Advancements in Modeling, Sensing and Control for High-Resolution Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) describes a class of processes that perform a layer-by-layer “bottom-up” fabrication approach as opposed to traditional top-down, subtractive fabrication such as milling and lathing. Printing-based AM, and in particular micro-scale AM (μ-AM), has received significant attention in recent years as an enabling technology capable of revolutionizing the way we manufacture electronics, biosensors, and optics in this country. Meso-scale AM is capable of fabricating integrated features beyond what conventional machining can perform at this length scale. However, μ-AM has yet to demonstrate the fabrication of complex 3D structures at the micro-scale that are not fabricable by traditional micromachining. Limiting this step change in manufacturing capabilities is the reliance of μ-AM systems on a process monitoring, regulation, and quality control paradigm that is performed post-process and in an ad hoc manner. In this talk, we discuss some recent developments in process modeling, sensing, and control that aim to break this open-loop paradigm by providing the controls theoretic and process modeling knowledge to develop a robust closed-loop system for measurement and compensatory control.