In partnership with General Motors Research and Development Center (GM), this research will build and validate a novel spectral framework for delivering process design solutions. The new framework for process design will build on recent advances made in the PI's research group in efficient spectral representations of microstructure-property-processing linkages. This spectral approach, known as Microstructure Sensitive Design (MSD), employs a statistical description of the microstructure and facilitates consideration of the microstructure simply as a point that lies inside a well defined convex hull in an appropriate Fourier space. Microstructure evolution during a selected manufacturing process will then be treated as a pathline in the same space. The efficiency of the method promises to provide the previously unattainable goal of a searchable and complete space of microstructures and paths required for process design. This work addresses an important strategic need for the US manufacturing industry, and will allow this industry to benefit directly from the emerging Materials Design methodologies and become globally competitive. The proposed interdisciplinary activity also brings together expertise from several traditional fields including mechanical engineering, manufacturing science, engineering design, materials science, and applied mathematics. This will have a significant impact on the development of skilled human resources in emerging science and advanced technology fields.
