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| Projects Fundamental metrology for material processing Investigation of measurements and standards needs for metal-based additive processes Metrology and standards for coordinated 5-axis motion In-situ 3D optical and mechanical metrology of fabricated parts Performance metrics for manufacturing equipment used as measuring tools Manufacturing process monitoring and control using wireless sensor networks
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Manufacturing Metrology Division Program Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Program Manager: Alkan Donmez Annual FTEs: 11.0 NIST staff 4.0 guest researchers 15.0 total FTEs Challenge: Provide competitive advantage and stimulate innovation for U.S. manufacturers by developing the metrology and standards infrastructure necessary for a science-based approach to the manufacture of complex, high-value, knowledge-intensive products. Overview: U.S. manufacturing is undergoing fundamental changes in response to global economic and technological forces. Industry trends are shaping a new future for U.S. manufacturers – one where high-value, knowledge-intensive, highly-customized products and processes will be the new cornerstones for growth and prosperity. In labor-intensive commodity sectors, U.S. manufacturers currently face substantial competitive and cost disadvantages. To remain competitive and promote growth, manufacturers must adapt to new challenges and market demands that require more complex and individually customized products with improved quality, functionality, and performance. Such rapidly changing market demands require shorter innovation cycles, more flexible and rapidly reconfigurable manufacturing systems, integrated and streamlined communications and supply networks, reduced environmental impacts, and improved energy efficiencies. The strategy for the future of U.S. manufacturing must be focused on innovative products and processes. The President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) stated1 “the big winners…will be those who develop talent, techniques, and tools so advanced that there is no competition.” To manufacture complex, high-value-add, knowledge-intensive products, the corresponding processes, tools, and materials must be similarly advanced in their capability and functionality. In the future, U.S. manufacturing processes must be accurate, flexible, automated, intelligent, interoperable, reconfigurable, and sustainable. For this vision to come about, an underlying measurements and standards foundation and infrastructure must be developed and implemented so that U.S. manufacturers can quickly capitalize on future game-changing opportunities and technological innovations. The changes to U.S. manufacturing are substantial. Contrary to the popular impression left by some media reports, however, manufacturing is not dying in this country. In reality U.S. manufacturing remains by far the largest manufacturing economy in the world. The U.S. manufacturing sector on its own ranks among the world’s top ten economies, provides 14.3 million jobs 2, and accounts for half of the U.S.economic growth since World War II2. While some reports indicate a slight decrease in the U.S. share of global manufacturing3, the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI indicates that the U.S. share of global manufacturing output has increased since 1980. In comparing the U.S. manufacturing economy with the recent growth of the manufacturing sector in China, the Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT) reports4 that these two manufacturing economies will not reach an equal level until the year 2050 based on their respective current rates of growth. Manufacturing is the engine that drives American prosperity and quality of life, both from the view of manufactured products and the manufacturing process – starting with an idea, leading to research, new innovations, inventions, equipment, new products, and jobs. Manufacturing provides substantial benefits for the entire U.S. economy. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates2 that for every $1 in sales of manufactured goods, an additional $1.37 worth of economic activity is generated – more than from any other economic sector. Technological change is a key force that has reshaped manufacturing in the United States – and around the world – with bigger impacts than from globalization. The RAND Corporation indicates that China lost 25 million manufacturing jobs between 1994 and 2004, ten times more than in the United States4. Technological changes have improved manufacturing productivity such that U.S. manufacturing output is at the highest level in history – with fewer workers. This situation is similar to changes that occurred in agriculture, an industry that is far from gone in the United States. Agriculture is now highly automated and involves less than 2% of the U.S. workforce, down from 40% several decades ago. Productivity gains in manufacturing have required a revolution in workforce skills. The complex, knowledge-intensive products and processes of the future compel us to better absorb, process, and combine information. In the future, manufacturers who can best obtain and integrate knowledge in a timely fashion will have the competitive edge for creating innovative products and processes. This MEL program builds upon NIST expertise and MEL core competencies in measurements and standards for manufacturing systems, processes, and equipment, along with substantial external partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies, to respond to the drivers and trends outlined above for the future of U.S. manufacturing. The program addresses a science-based approach to develop the fundamental metrology and standards infrastructure necessary for U.S. manufacturers to overcome key technical barriers to innovation. Results of this program will help position U.S. manufacturers to remain competitive and to achieve the future vision of U.S. manufacturing. The program aims to provide new measurements and standards to stimulate new innovations and development of “leap-frog” manufacturing capabilities and products by U.S. manufacturers