Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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A research team led by Anatoly Popovich, Director of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport at SPbPU, has developed a technology for multi-material 3D printing of complex metal parts. This technology allows for the creation of components and parts from up to four alloys in a single production cycle. This significantly reduces costs and time. The size of a single 3D printing unit for a specific material, less than one millimeter, allows for programming on a truly microscale.
The need to create structures from multiple materials arises when a product requires different, sometimes conflicting, properties: increased hardness and simultaneous ductility, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. In medicine, components made from multiple materials are used to create biocompatible components with specific mechanical properties, such as titanium and cobalt-chromium implants.
A new technology developed by Polytechnic researchers enables the production of a component with a pre-programmed set of properties by creating zones of materials with the desired characteristics. This eliminates the need for a sharp transition between layers of different materials. The composition and properties change smoothly from one metal to another, preventing defects at the joints. This makes it possible to combine even materials that are initially unweldable, such as aluminum and steel.
To date, SPbPU specialists have tested over 20 materials and their combinations, including titanium, aluminum, and shape-memory alloys. The developers have already applied the new technology in practice. Engineers have created a prototype of a compact combustion chamber: the interior is made of heat-resistant bronze, the exterior is a nickel-alloy shell, and between them is a thin mesh structure that effectively dissipates heat. The new technology significantly reduces manufacturing time. While a traditional manufacturing cycle takes months (the inner shell is manufactured, milled, and then the outer elements are welded to it), with the new development, the entire process is completed in a single cycle. Taking into account subsequent mechanical surface treatment, the process takes only a few days.
Another component is a gear, which requires internal vibration absorption and external hardness to prevent wear. Improving the mechanical properties is achieved by creating a complex transition from one material to another. This condition can also be programmed and implemented in the finished product.
Thus, the Polytechnic's development allows not only to obtain stronger connections, but also to save money and time during their production.
The development is being carried out with the support of the federal program "Priority-2030".
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