About
Conor Sheehan
Postgraduate Researcher
I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Chemical Physics from UCC in 2020, and I am currently in the first year of my PhD at I-Form in UCD with the CDT in Advanced Metallic Systems. My main research interests include metal additive manufacturing, in process monitoring, and data analysis.
Research Interests (Lay Summary)
Having started my PhD research in 2020, I aim to examine the potential use of in-process data monitoring of laser-based powder bed fusion produced Titanium alloy as a form of quality control. Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) produced Titanium alloy is used extensively in the medical device and aerospace industries. In researching the data produced by an in-process spectroscopic emission monitoring system, and aiming to correlate the data to defects in the produced components, my research aims to address the current need for an accurate and efficient quality control system.
Technical Summary
The aim of my work is to facilitate a greater use of in-process data monitoring in the production of Ti6Al4V through laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) as a means of quality control. The PBF-LB process can induce various defects in the produced component as a consequence of the intricate physical phenomena that occur during the rapid melting and solidification process.
Understanding how these defects occur, and how they appear in the generated process data is crucial in order to produce a consistent quality control defect detection method. Process monitoring is seen as a necessary approach in order to ensure consistent quality assurance in the produced components. Not much is known about how natural defects manifest in the in-process data produced, and this work aims to demonstrate how process monitoring can be used effectively to detect defects in near real time as a form of quality assurance.