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Intelligent Processing of Materials for Plasma Deposition

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Abstract

Induction coupled plasma deposition (ICPD) is currently being explored to produce metal matrix composite (MMC) materials in the aircraft engine/aerospace industry. This paper addresses the development and integration of process knowledge, process simulation, process sensors and control strategy, as part of the intelligent processing of materials (IPM) initiative for the orderly transfer of processing knowledge from laboratory to production. The driving force for IPM is the stringent quality constraints on the ICPD process. In order to meet these constraints, an intelligent process control strategy had to be developed, which involves two key elements - a process simulator and process sensors. The objectives of the process simulator were to establish control strategy algorithms through sensitivity studies on the process parameters, to provide a computer-aided tool to reduce the process development cycle time, and to provide further understanding of and improvement in the ICPD manufacturing process. The objectives of the process sensors were to provide experimental data for on-line process control, as well as validation of the process simulator.

During the course of this work, we have developed an innovative, fast-acting process simulator, which maintains fidelity to the process physics and retains all of the control variables, yet operates in a responsive, interactive manner. We have defined and demonstrated a process sensor system for measuring the deposit surface temperature, and identified several plasma transmission window regions for the ICPD process. We have developed a preliminary control strategy for the intelligent processing of MMC monotapes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank DARPA for their sponsorship of this work, D. Backman for his support and coordination of the project, D. Wei for providing the code for his detailed Free Stream Model, P. Siemers and S. Rutkowski for their guidance in the experimental work, and S. Savkar, S. Miller, and G. Frind for their experimental data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Process Technology Program, GE Corporate Research and Development, Schenectady, NY, 12301

    H.P. Wang, E.M. Perry & R.D. Lillquist

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  1. H.P. Wang
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  2. E.M. Perry
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  3. R.D. Lillquist
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Wang, H., Perry, E. & Lillquist, R. Intelligent Processing of Materials for Plasma Deposition. MRS Online Proceedings Library 190, 3–9 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-190-3

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