Scully Beaver Fitzgibbons

Coventry University, United Kingdom

Title: AM for Engineering Design and Manufacturing

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Biography

Scohldun Beaver Fitzgibbons is a design researcher in mechanical engineering design and manufacturing with a focus on algorithmic design techniques in the design of complex geometry for aircraft, aerospace and automotive body components through AM (additive manufacturing) enabled design processes from SLA 3D printing. Scohldun conducted his PhD research at the Edinburgh College of Arts at the University of Edinburgh and is currently engaged in CAD/CAM research with advanced manufacturing/3D printing technologies to improve aerodynamic analysis and design for body engineering applications in aerospace and automotive industries.

Abstract

Surfaces and parts in stress and strain analysis are exposed to several inevitable forces of nature. This research by design/prototyping process through dynamic simulations/polymer additive manufacturing develops envelope systems for producing exterior body shells and surface components for aircraft, aerospace and automotive body applications. While most contributions in the field of mechanical engineering focus mainly on part design by providing novel methodologies for embracing shape complexity of AM (additive manufacturing)/3D printing processes to improve performance and product life cycle, little research aims at seizing AM benefits through the design of complex geometry for aerodynamic analysis at conceptual design stages in new product development. The resulting design experiments developed in this research from dynamic simulations/AM enabled design processes can be read as aerofoil blueprints for developing different envelope solutions in early design stages targeted at modelling techniques and manufacturing aspects of creating curved surface body panels for aerodynamic improvement. This hybrid model of research brings together design and technical innovation supported by constraint modelling methods from dynamic systems. The focus of such project includes mechanics and motion, engineering dynamics and geometry optimisation for printing and testing different envelope solutions through AM processes within the optimisation framework of CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) systems with process specific constraints of Bézier curves, NURB (non-uniform rational B-splines) surfaces and control vertices in GRID based problem-solving environments. In this context, the reflection and evaluation of design outputs through 3D printed geometry are the key components that aid designers and engineers to develop new knowledge in delivering design solutions, whilst embracing the full potentials of AM.