Critical componemt evaluation for manufacture using a powder bed blown laser melting process.

Module Outcomes

D - Design
D1: to be able to assess sustainability issues and the environmental impact of component manufacture
D5: to be aware of design for manufacture issues

S - Economic, social and environmental context

S3: to be able to develop a sustainable engineering approach in evaluating and solving materials and manufacturing related design problems associated with the production of engineered products

P - Engineering Practice

P1m: To be able to research and appraise the latest developments associated with rapid manufacture and associated materials

P2m: to appraise and apply materials investigation techniques in order to specify appropriate materials for specific component applications

P3: To be able to interpret and apply engineering knowledge associated with rapid manufactured and machined components within a case study based environment

P4: to be able to source information from data sheets, journals, and Internet web-sites to select appropriate materials for component manufacture.

Assignment Introduction:

The mark of a good engineer is the ability to take existing components that perform adequately and to evaluate their function, operation and performance and redesign them to make them more efficient and reliable.

This is certainly the case in the motorsport industry where high performance components are needed that are lighter and offer a performance enhancement. . In many cases in order to realise these enhancements components have to be manufactured using new and innovative manufacturing methods in bespoke optimised materials that will out perform existing materials.

Assignment

The component shown in figure Al below is a standard compression spring. You are required to conduct an evaluation of its function and the means by which it could be enhanced. This should take the following form.:

The assignment is to be divided into two sections.

Section 1

Evaluate the design of the compression spring in order to manufacture the component using the Laser Melting process giving particular consideration to how the process could be used to enhance the functionality of the component. Your report should also highlight the anticipated difficulties for its manufacture by the process.

Section 2

Conduct an investigation into the materials the coil snrin- could be made from and the post processing that would be necessary for it to function reliably. This should detail the essential properties the spring would need to exhibit and how these properties could be realised in the post processing of the component. You will need to consider potential failure modes in your discussion and how to prevent failure.