Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/N21703/01
Title:	DIRECT FABRICATION OF COMPLEX FUNCTIONALLY GRADED METAL STRUCTURES
Principal Investigator:	Dickens, Professor P
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Arya Ltd Flymo (CO Durham) Forth Solutions Ltd Gates Solutions Ltd M J Technologies Ltd Osprey Metals Ltd
Department:	School of Engineering & Technology
Organisation:	De Montfort University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	04 September 2000	Ends:	31 December 2001	Value (£):	468,431
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Manufacturing Machine & Plant
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
There is a growing need for greater efficiency in equipment but limits have generally been reached through design improvements. However, a largely untapped area is using materials with greater functionality (Functionally Graded Materials). Fusing powders with a laser offers the opportunity to manufacture parts with material properties that cannot be obtained from conventional techniques. The main benefit of this technique will be variable composition structures.This project will undertake basic work through a multi-University and multidisciplinary research project so that laser fusion of powders can be used to manufacture complex parts and tools in Functionally Graded Materials. It will investigate a new method of powder placement and control for manufacturing complex shapes in a wide variety of functionally graded materials. This will provide a number of benefits from a system capable of producing fully dense functionally graded metallic structures. This work will help to define new CAD representation techniques for functionally graded materials. Modelling of the process to predict microstructures, material properties and residual stresses will support this work. This modelling will also enable prediction of the correct laser parameters to be used. The Functionally Graded Materials will be analysed and tested to validate the models.EngProg\
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Organisation Website:	http://www.dmu.ac.uk