automated manufacturing, creating a flexible process with advantages of closed die forging. Initially, proper techniques for traditional blacksmithing were learned to identify the variables to control to automate the process. A roto-linear actuator was selected as the initial robot design with two axes of freedom (forward/back and rotational) to be used with a hydraulic press. A design of a rotary shaft was developed along with a detailed deformation sequence to produce a representative component design. Currently, the deformation process is being tested using wooden dies on clay material. The process will also be coded using DEFORM software. Future testing will use the robot and press to deform and create a metal shaft and study resulting material properties.

VISUAL PRESENTATION

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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https://www.tms.org/portal/PUBLICATIONS/Studies/Metamorphic_Manufacturing/portal/Publications/Studies/MetamorphicManufacturing/MetamorphicManufacturing.aspx?hkey=35f836be-083d-470a-8cc9-df1b47bf3fee

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

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Lauren Drew is a rising Senior studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. She has spent many hours in the Hill Hall forge studying blacksmithing and designing processes to create rotary shafts for her research in CANFSA under the mentorship of Dr. Kester Clarke. She will be continuing her work next year as a senior using rotary-linear-actuators and a hydraulic press. Lauren will graduate in May 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in materials engineering and eventually work in the steel or forging industry.

Sponsored by Phillips 66