SBIR-STTR Award

Additive manufacturing technology creates objects using a sequential layering process that directly contrasts with the traditional subtractive approaches commonly used to manufacture the majority of fabricated components. The additive manufacturing technology can be used anywhere throughout the product life cycle, from pre-production to full-scale production in addition to tooling applications and post-production customization. The development of detailed additive manufacturing processes is currently dealt with through a combination of experience combined with exhaustive trial and error based testing and evaluation methods. These approaches are inherently time consuming and expensive thus leading to considerable delays in the exploitation of additive manufacturing process technology. Physics based predictive computational analysis procedures can replace trial and error based experimental approaches to provide a platform for the structured development of additive manufacturing process technology.