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Surfi-Sculpt

Surfi-Sculpt is a revolutionary materials processing technology developed at TWI. A power beam is used to generate precisely defined textured surfaces in a matter of seconds per cm2.

This novel power beam materials processing technology creates carefully designed features across a surface, using a laser beam or an electron beam, although the latter process variant is significantly more advanced in its development and has been used in the vast majority of tests to date.

The beam is deflected rapidly over a substrate surface to displace material in a controlled manner. The result is a textured surface consisting of an array of protrusions above the original surface and a corresponding array of intrusions or cavities in the substrate. The process can be used to produce high aspect ratio spikes up to 2mm in height, as well as blades, channels, swirls and burr-free holes in a range of metals, polymers, ceramics and glasses. The process takes just a matter of seconds per square centimetre with the size, shape and distribution of the features all able to be varied to produce a surface tailored for specific applications. 

When the beam comes into contact with the substrate surface it creates a molten pool of material. If the beam is then translated sideways, the combined effects of vapour pressure and surface tension allow the material from the hole to be piled up behind the beam. By repeating this process many times at the same site, protrusions of the order of 2mm in height and 0.2mm in width may be grown, with each being accompanied by one or more corresponding intrusions or holes. A whole series of protrusions can be built up simultaneously across a substrate. With careful control of the beam process parameters (beam accelerating potential, beam current, focus, etc), the design of a unique pattern and precisely defined deflection movements, it is possible to create a wide variety of different surfaces.

The features that can be created using Surfi-Sculpt include:

  • High aspect ratio features
  • Honeycomb structures
  • Hollow conical features
  • Multiple stage treatments
  • Fine-scale fins
  • Holes/slots with no burrs on the reverse

Because the process is highly flexible, it offers the opportunity to design customised surfaces for any application.

Applications

Surfaces produced with the Surfi-Sculpt process have shown potential for the following applications:

  • Composite to metal bonding (also known as ComeldTM)
  • Promotion of adhesive bonding
  • Bonding and direct moulding of polymers to metal parts
  • Manufacture of aerodynamically enhanced surfaces
  • Manufacture of hydrodynamically enhanced surfaces
  • As a preparation prior to surface coating
  • Manufacture of filters and other applications requiring shaped slots and holes, e.g. for mixing of gases and/or liquids
  • Manufacture of surfaces with enhanced thermal properties
  • Manufacture of tailored surfaces with specific wave interaction, absorption, emission and/or propagation properties
  • Manufacture of locally alloyed functional surfaces with specific mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermal chemical, and other properties
  • A prototype liquid cold plate heat exchanger (courtesy of Thermacore Europe)

TWI would welcome collaboration with potential industrial users of the technology in any of the above application areas.

Surfi-Sculpt Types

  • Electron Beam Surfi-Sculpt: The electron beam is controlled by a programmable system comprising hardware and software developed at TWI. EB Surfi-Sculpt has been developed for a range of industrial applications
  • Laser Beam Surfi-Sculpt: Although less mature, work is underway on a wide variety of materials employing high brightness laser beams, with rapid workpiece movement or galvanometric mirror beam deflection
  • Fine-Scale Surfi-Sculpt: Currently, features of the order of tens of microns up to tens of millimetres in height can be made. Further work on micro and macro processing using Surfi-Sculpt has been undertaken as part of the TWI Core Research Programme (CRP)

Development and Prototyping Equipment at TWI:

  • Electron Beam - several EB machines are presently equipped for Surfi-Sculpt development
  • Laser - a variety of different laser types and powers are available for development work

Surfi-Sculpt - Licensing

Surfi-Sculpt was invented by Bruce Dance at TWI in 2002, and has been the subject of ongoing research and development. TWI has obtained granted patents for this technology in Europe, USA, Japan and a number of other countries (EP1387734, EP1551590, US6670571, US7667158 and others).

The patents cover the Surfi-Sculpt process, so anyone using the process needs permission from TWI. TWI is pleased to offer non-exclusive licences to potential users on reasonable commercial terms.

Surfi-Sculpt® is a registered trademark of TWI.

Third Party/Licensees

Licensed machine suppliers:

CVE Ltd
Denny Industrial Centre
Pembroke Avenue
Waterbeach
Cambs CB25 9QX
UK

Email:sales@camvaceng.co.uk
Web: www.camvaceng.co.uk

Licensed Job Shops:

EBTEC Corporation
120 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01001-3695 USA
Email: info@ebteccorp.com
Web: www.ebteccorp.com

Technetics Group
305 Fentress Boulevard
Daytona Beach, FL 32114 USA
Email: sales@techneticsgroup.com
Web: www.technetics.com

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk