Additive Manufacturing of Integrated Micro/Macro Structures Driven by Diversified Functions– 30 Years of Development of Additive Manufacturing in Xi'an Jiaotong University
Scientists and engineers are looking forward to new manufacturing technologies to realize the integrated fabrication of macro shape and microstructure for the components with a short production chain, which can also save materials and reduce energy consumption. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is a new fabrication pattern with a character of a lay-by-lay material deposition. The components are fabricated in a bottom-up way, from points, lines, to layers and volume, which provided a capability to solve the impossible integrated fabrication problem for micro- and macro-structure by using conventional manufacturing technologies. Thus, based on integrated fabrication of micro- and macro- structures, research team in Xi'an Jiaotong University has been focusing on technological innovations and applications of advanced additive manufacturing technologies. Novel additive manufacturing principles have been proposed and explored, by which new AM processes and equipment for metals, composites, ceramics, and biomaterials have been developed to support the industrial applications. Additive manufacturing and cutting-edge applications of advanced composite structure, metamaterials, bio-implants, and monocrystal alloy components have been investigated to push the new development of integrated fabrication of micro- and macro- structures.