Northwestern University
Assembly Line
The Future of Manufacturing Is on Display at Prof. Ping Guo’s Northwestern Lab
Northwestern University’s Ping Guo is at the forefront of advanced manufacturing research, exploring innovative technologies that are shaping the future of additive manufacturing (AM) and beyond. From intelligent metrology and solid-state powder production to groundbreaking robotics for large-scale surface patterning, Guo’s Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Laboratory is tackling industry challenges with multidisciplinary approaches that promise scalability, affordability, and precision. 3DPrint.com visited Guo at Northwestern, where we were able to get an in-depth look at the work being performed and learn about its implications for the broader manufacturing landscape.
At the heart of many AM challenges is quality control, a domain where Guo’s team has developed game-changing solutions. Leveraging photometric stereo and deep learning algorithms, the lab has created a metrology system capable of detecting surfaces defects additively manufactured parts. This system uses multi-modal imaging and computer vision to provide real-time 3D geometry and surface texture analysis, all within a scalable framework.
Another groundbreaking area of research in Guo’s lab is the production of high-quality metal powders for AM. By employing ultrasonic vibration machining, the team has demonstrated a novel method for generating uniform, micron-sized powders with tight dimensional tolerances. This solid-state process avoids the traditional atomization methods that require high energy inputs and often result in material waste.
A greener, cleaner way to extract cobalt from ‘junk’ materials
To that end, an area of research his lab has been focusing on is the separation of battery-critical metals like nickel and cobalt. In a new paper, published in the journal Chem, Schelter’s team and collaborators at Northwestern University presented an “easier, more sustainable, and cheaper way to separate both from materials that would otherwise be considered waste.”
Typically, the researchers say, cobalt is often produced as a byproduct of nickel mining by way of hydrometallurgical methods such as acid leaching and solvent extraction, which separates cobalt and nickel from ores. It’s an energy-intensive method that generates significant hazardous waste.
The process Schelter and the team developed to circumvent this is based on a chemical-separation technique that leverages the charge density and bonding differences between two molecular complexes: the cobalt (III) hexammine complex and the nickel (II) hexammine complex.
By introducing a specific negatively charged molecule, or anion, like carbonate into the system, they created a molecular solid structure that causes the cobalt complex to precipitate out of the solution while leaving the nickel one dissolved. Their work showed that the carbonate anion selectively interacts with the cobalt complex by forming strong “hydrogen bonds” that create a stable precipitate. After precipitation, the cobalt-enriched solid is separated through filtration, washed with ammonia, and dried. The remaining solution contains nickel, which can then be processed separately.
AI designs new robot from scratch in seconds
COBOTS: US5952796A
An apparatus and method for direct physical interaction between a person and a general purpose manipulator controlled by a computer. The apparatus, known as a collaborative robot or “cobot,” may take a number of configurations common to conventional robots. In place of the actuators that move conventional robots, however, cobots use variable transmission elements whose transmission ratio is adjustable under computer control via small servomotors. Cobots thus need few if any powerful, and potentially dangerous, actuators. Instead, cobots guide, redirect, or steer motions that originate with the person. A method is also disclosed for using the cobot’s ability to redirect and steer motion in order to provide physical guidance for the person, and for any payload being moved by the person and the cobot. Virtual surfaces, virtual potential fields, and other guidance schemes may be defined in software and brought into physical effect by the cobot.