The Manufacturing Comeback: Dean Bartles on Defense, AI, and the Next Industrial Revolution

Manufacturing

AI is proposed to monitor layer-by-layer data from laser powder bed fusion processes to detect anomalies like keyholes or porosity, enabling adaptive control to correct issues on the fly or stop the build to prevent waste.

“I really do think AI is going to play a big role in the future, as you begin to monitor layer by layer, the process that's being built up and be able to detect issues that can then be corrected through the, you know, adaptive control technologies, that AI is going to play a big role in.”

Engineering & simulationICME software

Integrated Computational Material Engineering software was used to determine optimal laser energy, scanning speed, and spot size for laser powder bed fusion based on specific metal powder morphology and desired mechanical properties, replacing trial-and-error methods.

“using this ICME software they had developed, they were able to determine, okay, using that particular powder on that particular machine, and you want those resulting mechanical properties. Here's the laser energy you should use. Here's the scanning speed you should use. Here's a spot size you should use, et cetera, et cetera, to all the various parameters that you need to settle on that machine…”