PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT NSF 94-63 RAPID PROTOTYPING: VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL Emerging national needs and recent technological advances point to rapid prototyping as an essential area of research in the strategic area of advanced manufacturing. The time to market for new products will be increasingly critical for the foreseeable future. Rapid prototyping plays a key role in reducing the time to market by allowing limited numbers of new products to be designed and built quickly. The goal of research in rapid prototyping is to develop and integrate the tools and technologies needed for rapid and efficient design and manufacturing of products, processes, and systems. The result will be reduced product delivery times to meet dynamic market requirements. To promote research in this area and build an underlying science base, the National Science Foundation encourages proposals for research projects in rapid prototyping. It is expected that under this Rapid Prototyping Initiative, 6 to 10 awards will be made ranging from $100,000 to $600,000 per year for periods of up to three years. New tools and technologies coupled with innovative services and an updated infrastructure that allows distributed prototyping over high speed networks hold the promise for integrated systems for rapid prototyping. Projects in physical prototyping and virtual prototyping will be considered for support. Physical prototyping includes elements of machine design, process design, and CAD/CAM integration, while virtual prototyping includes modeling, simulation, model validation, and design tools and techniques. PHYSICAL RAPID PROTOTYPING Physical rapid prototyping is the rapid production of three dimensional parts, usually in limited numbers. The parts produced may be non-functional models for product visualization, functional models of non-production materials for test purposes, fully functional parts for destructive or non-destructive testing, limited run production parts or, in the limit, full scale production parts. The rapid prototypes may be produced by the effective integration of existing manufacturing processes or by the generation of new processes for the selective deposition, removal and/or localized synthesis of materials. In some cases, the prototyping technique may be used to produce a model from a material, such as wax, that can be subsequently used to produce a functional part by a secondary process, such as investment casting. Rapid prototyping techniques may allow the production of composite structures, cavities or inclusions which could not be produced by conventional manufacturing processes. For example, it may be possible to increase the productivity of molds or dies by producing cavities with cooling passages that conform to the contour of the parts that will be produced in the tooling. In composite structures, the co-deposition of two or more component materials may allow the realization of predictable material properties that can not be attained through a random mixture of components. Rapid physical prototyping requires the design, prototyping and testing of precise, high speed machines. Designs are needed that incorporate parallel prototyping engines, high speed drives and controllers and advanced techniques for positioning and interpolation to provide improved surface finish and form accuracy in the parts produced. An important component of physical rapid prototyping is the availability of procedures for translating computer-based representations of physical parts into instructions for controlling rapid prototyping equipment. Such procedures often entail, but may not be limited to, the "slicing" of representations into sequential layers which can be built up to produce the final part. Protocols and standards for translating such descriptions and/or transmitting prototyping data over data networks are also required. As has been discussed briefly, the technology of physical rapid prototyping includes elements of machine design, process design and CAD/CAM integration. Although proposals that address one or more of these elements will be considered, all three elements are typically necessary for the innovation of a successful process. Investigators who propose to study one or more subelements of the overall process are urged to present a clear vision of how the project results, if successful, will be integrated into practical rapid prototyping systems. Often, such concerns are most effectively addressed through the formation of collaborative relationships with industry or university partners that have expertise in the complementary technology areas. Existing rapid prototyping techniques currently allow the production of parts with limited functionality or which can be post-processed into functional parts through the use of secondary operations. It would be highly desirable to develop technology for rapidly producing full strength parts directly from useful engineering materials. This need is particularly great in the prototyping of parts from ceramic materials. A number of additional materials-related research opportunities exist in rapid prototyping. There is the possibility of creating composite structures with complex geometry. The limitation of composite materials to simple geometries has been a major impediment to the use of composite materials structures in commercial products. Another opportunity area is the tying together of materials properties and geometry. In the past, the materials community has been separated from the geometric design community; the product shape was not an issue in the materials research community. Now there exists the ability to create new materials combinations which allow one to tailor properties of materials with geometrical shape. For example, the combination of materials with different elastic modulii opens the possibility of creating objects with graded interfaces that have limited stress discontinuities. VIRTUAL RAPID PROTOTYPING Virtual prototyping is the substitution of computer models for physical products, processes, and systems. Virtual prototypes can model products or processes, up to a complete factory, at several levels of abstraction. Examples include the switch-level models used in prototyping large scale integrated circuits, and the 3D solid models used in designing mechanical systems. To substitute for physical prototypes, virtual prototypes must accurately reflect the properties of objects, allowing a range of design and evaluation activities. This implies accurate representation and rendering of objects, high speed access to remotely located virtual prototypes or models, and high-performance computation to carry out operations on the virtual prototypes. In the