SHAPE (Self Healing Alloys for Precision Engineering)

The project aims are twofold; firstly, to develop a new generation of self-healing alloys suitable for Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes and secondly; to develop a metallic manufacturing process that takes advantages of the flexibility and environmental credentials offered by AM and the precision offered by subtractive manufacturing to pave the way for the manufacture of novel components with critical feature tolerances of sub 10 microns. A knowledge gap exists between these two manufacturing methods at this level of precision, which once unlocked, will allow the design engineer of precision mechanisms to be more innovative, and hence more effective, in achieving multifunctional components. It is vital to develop the link between the two processes to meet the ever increasing challenges faced by the mechanisms engineer in terms of weight, structural integrity & functional performance. By developing new self-healing alloy materials, tailored to the AM process and to the design engineers' needs for higher strength-to-density ratio materials, in a single project that aligns the full supply chain, ensures efficient and synchronised use of funding.