EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes

EPSRC 激光生产流程创新制造中心

基本信息

批准号：
EP/K030884/1
负责人：
Duncan Hand
金额：
$ 709.95万
依托单位：
Heriot-Watt University
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2013
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2013 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FK030884%2F1
关键词：
EPSRC Centre Innovative Manufacturing Laser

项目摘要

A Centre for Innovative Manufacture in Laser-based Production Processes is proposed. This Centre will exploit the unique capabilities of laser light to develop new laser-based manufacturing processes, at both micro and macro levels, supported by new laser source, process monitoring and system technologies.The past 25 years has seen industrial lasers replace many 'conventional' tools in diverse areas of manufacture, enabling increased productivity, functionality and quality, where for example laser processing (cut/join/drill/mark) has revolutionised automotive, aerospace and electronics production. However the penetration of laser technology into some areas such as welding and machining has been less than might have been anticipated. But recently there has been a significant 'step change-opportunity' to take laser-based processing to a new level of industrial impact, brought about by major advances in laser technology in two key areas: (i) A new generation of ultra-high quality and reliability lasers based around solid state technology (laser diode and optical fibre) has evolved from developments in the telecoms sector. These lasers are leading to systems with very high levels of spatial and temporal controllability. This control, combined with advanced in-process measurement techniques, is revolutionising the science and understanding of laser material interactions. The result of this is that major improvements are being made in existing laser based processes and that new revolutionary processes are becoming viable, e.g. joining of dissimilar materials. (ii) A new generation of high average power laser technologies is becoming available, offering controllable trains of ultrashort (picosecond and femtosecond) pulses, with wavelengths selectable across the optical spectrum, from the infrared through to the ultra-violet. Such technology opens the door to a whole range of new laser-based production processes, where thermal effects no longer dominate, and which may replace less efficient 'conventional' processes in some current major production applications.These new developments are being rapidly exploited in other high-value manufacturing based economies such as Germany and the US. We argue that for the UK industry to take maximum advantage of these major advances in both laser material processing and machine technology there is an urgent requirement for an EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes. This will be achieved by bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of leading UK researchers and key industry partners with the goal of exploiting 'tailored laser light'.Together with our industrial partners, we have identified 2 key research themes. Theme A focuses on Laser Precision Structuring, i.e. micro-machining processes, whilst Theme B is focused on joining and additive processes. Spanning these themes are the laser based manufacturing research challenges which fall into categories of Laser Based Production Process Research and Laser Based Machine Technologies, underpinned by monitoring and control together with material science. Research will extend from the basic science of material behaviour modelling and laser-material interaction processes to manufacturing feasibility studies with industry.The Centre will also assume an important national role. The Centre Outreach programme will aim to catalyse and drive the growth of a more effective and coherent UK LIM community as a strong industry/academia partnership able to represent itself effectively to influence UK/EU policy and investment strategy, to promote research excellence, and growth in industrial take-up of laser-based technology, expand UK national knowledge transfer and marketing events and improve the coordination and quality of education/training provision.

建议建立一个基于激光的生产工艺创新制造中心。该中心将利用激光的独特功能，在新的激光源、过程监控和系统技术的支持下，在微观和宏观层面上开发新的基于激光的制造工艺。在过去的 25 年里，工业激光器取代了许多“传统的制造工艺”。 ' 工具应用于不同的制造领域，可提高生产率、功能和质量，例如激光加工（切割/连接/钻孔/标记）彻底改变了汽车、航空航天和电子产品的生产。然而，激光技术在焊接和机械加工等某些领域的渗透程度却低于预期。但最近，激光技术在两个关键领域取得的重大进步带来了重大的“阶跃变革机遇”，将基于激光的加工提升到了新的工业影响水平：(i) 新一代超高激光加工技术基于固态技术（激光二极管和光纤）的激光器的质量和可靠性是从电信领域的发展演变而来的。这些激光器导致系统具有非常高水平的空间和时间可控性。这种控制与先进的过程中测量技术相结合，正在彻底改变激光材料相互作用的科学和理解。其结果是，现有的基于激光的工艺正在取得重大改进，并且新的革命性工艺正在变得可行，例如异种材料的连接。 (ii) 新一代高平均功率激光技术正在出现，可提供可控的超短（皮秒和飞秒）脉冲序列，其波长可在从红外到紫外的整个光谱范围内选择。这种技术为一系列基于激光的新型生产工艺打开了大门，其中热效应不再占主导地位，并且可能取代当前一些主要生产应用中效率较低的“传统”工艺。这些新发展正在其他领域迅速得到利用德国和美国等高价值制造业经济体。我们认为，英国工业要最大限度地利用激光材料加工和机械技术方面的这些重大进步，迫切需要建立 EPSRC 激光生产工艺创新制造中心。这将通过汇集由英国领先研究人员和主要行业合作伙伴组成的多学科团队来实现，其目标是开发“定制激光”。我们与工业合作伙伴一起确定了两个关键研究主题。主题 A 侧重于激光精密结构，即微加工工艺，而主题 B 则侧重于连接和增材工艺。跨越这些主题的是基于激光的制造研究挑战，这些挑战属于基于激光的生产工艺研究和基于激光的机器技术类别，以监测和控制以及材料科学为基础。研究将从材料行为建模和激光材料相互作用过程的基础科学扩展到工业制造可行性研究。该中心还将承担重要的国家角色。中心外展计划旨在促进和推动更有效、更一致的英国 LIM 社区的发展，作为一个强大的行业/学术界伙伴关系，能够有效地代表自己，影响英国/欧盟的政策和投资战略，促进卓越的研究和增长在激光技术的工业应用方面，扩大英国国家知识转移和营销活动，并提高教育/培训提供的协调和质量。