This CAREER award integrates research into a novel method to perform solid freeform fabrication (SFF) with a broad educational plan to advance the fundamentals of SFF to students and industry personnel. The focus of the research is to design and build a solid freeform fabrication system based on a novel method for fabrication of parts and assemblies by layer by layer deposition of powder, where the powder is deposited using electrophotography. In this approach, two types of powders, a part powder and a support powder are deposited layer-by-layer into a die such that the part powder has the shape of the desired part and is surrounded by support powder. Subsequent compaction and sintering will consolidate and fuse the part powder to high density and strength while the support material remains in powder form. Advantages of this approach include the ability to use a wide range of materials, print powder in gray scales, mix powders in a controlled fashion, create composition gradients within the part and embed electronics into parts by printing circuits. The educational plan involves developing a design studio and creating new teaching tools and course materials to modernize the curriculum in the areas of computer-integrated design, analysis and SFF manufacturing. The design studio envisioned will consist of a networked computational facility equipped with design and analysis software as well as rapid-prototyping and numerical controlled machining equipment to provide hands-on experience in integrated design and rapid manufacturing.
