Sponsor: NYU Global Seed Grant Initiative (2016-2019)
Advancements in digital manufacturing have made it possible for a product to be designed in computer aided design software (CAD), analyzed and optimized using finite element software (FEA), and transmitted to a computerized additive manufacturing (AM) machine such as a 3D printer. This completely digital process chain has several vulnerabilities as documented recently in government reports and research articles. These vulnerabilities include incorrect final product dimensions or properties due to the modular approach to the design, analysis and printing stages; theft through computer or network hacking; or loss of information during various iterations of prototype printing and designing. In this project, we intend to explore a number of possibilities that can compromise the final product made through AM methods. The main objectives of this project are to:
- Understand the limitations of CAD software and the current generation of 3D printers, and their impact on the final product
- Develop new strategies for 3D printing parts that challenge these limitations (e.g. microscale features, micropatterned surfaces)
- Use the software and process limitations for developing security features against intellectual property theft.