Understanding In-situ Control Systems in Additive Manufacturing — Lesson 3

This lesson covers the intricacies of In-situ Control Systems in additive metal manufacturing. It delves into the various monitoring sensors used to control the process and the different control systems employed during the process. The lesson also discusses process control, control objectives, quality control in the additive manufacturing chain, feedback control, commercial toolkits for powder bed fusion process, and the challenges and opportunities in process control. It further explores the concept of cyber-physical attacks in additive manufacturing. For instance, it explains how intelligent systems work on data to produce quality output and how automated deduction of out-of-control process changes can prevent resource waste.

Video Highlights

01:17 - Explanation of the concept of Intelligent Systems in additive manufacturing, which work on data and make decisions on the spot to produce good quality output
04:12 - Explanation of the concept of processability window in the manufacturing process and how it varies for different materials
11:34 - Explanation of the concept of feedback control in the manufacturing process and how it works
21:58 - Discussion on the challenges in monitoring the manufacturing process, including the limitations of layer-wise monitoring and the need for robust on-machine porosity detection methods
33:14 - Discussion on the cyber physical attacks on additive manufacturing, including security threats on STL files, toolpath files, 3D printers, wireless communication between the server and the controller, and USB communication between the PC and the controller

Key Takeaways

- In-situ Control Systems are crucial in additive metal manufacturing for monitoring and controlling the process.
- Intelligent systems work on data to make on-spot decisions and produce quality output.
- Automated deduction of out-of-control process changes can prevent further time, resource, and scrap waste.
- Various commercial toolkits are available for the powder bed fusion process.
- Cyber-physical attacks pose a significant challenge in additive manufacturing, and measures need to be taken to prevent them.