Short description:

To carry out his/her doctoral research on the field of additive manufacturing of metals. The research will involve processing of metals, microstructure characterization, as well as measurement of mechanical properties. This project will lead to a PhD that will be defended at Carlos III University of Madrid. The candidate will carry out his/her research work both at HP 3D Printing and at IMDEA Materials Institute. He/she will receive training in transversal skills and will have the opportunity to disseminate his/her work at specialized conferences.

Description:

HP Printing and Computing Solutions S.L.U. (hereafter termed HP) has newly released Metal Jet, a novel 3D printing technology for mass production, which is revolutionizing binder jetting methods, as it allows to fabricate large parts with structural consistency in a short time and at a reduced cost. The technology was publicly announced at the IMTS trade show in  September 2018. 3D Metal Jet produces high-quality parts with no residual stresses and no crystallographic texture, which are major drawbacks of AM laser-based techniques; it also allows more freedom in the production of complex geometry parts in comparison to traditional powder metallurgy methods such as metal injection molding (MIM). HP aims to develop further the Metal Jet technology and the architecture of the 3D Metal Jet printer, in order to achieve still greater speed and lower cost production and thus to make Metal Jet stand even further away from other AM techniques. In particular, there are still several important challenges that must be overcome in order to have the full definition of the Metal Jet processing map for optimal part quality (PQ), which is defined by a high density (>98 %) as well as standard mechanical and dimensional properties that can be comparable to those achieved by MIM of identical alloys.

This Industrial PhD project is a collaborative effort between HP and IMDEA Materials Institute. Both will supervise the research of the PhD candidate who will defend his doctoral thesis at the Carlos III University of Madrid. It aims to establish the relationship between the characteristics of the initial pre-alloyed powder feedstock, the 3D Metal Jet processing parameters, the microstructure of green and sintered parts, and their corresponding PQ. The research will focus on 2 different materials.

Requirements:

Materials Science and Engineering degree with good background in metallurgy. Experience in materials processing, microstructure characterization, programming, artificial intelligence and mechanical testing will be recognized. Fluent English (oral and written) is required.

Starting date: Available immediately; open until filled.

Full time contract including social security coverage.

Besides on-the-job technical training, IMDEA Materials Institute is committed to train the Institute’s scientists and staff in “soft” or transversal skills. See the available training here: https://materials.imdea.org/career/transversal-training-2/

Meet some of our alumni: https://materials.imdea.org/career/alumni/

To participate in the selection process, it is necessary to apply through the offer published on the IMDEA Materials website: http://jobs.materials.imdea.org/offer/226