Cold Spray Templating for Fine Functional Material Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing techniques are limited in preserving the microstructure of functional materials like permanent magnets, leading to reduced efficiency and high material loss during processing, especially when trying to achieve fine feature sizes and complex shapes.
Innovation Solution
The use of cold spray deposition with a mask templating method allows for the formation of fine features with dimensions less than 100 microns, maintaining the functional properties and achieving near-full density of the raw material, by depositing particles without melting and using a mask to control shape and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If directed energy beams are used to melt powder in additive manufacturing, then complex shapes can be formed, but the microstructure is destroyed and functional properties are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of the deposition process from thermal (melting) to mechanical (cold spray). By using kinetic energy instead of thermal energy, the process forms complex shapes while preserving the microstructure and functional properties of the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal field (directed energy beams) with a mechanical field (cold spray deposition). This substitution allows shape formation through controlled particle deposition rather than melting, thereby preserving the material's microstructure and functional characteristics.
2Reliability
If traditional magnet manufacturing processes are used including sintering and grinding, then functional materials can be produced, but material loss exceeds 25% for bulk parts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary shaping through cold spray deposition before any potential post-processing. By forming the final shape directly through additive deposition, the process eliminates the need for extensive grinding and machining that would otherwise cause significant material loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention discards traditional subtractive manufacturing approaches that remove material. Instead, it uses additive cold spray deposition to build parts directly, recovering nearly 100% of the raw material in the final product and eliminating the 25-90% material loss associated with conventional processes.
3Shape
If binder ink-jetting or direct ink write methods are used for additive manufacturing, then complex structures can be formed, but the high volume fraction of binder significantly reduces energy density
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the binder component entirely from the additive manufacturing process. By using cold spray deposition of pure functional material particles, the process achieves complex structures without the 30%+ binder volume fraction that plagues ink-jetting and direct ink write methods, thereby maximizing energy density.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite approach where functional material particles are deposited in a controlled sequence to form complex structures. Rather than using a binder matrix, the process builds up dense functional material layers that maintain high energy density while achieving geometric complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If selective laser melting is used to achieve fine features, then precise dimensions can be obtained, but the laser melting destroys the delicate microstructure essential to magnetic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the energy delivery parameter from high-intensity laser (thermal) to controlled kinetic energy impact (mechanical). This parameter change enables fine feature formation through precise particle deposition while maintaining the microstructure integrity essential for magnetic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the laser melting mechanism with cold spray deposition. By using mechanically accelerated particles that deposit and bond upon impact, the process achieves fine manufacturing precision without the thermal damage that destroys microstructure in selective laser melting.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the production of functional materials with enhanced properties and reduced material loss, achieving complex shapes and high aspect ratios while preserving the microstructure, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional techniques.
Implementation Method 1
Upon impact, the particles plastically deform and bond with the surface or one another
Implementation Method 2
Cold spray deposition of coatings is widely used across industry for corrosion-resistant claddings and localized repair
Implementation Method 3
positioning a mask between a cold spray nozzle and a substrate, and forming a structure on the substrate by cold spraying a raw material from the cold spray nozzle
Implementation Method 4
The substrate has a surface configured to provide a templated shape to the structure
Data Source
AI summary
A method, in accordance with one embodiment, includes forming an array of structures from a raw material via cold spray. Each of the structures is characterized by having a defined feature size in at least one dimension of less than 100 microns as measured in a plane of deposition of the structure, at least 90% of a theoretical density of the raw material, and essentially the same functional properties as the raw material. A method, in accordance with another embodiment, includes positioning a mask between a cold spray nozzle and a substrate, and forming a structure on the substrate by cold spraying a raw material from the cold spray nozzle. The structure has a shape corresponding to an aperture in the mask.