Using AM Research to Build Partnership

Metal Additive Manufacturing: Process-Structure-Property Relationship

Dr. Amir Hadadzadeh, assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering, received an award from Medtronic Incorporated for his research “Metal Additive Manufacturing: Process-Structure-Property Relationship”. Establishing this partnership between the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering and Medtronic to advance the additive manufacturing (AM) research activities at the UofM and enhance the AM products at Medtronic, this project focuses on metal additive manufacturing and how processing conditions affect the microstructure and properties of parts. This is a one-year project with a potential extension for additional years.

The Metal Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (MAML) was established at UofM in 2018 to enhance research in advanced manufacturing. This lab is equipped with two laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) systems: EOS M100 and EOS M290. EOS M100 is a small platform used for alloy and process development through the fabrication of small parts, while EOS M290 is an industrial-scale platform used for the fabrication of high-performance parts. This project will mainly utilize the EOS M290 system for the fabrication of industrial-scale parts.

This project is conducted under three main themes:

1. Study the effectiveness of Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) on the microstructure, quasi-static, and fatigue strength of L-PBF spinal cage bioimplants.
2. Study the effect of additive manufacturing build variations on surgical stainless-steel tools.
3. L-PBF process development for a low-modulus bio-compatible titanium alloy.

Under each research theme, the microstructure (i.e., the arrangement of the internal components of the material at nano and micron scales) of the material will be studied using multi-scale microscopy techniques and correlated to the mechanical properties. The research team will design the process and post-process treatments in a way that the desired mechanical properties are achieved through engineering proper microstructures.

Hadadzadeh is an expert in the fields of additive manufacturing, materials science and engineering, metallurgy, and processing-microstructure-properties relationships, with a strong record of publication (more than 50 peer-reviewed journal papers). This project will enhance his research effort in the field of additive manufacturing and materials science and engineering. In addition, this project will leverage the partnership between the UofM and Biomedical industries with a beneficial impact on the MAML status.

For more information on this project, contact Hadadzadeh at amir.hadadzadeh@memphis.edu.