Supervisors: Professor Ivan Cole (RMIT), Professor Nazmul Alam (RMIT), and Dr. Rou Jun Toh (RMIT)
Thesis Title: Surface Properties of components formed by additive/subtractive manufacturing
Thesis synopsis: Laser powder direct energy deposition (LP-DED) is an additive manufacturing process that employs a concentrated laser beam with a high energy density to locally melt the material. The use of a concentrated laser beam and a high material deposition rate results in inferior surface characteristics, including elevated residual stresses and increased surface roughness. Premature fractures, cracks, distortions, and warpage in the components fabricated by LP-DED pose significant challenges that impede their widespread industrial applications. Residual stresses represent one of the primary causes of these issues, arising from high temperature gradients or non-uniform temperature distribution. While post-processing techniques are often employed to either eliminate or reduce these stresses, they are unable to rectify permanent process-induced defects such as cracks. Therefore, the implementation of in-process strategies to mitigate these residual stresses is of paramount importance in advancing the large-scale production of metal parts.
The research project’s primary objective is to achieve uniform structures by reducing temperature gradients and associated defects, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of metal parts.
Ikram Ul Hassan has a mechanical engineering background and received their Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering Design from Deakin University (Australia) in 2020.
Prior to joining RMIT University as a PhD student, Ikram worked as a design engineer in design & manufacturing areas across Victoria (Australia). During this time, Ikram was associated with product development & innovation teams responsible for designing & manufacturing compact heat exchanger devices and analysing their thermal properties using different equipment for various industry partners. Ikram’s interests in working on additive manufacturing technologies was due to its sustainability (lower waste & simpler process train). Currently, Ikram working on a research project in association with the Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials Industrial Transformation Training Centre (SEAM ITTC) and industry partner Romar Engineering for surface properties optimisation of hybrid (additive and subtractive) manufactured parts.
