Directed Energy Materials (DEM) for Advanced Manufacturing

The Industry 4.0 revolution is now upon us with future goals of increased production, sustainable methods, and new possibilities of rapid agility/resilience. Demand on the material side has not paced with the new connective and intelligent technologies. Smart materials, which respond to specific external or internal stimuli, have had limited innovations with respect to the 4.0 agility and resilience that is sought. We aim to fill this research and industrial gap with novel platform technology based on Directed Energy Materials (DEM)—an emerging discipline at the interface between physics and materials science. Current plastics are based off legacy formulations—no electronic activation or automation possible. In contrast, directed energy materials allow remote activation, real-time feedback, and external digital manipulation for a new paradigm of design intents. This innovative transformation creates new platforms aimed to remove laborious manufacturing methods. Alignment of Industry 4.0 renaissance is proposed through retooling of static, resin/plastics to dynamic materials that can be activated through the directed energy spectrum. The new modus operandi for Directed Energy Materials (DEM): (1) Magnetic field responsive thermoplastics, where induction-based directed energy allows advanced manufacturing methods of thermoplastic composites, for the first time. (2) Voltage/current electrochemical induction of semiconductive resin/plastics for instantaneous electro-setting composites. (3) Sustainable composite lifecycles that exploits DEM attributes for composites repair, post-consumer recycling and ‘cradle-to-grave’ product lifecycle directives. DEM platforms have the following design intent: (1) impart remote, on-demand functions, (2) integrate with automated assisted manufacturing, (3) provide real-time processing feedback, and (4) address unmet industrial needs of post-consumer sustainability. Mapping the platform structure property relationships of DEM-composites constitutes the translational science and intellectual framework of this CRP proposal.