Additive Manufacturing: Magnetic Field Assisted (AMMFA)
The goal is to produce magnetic magnets for additive manufacturing, high-value-added components. Based on previous knowledge, existing manufacturing equipment will be modified by adding permanent magnets to generate an external magnetic field.
To create a permanent magnet, it is necessary to align the magnetic particles in the same direction. This will be achieved through a magnetization process carried out during manufacturing. The material will be exposed to a magnetic field during the solidification and shaping process.
Currently, there is a wide variety of 3D printing techniques depending on the method used to bond the material layer by layer. Among them, Direct Ink Writing (DIW) emerges as a highly versatile 3D printing technique, making it possible to print virtually any material through extrusion and layer-by-layer deposition of a high-viscosity ink that can support its own weight due to its viscoelastic properties. This allows for the printing of geometries with high geometric complexity, with lateral dimensions below 1 micron, using filters with a diameter of about 600 nm, indicating the suitability of this process for obtaining miniaturized devices with high form factors.
This proposal has aspects related to sustainability and the circular economy. The magnetic material to be used will be recycled magnetic material. Additionally, in the viability analysis for productive application, the life cycle of the components and materials used will be taken into account. In the industrial field, the generation of components with an optimized and sustainable design of permanent magnets is expected, reducing the dependence on rare earth elements and recycling obsolete components; as well as developing new sustainable and scalable manufacturing processes.
Project reference: 2023 LLAV 00044
Program and call: Knowledge Industry Program, promoted by the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia.
Participants: Universitat de Girona
