Welcome to my portfolio showcasing my work in advancing additive manufacturing through innovative design methodologies. My research focuses on developing next-generation design tools and algorithms that bridge the gap between traditional CAD systems and modern 3D printing capabilities. Featured projects include OpenVCAD, a volumetric design platform for multi-material printing; medical image printing for surgical planning; automated design of impact-absorbing lattices; and my contributions to ORNL's Slicer 2 project. Through these works, I demonstrate my commitment to revolutionizing how we approach design for additive manufacturing.
The primary bottleneck faced by additive manufacturing is the inefficiency of design workflows. There has been significant interest in advancing AM processes and machines, resulting in larger, faster, and more capable printers; however, design methodology has not kept pace with these mechanical advancements. Consequently, many state-of-the-art AM practices are now constrained by what can be designed rather than what can be physically constructed. Although there have been notable improvements in toolpath planning techniques, there is a critical shortage of researchers exploring the question
What is the optimal approach to design for additive manufacturing?
Engineering design is rooted in the drafting table. Designers sketched in 2D to detail parts for manual fabrication workflows (i.e. subtractive or metal forming).
As fabrication and mass production improved, we began to capture 3D designs. Methods focused on capturing the surface and visual properties of designs.
Many early Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools were limited by the graphics and manufacturing capabilities of their time. Since their inception, these programs have not always kept pace with advances in fabrication.
Conventional wisdom advises engineers to rely on familiar solid body modeling tools such as SOLIDWORKS or Fusion360. However, these methods prove ineffective when designing objects that fully exploit the potential of modern AM technologies. These methods are rooted in a history a CAD representations that were created for a world that fabricated single material homogeneous objects. Likewise design workflows currently offer a one-way street from design software to printed artifact. Often knowledge about the fabricated part performance, or printing modality must be known and employed by an export engineering when designing parts. This raises the bar of entry to the additive manufacturing field and is often a source of contention between machine operator and design engineer.
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My work is at the intersection of design, computer science, and mechanical engineering. I aim to rethink the core methods we use to communicate our design intent to 3D printers. I envision a future were designers and algorithms can not just describe the geometry of their printed parts, but also request the printer imbue their design with multi-function intelligence.
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OpenVCAD is an open-source design tool that allows for the creation of complex multi-material objects with intricate internal structures. Unlike traditional design methods that represent objects as surfaces, OpenVCAD uses a volumetric approach, enabling the precise control of material composition throughout an object. This innovative approach allows for the design and fabrication of complex multi-material objects like compliant mechanisms and meta-materials, pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing capabilities.
OpenVCAD emerged from the need to bridge the gap between advanced additive manufacturing capabilities and the limitations of traditional design tools. Specifically, it addresses the challenges of designing complex multi-material objects with intricate internal structures, which are often poorly represented by conventional CAD software. By utilizing a volumetric approach and implicit modeling techniques, OpenVCAD allows for precise control over material composition throughout an object. This enables the creation of smooth gradients, complex material distributions, and previously impossible geometries, pushing the boundaries of design and fabrication in the realm of additive manufacturing.
Multi-color screwdriver designed with OpenVCAD and printed on a Stratasys J750 PolyJet 3D printer
Tri-color gradient Utah Teapot designed in OpenVCAD and printed on a Stratasys J750 PolyJet 3D printer
OpenVCAD moves beyond the ad-hoc and one-off scripting methods previously used for complex multi-material design, offering a standardized and user-friendly platform for expressing intricate material compositions. As an open-source project, OpenVCAD is freely available for educational, hobbyist, and research purposes, fostering wider accessibility and collaboration within the additive manufacturing community. For commercial applications, licensing opportunities are available to integrate OpenVCAD's capabilities into professional workflows.
Graded Gyroid Airplane Wing: Featuring a gyroid structure with a gradient and size variations. Printed with Inkjet.
OpenVCAD advances lattice design by enabling direct control of material composition within the lattice structure, a feature absent in current methods that typically focus solely on geometric grading. This allows for the creation of lattices with complex material gradients and spatially varying mechanical properties, such as the hard-to-soft transition shown in the accompanying image. This capability has significant implications for applications in fields like biomedicine and aerospace where precise control over mechanical performance is crucial.