from established industries (aerospace, defense) as well as from growth industries (medical devices, pharmaceuticals, alternative energy, communications, sensors). The fundamental metrology and standards developed by this program will be relevant to a wide variety of new and emerging manufacturing processes and equipment, including multi-function and reconfigurable systems for fabrication, additive manufacturing systems (i.e., direct digital fabrication), intelligent assembly systems, and meso/micro-scale fabrication systems important for the medical devices industry. Industry interactions and further investigations of industry needs and priorities will impact program emphasis as new advanced fabrication processes and systems become available. Program activities will generate enhanced information related to manufacturing processes and equipment as well as manufactured parts through new measurement methods and in-situ and real-time sensing. Data from increasing numbers and types of sensors must be integrated and analyzed to supplement pre-process knowledge. Standardized approaches for knowledge sharing among system components will be used for intelligent, real-time decision-making. Advancements in wireless sensors and sensor networks will be incorporated into the program’s metrology and standards solutions to meet the growing demand by U.S. manufacturers for secure, wireless connections between system components. Physics-based measurement methods will be developed and transferred to industry to increase scientific understanding of manufacturing systems, processes, and equipment. As summarized in the figure below, the program is structured to address three key barriers to innovation during the three-year period ending in FY2011. Each of the three program areas has a direct relevance and impact on the future vision of U.S. manufacturing – that of innovative, complex, high-value-add, knowledge-intensive, highly-customized products and processes. Later sections of this program plan define the corresponding program objectives and specific projects formed to address these three barriers to innovation.
The NIST Assessment of the U.S. Measurement System (USMS) 5 identified several critical “Measurement Needs” within the scope of this program. These Measurement Needs6 have been validated by industry and other NIST customers and provide further evidence for the importance of developing the metrology and standards infrastructure necessary for a science-based approach to the manufacture of complex, high-value, knowledge-intensive products. 1 PCAST, “Sustaining the Nation’s Innovation Ecosystems, Information Technology Manufacturing and Competitiveness,” 2004 2 National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), http://www.nam.org, “The Facts About Modern Manufacturing,” Section 1: Importance of Manufacturing Overview, October 4, 2006. 3Joel Popkin and Kathryn Kobe, “U.S. Manufacturing Innovation at Risk,” February 2006. 4 Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), http://www.amtonline.org, “U.S. Manufacturing: Challenges and Opportunities,” John B. Byrd III, AMT President, December 2007. 5 NIST Assessment of the U.S. Measurement System, Supporting U.S. Technological Innovation, http://usms.nist.gov. 6 Specific USMS Measurement Needs corresponding to measurements and standards for science-based manufacturing are identified in the project descriptions later in this program plan.
Why NIST? This program targets key barriers to innovation that are caused by an insufficient measurements and standards infrastructure to achieve science-based manufacturing. In-depth knowledge of measurement science and a dedicated, long-term investment are required to overcome the significant, complex measurement challenges. Measurement solutions are most successful when they are not application-specific and can be applied to a variety of different manufacturing processes and situations. In addition, standards development in this area requires unbiased, robust technical contributions. NIST has the unique expertise and mission to address these requirements to help U.S. manufacturers be competitive globally. The program leverages NIST core competencies in measurement science, rigorous traceability, and development and use of standards, as well as specific expertise in measurement and standards for manufacturing systems, processes, and equipment. The focus of the program is on projects that support enabling infrastructural metrology that is not attractive to commercial investment, yet offers significant leverage in a broad range of applications. The program has several unique features that distinguish it from manufacturing research in industry and academia: 1) emphasis on infrastructural metrology and generic, non-proprietary, and standardized metrology methods that can be applied to a broad class of measurement challenges, 2) emphasis on development of rigorous and generic procedures to characterize measurement uncertainty that comply with international standards, and 3) long-term commitment, expertise, and neutrality essential for the development of harmonized and unbiased national and international standards. Program Objectives Objective 1: Develop advanced process metrology methods and tools to increase scientific understanding of manufacturing processes to enable cost-effective production of knowledge-intensive products and cost-effective decision making in response to changing conditions in the manufacturing environment. Projects Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Project 1.1: Fundamental metrology for material processing Project Overview Manufacturing of high-value, knowledge-intensive products requires timely and accurate knowledge about the manufacturing process and the condition of the equipment, process, and part. Knowledge-intensive manufacturing processes with advanced capability and functionality will be the primary enabler for U.S. companies to cost-effectively manufacture complex and difficult-to-make products. For most manufacturing situations, this process knowledge is largely non-existent, incomplete, or non-quantified. There is currently insufficient science-based understanding of manufacturing processes to