Horst Meier

On the development of high quality NiTi shape memory and pseudoelastic parts by additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing provides an attractive processing method for nickel–titanium (NiTi) shape memory and pseudoelastic parts. In this paper, we show how the additive manufacturing process affects structural and functional properties of additively manufactured NiTi and how the process parameter set-up can be optimized to produce high quality NiTi parts and components. Comparisons of shape recovery due to shape memory and pseudoelasticity in additively manufactured and commercial NiTi exhibit promising potential for this innovative processing method.

An Ontology of Business Models for Industrial Product-Service Systems

Delivering Industrial Product Service Systems (IPS2) is a strategic priority for many companies, since IPS2 represent an opportunity to differentiate from competitors and to build long-term customer relationships. However, these relationships have to be characterized, e.g. in terms of delivering value, generating revenues, and sharing risks, which can be done through a business model. Nevertheless, the existing research on business models lacks structure especially with regard to IPS2. To provide a first step into closing this research gap, this study aims at delivering an IPS2-specific business model ontology. Based on this, a case study of a solution provider is conducted.

Two Point Incremental Forming with Two Moving Forming Tools

This paper describes a new development of an incremental, robot based sheet metal forming process for the production of sheet metal components for limited-lot productions and prototypes. The kinematic based generation of the shape is implemented by means of two industrial robots, which are interconnected to a cooperating robot system. Compared to other incremental sheet metal forming machines this system offers a high geometrical form flexibility without the need of any workpiece dependent tools. The principle of the procedure is based on flexible shaping by means of a freely programmable path-synchronous movement of two robots. So far, the final shape is produced by the incremental infeed of the forming tool in depth direction and its movement along the contour in lateral direction on each level. The counter tool, with its simple geometry, was used to support the sheet metal on the backside by moving synchronously along the outer contour, constantly on the same level. This corresponds to a fixed backplate used in other incremental sheet metal forming processes. Due to the use of a new robot system with extended control algorithms for cooperating robots, it will be possible to release the counter tool from its constant path on the outer contour and support the forming tool right on the opposite side of the sheet to generate a predefined gap between the two hemispherical tools. This way at each moment a small part of a full die, as it is used in other processes, is simulated without the need of producing a workpiece dependent die. The extended payload of the new robot system gives the opportunity to form steel blanks, for the first time.

Modelling Approach for the Integrated Development of Industrial Product-Service Systems

Shifting business focus from offering mere physical products to offering IPS2 an innovative strategy to meet customer requirements is revealed. The objective of this paper is to present a modelling approach for integrated development of IPS2-concepts in early development phases. The characteristics of the IPS2 concept modelling approach are deduced from a case study on a fictitious micro-manufacturing task. The proposed modelling approach abolishes established and mostly diffuse borders between products and services to assess systems behaviour already in early phases. Furthermore, applying the concept of modularisation to services in order to reduce complexity induced by specific IPS2-characteristics is discussed.

Smart Control Systems for Smart Materials

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are thermally activated smart materials. Due to their ability to change into a previously imprinted shape by the means of thermal activation, they are suitable as actuators for microsystems and, within certain limitations for macroscopic systems. Most commonly used SMAs for actuators are binary nickel-titanium alloys (NiTi). The shape memory effect relies on the martensitic phase transformation. On heating the material from the low temperature phase (martensite) the material starts to transform into the high temperature phase (austenite) at the austenite start temperature (As). The reverse transformation starts at the martensite start temperature after passing a hysteresis cycle. To apply these materials to a wide range of industrial applications, a simple method for controlling the actuator effect is required. Today’s control concepts for shape memory actuators, in applications as well as in test stands, are time-based. This often leads to overheating after transformation into the high temperature phase which results in early fatigue. Besides, the dynamic behavior of such systems is influenced by unnecessary heating, resulting in a poor time performance. To minimize these effects, a controller system with resistance feedback is required to hold the energy input on specific keypoints. These two key points are directly before transformation (As) and shortly before retransformation (Ms). This allows triggering of fast and energy-efficient transformation cycles. Both experimental results and a mechatronical demonstrator system, exhibit the advantages of systems concerning efficiency, dynamics, and reliability.

Industrial Product-Service-Systems - Typology of Service Supply Chain for IPS2 Providing

Today’s organizational forms either focus on the production of products or of the delivering of services. That leads to the creation of supply chains by outsourcing parts from the original manufacturer to a supplier. Due to the increasing global competition companies are forced to stand out by using Industrial Product-Service-Systems (IPS2). The possibility to manage the increasing complexity by outsourcing processes to suppliers and thereby generating supply chains cannot be simply adapted to the delivery of an IPS2. Thus, the configuration of supply chains in the delivery phase of IPS2 requires the development of new methods and tools. With this approach a service supply chain typology for IPS2 providing and the process workflow to generate IPS2 networks are pointed out.

Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Devices and Pseudoelastic Components

Processing of Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloys (NiTi) is by no means easy because all processing steps can strongly affect the properties of the material. Hence, near-net-shaping technologies are very attractive for processing NiTi due to reduction of the processing route. Additive Manufacturing (AM) provides especially promising alternatives to conventional processing because it offers unparalleled freedom of design. In the last 5 years AM of NiTi received little attention from academics and researchers and, therefore, is far from being established for processing NiTi today. This work is to highlight the current state of the art of using the AM technique Selective Laser Melting (SLM) for processing high quality NiTi parts. For this reason, fundamentals for SLM processing of NiTi are described. It is shown in detail that a careful control of process parameters is of great importance. Furthermore, this work characterizes structural and functional properties like shape recovery, referring to the shape memory effect in Ti-rich SLM NiTi, or pseudoelasticy in Ni-rich SLM NiTi. It is shown that both types of shape memory effects can be adjusted in SLM NiTi by the choice of the raw material and processing strategy. By comparing the properties of SLM NiTi to those of conventionally processed NiTi, this work clearly shows that SLM is an attractive manufacturing method for production of high quality NiTi parts.© 2013 ASME

Modularization based design for innovative product-related industrial service

The demand for flexible, efficient and customer-supplier cooperative industrial services is becoming more and more important in the current market oriented arena. Under the environment of manufacturing development which trends to globalization and more sophisticated technology links, both the contents and the forms of industrial service should be extended. Based on analyzing industrial service challenges, the new concept of the industrial service is proposed. From the customer perspective, the systematic industrial service design method is presented. This method provides the modularization and standardization service modules and takes product dimension, service dimension and cooperation dimension into consideration. Especially, the design process and architecture of service module are described to response the changing customer demands through customer specific configuration. The proposed methods are outlined in a case study to explain the design and implementation of the industrial service.

Hybride Leistungsbündel – ein neues Produktverständnis

Kunden der Investitionsguterindustrie erwarten zunehmend masgeschneiderte Problemlosungen, welche sich einfach in bestehende Wertschopfungsketten integrieren lassen und austauschbare Prozesselemente ohne starre Bindungen und langfristige Verpflichtungen beinhalten. Die ausschliesliche Konzentration auf die Wirtschaftlichkeit, Produktivitat und Qualitat der Sachleistung ist in diesem Zusammenhang ohne geeignete Dienstleistungsangebote nicht mehr ausreichend (wt Werkstattstechnik online). Durch die zunehmende Integration des Anbieters in die Kundenprozesse werden daruber hinaus wichtige Erkenntnisse uber die wahren Kundenbedurfnisse deutlich, die weitere Innovationsschube auslosen. Dies bedeutet auf keinen Fall, dass die Innovationen im Sachleistungsbereich an Bedeutung verlieren, sondern dass zusatzliche Innovationen im Dienstleistungsbereich unerlasslich werden. Letztendlich mussen Sach- und Dienstleistungen integriert geplant, entwickelt, erbracht und genutzt werden. Nur so lassen sich umfassend die Kundenanforderungen berucksichtigen und ein maximaler Kundennutzen realisieren. Damit wird die Beherrschung der integrierten Planung, Entwicklung, Implementierung, Erbringung und Nutzung von Leistungsbundeln bestehend aus Sach- und Dienstleistungsanteilen zu einer wettbewerbsentscheidenden Schlusselkompetenz.

A New Robot-Based Sheet Metal Forming Process

This paper describes a new sheet metal forming process for the production of sheet metal components for limited-lot productions and prototypes. The kinematic based generation of the shape is implemented by means of a new forming machine comprising of two industrial robots. Compared to conventional sheet metal forming machines this newly developed sheet metal forming process offers a high geometrical form flexibility and also shows comparatively small deformation forces for high deformation degrees. The principle of the procedure is based on flexible shaping by means of a freely programmable path-synchronous movement of the two robots. The sheet metal components manufactured in first attempts are simple geometries like truncated pyramids and cones as well as spherical cups. Among other things the forming results could be improved by an adjustment of the movement strategy, a variation of individual process parameters and geometric modifications of the tools. Apart from a measurement of the form deviations of the sheet metal with a Coordinate Measurement Machine rasterised and deformed sheet metals were used for deformation analyses. In order to be able to use the potential of this process, a goal-oriented process design is as necessary as specific process knowledge. In order to achieve process stability and safety the essential process parameters and the process boundaries have to be determined.