POLARONYX INC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: 17a

Description

Additive manufacturing (AM), esp. laser AM, becomes a powerful tool to replace conventional methods such as casting and hot spray, due to its cost effectiveness and capability of making complex structure and composition. However, direct melting of high temperature ceramic materials and fabrication of large multi-material radial collimators is still a challenging field, mainly due to limited understanding of composition control, laser melting control, and melted structure formation and phase transition. Based on our patented laser AM technology and the world’s first product of fs fiber laser AM, PolarOnyx proposes, for the first time, a super large AM/SM system to overcome these difficulties and meet the requirement of making large radial collimators. Significant breakthroughs were made: Achieved high density (>99%) and excellent mechanical properties for the metal/ceramic structures, and world’s first successful demonstration on neutron scattering using 3D printed parts. PolarOnyx will prototype the large AM/SM system to make nuclear quality and complex radial collimators. Composition optimization helps neutron scattering measurement. In addition to the 3D AM applications (potential $44B market in 2025), material processing is another major commercial application for this project. This includes (1) Photonic device fabrications, such as waveguide, coupler, WDM, modulator, and switching; (2) all types of metal processing such as welding, cutting, annealing, and drilling; (3) semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing such as lithography, inspection, control, defect analysis and repair, and via drilling; (4) other materials processing such as rapid prototyping, desk top manufacturing, micromachining, photofinishing, embossed holograms, and grating manufacturing.