Thu, 25 August, 2022
NSIRC PhD Student Antonios Dimopoulos has returned from a five day trip to Kanfit3D in Israel, where he conducted research experiments on ‘Multi-Objective Optimisation of Metal Support Structures for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Systems.’
Antonios said that the trip to Israel was rewarding, “It has enriched my knowledge in the field of metal Additive Manufacturing (AM). I was involved in the whole 3D printing procedure, where I learnt how to operate SLM machines, how to design for metal printing, and how to generate support structures by using appropriate software.”
During the placement, Antonios received training in how to manage the various support parameters, and techniques to remove support structures manually and by using basic tools.
He was also involved in the entire post-processing procedure, from supports removal to advanced sandblasting and polishing methods.
I also received significant feedback on different support properties that I investigate, something that will be beneficial for the completion of the experiments and the upcoming work.
Antonios Dimopoulos
The aim of Antonios’ research is to propose optimised support structures for metal AM and LPBF systems that are easy to remove, reducing the time and effort needed during post-processing, and consume the minimum support material without affecting the quality of the final part.
Results from this research are to be used to develop an innovative platform for effortless, reliable, and sustainable AM, capable of detecting the critical areas of an imported object where supports are needed, and proposing optimised support structures for each specific area.
3D printing procedure and operating SLM machines. Photo: Antonios Dimopoulos
Manual removal of the support structure. Photo: Antonios Dimopoulos
First tangible results of PhD research. Photo: Antonios Dimopoulos
Antonios’ PhD is awarded by Brunel University London and sponsored by Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
The research is supervised by Professor Tat-Hean Gan, TWI Ltd Group Director of Innovation and Skills, and Dr Panagiotis Chatzakos, TWI Hellas Manager and Director of Essex AI, an innovation centre dedicated to the advancement of artificial intelligence with industrial application.
Header Image: Antonios Dimopoulos