achieve the desired knowledge-intensive products and processes in a cost-efficient and highly productive manner 7 ,8 . Fundamental metrology methods and standards are needed for real-time manufacturing process monitoring and control and for characterizing the key process phenomena necessary for making informed manufacturing decisions in response to changing conditions in the manufacturing environment. In addition, once timely and accurate process knowledge is obtained, further methods and standards are needed for the unambiguous representation and communication of such knowledge and the integration of information from diverse sources. This project will develop the advanced process metrology methods and tools to increase scientific understanding of manufacturing processes, with an emphasis on generic approaches that will be relevant to a wide variety of new and emerging manufacturing processes and equipment, including multi-function and reconfigurable systems for fabrication, intelligent assembly systems, and meso/micro-scale fabrication systems. Industry interactions and priorities will determine specific application case studies as appropriate. Several process parameters and phenomena are expected to be of critical importance for multiple manufacturing processes, such that common and generic process metrology approaches can be devised. These process phenomena include forces, temperatures, and material transformations at the material/tool interface, tool wear and performance, friction considerations, system vibrations and dynamic response, bulk material properties, and waste by-products of the manufacturing process. Enhanced information related to manufacturing processes and equipment will be obtained through the new measurement methods and from in-situ and real-time sensing for process validation. Standardized approaches for sharing process knowledge among the various manufacturing system components will be used for intelligent, real-time decision-making. Generic, physics-based measurement methods will be developed, promoted through national and international standards organizations, and transferred to industry to increase scientific understanding of manufacturing systems, processes, and equipment. 7 Integrated Manufacturing Technology Roadmap (IMTR), Manufacturing Processes and Equipment, 2000. 8 National Academies Press, “New Directions in Manufacturing: Report of a Workshop,” National Research Council of the National Academies, Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design, 2004. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Project 1.2: Investigation of measurements and standards needs for metal-based additive processes Project Overview: Emerging manufacturing technologies for producing highly-complex customized components include metal-based additive processes, such as selective laser sintering (SLS), direct-metal laser sintering (DMLS), and laser engineered net shaping (LENS). Technologies such as these have been in development over the past decade and their capabilities have grown significantly. However, several barriers have prevented metal-based additive processes from reaching their potential. Primary barriers have included the inability to produce smooth contoured surfaces, limitations in part accuracy, limitations in fabrication speed, and limitations in material density and associated material properties that result from additive fabrication methods. The project will investigate the fundamental characteristics of these new processes, identify critical measurement and standards issues, and develop metrology tools to improve the science-based understanding of these processes. While measurements and standards for metal-based additive manufacturing processes may be a new focus area for MEL, we anticipate overlap in manufacturing process measurements and standards issues that make existing MEL skills and expertise relevant and beneficial for topics such as precision motion control, equipment performance assessment and metrics, manufacturing process control and automation, measurement methods for determining process parameters such as temperatures and forces, and remote sensing and condition monitoring of system performance. As indicated prior, the fundamental metrology and standards developed by this program are intended to be relevant to a wide variety of new and emerging manufacturing processes and equipment. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Program Objectives Objective 2:Develop fundamental metrology, standards, and performance metrics for accurate complex motion of manufacturing equipment enabling the production of complex high-value products. Project 2.1: Metrology and standards for coordinated 5-axis motion Project Overview The high-value, complex (free-form) products of the future require manufacturing processes and equipment capable of generating accurate complex motion, including coordinated multi-axis linear and rotational motion. Existing measurement methods and standards focus on evaluating the single-axis motion needed for the manufacture of simple, prismatic products. Although methods are available to examine errors associated with coordinated motion of two simply-moving components, precise measurement methods for the complex motion of manufacturing equipment with five or more degrees of freedom, necessary to fabricate the complex, free-form products of the future, are currently non-existent. The measurement problem is compounded for the manufacture of meso/micro-scale products since traditional metrology instruments are typically too large and cannot fit within the workspaces of the manufacturing systems needed at this scale. New measurement methods, systems, standards, and performance metrics are urgently needed by U.S. manufacturers to understand and apply the capabilities of the next-generation, multi-axis reconfigurable manufacturing equipment for innovative new products. