Intelligent Processing for Spray Metal Manufacturing

A program to implement real time sensing and control of spray formed preform conditions is underway at the David Taylor Research Center. The objective of the program is to develop sensor and control technology to monitor the critical process conditions and to modify parameters during the spray forming process to produce components with repeatable microstructural quality. This task has been divided into two phases, the first of which entails development of sensors and controls to monitor and correct simulated process conditions. In the second phase, the selected sensors and controls will be combined with actuators for integration with the DTRC equipment to allow for the production of nonsymmetric preforms.