The role of materials science in
Hein Möller
Materials have played a significant role throughout human history. In fact, our history has been defined by the materials that our ancestors have used in the past. The Stone Age was followed by the Bronze Age (characterised by an alloy or mixture of copper and tin), which was followed by the Iron Age.
More recently, materials have, in many cases, been the determining factor in the development of new technologies. The selection of the wrong material for a specific application has led to many failures. For example, the steel rivets that were used to join the plates of the “unsinkable” Titanic were almost as brittle as glass in the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean, where the ship hit an iceberg. Unfortunately, the materials scientists and metallurgical engineers at the time were unaware of this fact. Currently we live in a period known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The 4IR can be described as a fusion of technologies that
are blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological worlds, collectively referred to as cyber-physical systems. In general, the 4IR is based on nine pillars: autonomous robots, simulation, system integration, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, cloud computing, augmented reality, big data and additive manufacturing. Materials science plays a crucial role in the advancement of the 4IR, especially in manufacturing. Digital manufacturing uses digital technology in the manufacturing process. It integrates having the necessary data at the correct place at the right time. Additive manufacturing is the industrial production name for 3D printing.
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It is a computer-controlled process that creates three-dimensional objects by depositing materials layer by layer. It uses computeraided design and allows for the creation of objects with precise and complex geometric shapes. Additive manufacturing is the opposite of traditional manufacturing, which often requires machining or other techniques to remove surplus material (subtractive manufacturing). At the moment, the materials that are used for additive manufacturing are mostly based on materials that have been developed for traditional subtractive manufacturing methods.
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