Senvol ML to be used for missile application with US Army
November 23, 2020
Senvol, New York City, New York, USA, has been awarded a contract with the United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to apply its machine learning software, Senvol ML, to enable the rapid design and qualification of parts for Additive Manufacturing.
As part of the programme, Senvol will develop a qualification plan for AM that leverages machine learning (ML) algorithms. The qualification plan will be flexible, meaning that it can be applied to any part using any Additive Manufacturing process and any AM machine. By leveraging ML algorithms, the qualification plan is expected to be notably more efficient than more traditional plans, requiring fewer builds and less time.
Stephanie Koch, ARL’s Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Processes Program (AMMP) Manager, stated, “Additive Manufacturing is a promising technology that could be used to enable multiple Army Modernization Priorities applications.”
“Despite the potential that Additive Manufacturing offers, the rate of adoption is very slow due to the high cost and time associated with the design, qualification, and certification of additively manufactured parts,” she added. “We are very encouraged with Senvol’s approach, and look forward to seeing how we can leverage machine learning to improve processes.”
The Senvol ML software reportedly supports the qualification of AM processes and the development of AM-specific material design allowables while minimising data generation requirements.
Annie Wang, Senvol president, commented, “Senvol will implement data-driven machine learning technology for the US Army that will substantially reduce the cost of material and part qualification. The significant reduction in cost and the increase in speed will allow the army to support warfighter readiness by unlocking the full transformative potential that Additive Manufacturing offers.”
Senvol’s partners on the programme include Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, EWI, and Pilgrim Consulting. The contract is administered by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) through the AMMP program.
William E Frazier, retired Chief Scientist for Material Engineering at NAVAIR and currently president of Pilgrim Consulting, commented, “I’m very pleased to be supporting Senvol on this programme. In particular, I’m looking forward to the demonstration. The plan is to fabricate a missile part and evaluate how close the actual performance requirements are compared to those predicted by the Senvol ML software, and to ultimately determine whether or not the part should be qualified.”