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Program Objectives Objective 3: Develop metrology methods, standards, and performance metrics to achieve accurate, real-time, on-machine (in-situ) part measurement and certification, to enable future elimination of off-line part inspection. Project 3.1: In-situ 3D optical and mechanical metrology of fabricated parts Project Overview The holy grail in durable goods manufacturing is elimination of the need for off-line part inspection, typically performed using coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and related inspection tools. U.S. manufacturers currently use off-line part measurement and certification for quality control of high-value products. Despite their high accuracy, CMM measurements are time-consuming and must be performed in specialized environments removed from the production floor, resulting in increased production times and higher manufacturing costs. This project will address one component of this challenge by developing on-machine (in-situ) metrology methods, standards, and performance metrics for inspecting and certifying high-value products while the fabricated part is still fixtured within the manufacturing equipment – with a focus on the growing importance of micro/meso-scale fabrication systems and products. The measurement problem is more complex for micro/meso-scaled components due to difficulties in handling the small parts after their fabrication. Optical and mechanical metrology methods will be incorporated into manufacturing systems and evaluated for in-situ part certification and independent measurement of part features relevant to a variety of platforms and applications. The real-time product data obtained by the in-situ measurement systems will form the basis for future manufacturing process monitoring and control. Research will focus on extending the application range and accuracy of 3D imaging systems in production environments, overcoming existing limitations due to line-of-sight requirements, surface imperfections, and variability in part reflectivity, lighting, shadowing, and color. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Project 3.2: Performance metrics for manufacturing equipment used as measuring tools Project Overview: One aspect of the future vision for U.S. manufacturing is that product inspection and certification will occur while the fabricated part remains fixtured within the manufacturing equipment that produced the part. A primary benefit of this approach is that further processing of the part is greatly simplified if the inspection results indicate that changes are necessary. However, a substantial challenge is presented to maintain measurement accuracy when the manufacturing equipment is also used as a measuring machine. Specifically, significant measurement uncertainties can be generated if the manufacturing equipment uses the same controlled motion, axes, and algorithms to measure the part as it used to create the part. The potential exists for machine errors to create unintended deviations in the part that may go undetected in the part inspection and certification measurements. This project will develop the performance standards and standardized performance metrics for on-machine measurements and their associated uncertainty budgets that are critical to achieve accurate, in-situ part inspection and certification. These standards are necessary to drive product and process innovations in sensors for manufacturing, manufacturing control systems, product fabrication systems, and metrology tools for manufacturing. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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Measurements and Standards for Science-Based Manufacturing Project: 3.3: Manufacturing process monitoring and control using wireless sensor networks Project Overview: A key advancement needed to minimize and ultimately eliminate off-line part inspection is the ability to cost-effectively monitor and control the manufacturing process so that its outcome is indirectly and reliably determined. Manufacturing is a complex process with many potential sources of variation. Sensors generate the primary data needed for process control and quality control. However, current limitations in sensor technology and sensor integration result in missing or incomplete data, with a low signal-to-noise ratio – making it difficult to identify and diagnose process conditions in "noisy" environments, often leading to expensive false alarms. Data obtained from multiple sensors that monitor different aspects of the system or operation must be integrated and continually correlated with the expected signatures from the properly functioning system. In addition, optical measurement techniques, such as 3D imaging, generate huge amounts of data related to the measured objects, causing challenges for processing, interpreting, and using this measurement data. Presently industry is unable to integrate these new measurement capabilities into a seamless, quality control system, losing valuable information in the data reduction process. This project will develop models and performance metrics to understand and predict sensor response, establish standards for a new generation of advanced sensors and sensor networks for the manufacturing environment, and create innovative methods for sensor fusion and intelligent data processing for the robust filtering and parameter estimation needed to effectively measure and control the manufacturing process. Advancements in wireless sensors and sensor networks will be incorporated into project results to meet the growing demand by U.S. manufacturers for secure, wireless connections between system components. In comparison to traditional wired networks, wireless sensor systems provide advantages in the manufacturing environment, such as increased flexibility for locating and reconfiguring sensors, elimination of wires in potentially hazardous locations, and ease of network maintenance. However, for wireless sensor networks to become widely used in manufacturing systems, the sensor interoperability standards and performance metrics developed by this project must help U.S. manufacturers overcome several challenges, including reliable receipt of sensor signals, sufficient power for the sensor to provide the desired signal strength, useful life, and continuous communications, and interoperable sensor data and systems. Deliverables and Intermediate Milestones:
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