evolution of a prototype from conceptual design to marketable product, there are many design steps. These include initial product description, reverse engineering of similar products, mock ups for evaluation of alternative designs, safety and reliability analysis, and manufacturing process selection. In advanced manufacturing, a factory and its manufacturing systems and processes may require redesign and reprogramming to satisfy the rapid change in requirements and specifications. Depending upon the product to be designed, some of these prototyping steps can currently use virtual prototypes, while others still require physical prototypes. The goal of this research program is to enhance the accuracy and speed of virtual prototyping in the areas in which it can be applied today, and to extend virtual prototyping to areas in which it is not currently feasible. A clear example of the uses and benefits of virtual prototyping can be found in the modern techniques of microelectronic design and manufacturing. Virtual prototypes of microelectronic circuits exist at several levels of abstraction, including algorithmic models, functional descriptions, circuit designs, switch level designs, and layouts. Each of these prototypes may be designed, analyzed, and modified, to evaluate or refine the final manufactured circuit. Algorithmic models can be used to predict limits of performance and make basic decisions about data flows and representations, using tools that show the topology and timing of systolic arrays and other flow graphs. Functional descriptions in hardware-description languages can aid in the design of interfaces to the circuit, as well as to analysis of its operation. Fault simulators augment this level of abstraction by allowing some aspects of the manufacturing process to be prototyped. Virtual prototypes at lower levels of abstraction, such as layout designs, can provide information on yield along with exact interconnect lengths and delays. By extensive use of virtual prototypes, the number of physical prototypes that must be constructed is ordinarily reduced to one, making the manufacture of complex microelectronic systems feasible. Reducing the need for physical prototypes also allows multiple cycles of product design to meet changing market requirements under severe time-to-market constraints. A second example of the use of virtual prototyping can be found in the recent design of corrective optics for the Hubble Space Telescope. The corrective optics are contained within a complex 3D structure with motorized arms, which must be mounted within the telescope, itself another complex 3D structure. Some of the required tolerances are less than 0.1mm, in a structure several meters in size. Virtual prototyping allowed engineers to verify that the actual flight hardware could be mounted within the telescope without colliding with any existing parts of the telescope, and without occluding any of the existing optics. Several design changes were made based on a virtual prototype, which prevented a potentially costly failure of the vision-rescue mission. POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES FOR SUPPORT Research topics to be supported in virtual and physical prototyping include, but are not limited to the following: * Construction and use of virtual prototypes. Research on virtual prototypes that model and facilitate some portion of a design and prototyping process will be supported under this program. New insights into prototyping or new capabilities in the prototype are expected in such a research project. Examples include simulators for aspects of electronic or telecommunications systems, and visualizations of mechanical, chemical or civil systems. Virtual prototypes that model physical rapid prototyping processes are also of interest. Such models might be used to predict accuracy and fabrication rate or to develop the appropriate materials systems that are needed to produce predictable microstructures in the finished parts or the final performance characteristics of the parts. * Tools and techniques. Software and hardware systems can be developed for the construction, manipulation, and viewing of virtual prototypes. These could include design tools, AI and other intelligent techniques, software prototyping and evolutionary development methods, application specific accelerators, and protocols for communicating virtual prototypes between points of use. * New materials systems can be developed for use in existing rapid prototyping equipment or in support of new rapid prototyping systems. These materials might allow the production of prototypes with comparable or superior performance characteristics to those produced using mass production methods * Novel and/or optimized machine designs and controllers for physical rapid prototyping can be supported. This includes protocols and frameworks for the translation of computer-based representations of parts into instructions for rapid prototyping machines and for the efficient transmission of such instructions over data networks. * Methodology transfer. Virtual prototyping techniques that have succeeded in one field can be transferred to other fields. An example might be the idea of encapsulating process information in design rules, which has been one of the foundations of innovation in microelectronics. Research could be proposed on transferring the VLSI design and prototyping process to other manufacturing areas, such as mechanical, chemical, and civil infrastructure systems. * Model validation. If virtual prototyping is to replace physical prototyping, designers must be confident that the models that underlie the virtual prototypes are valid. Accuracy of models, and numeric and symbolic methods of analysis can be characterized under this topic. For example, research in the use and construction of design data bases and manufacturing knowledge bases could measure the consistency of models with reality and define the boundaries of application and accuracy within which virtual prototypes can be used. Limited physical modeling can be supported as part of this topic. * Proofs of concept. Complete testbeds for virtual prototyping within a limited domain could be proposed, with research to be conducted on their applicability and system design. Interdisciplinary teams of computer scientists/engineers and manufacturing engineers are encouraged. * Integration of diverse fields. Proposals that promise advances in several fields, such as computer hardware and software, sensors, robotics, AI, and manufacturing, are encouraged. In addition, proposals for the use of virtual prototyping in the integration of several fields, such as mixed-signal a/d systems, optoelectronics, and systems containing sensors and actuators may be supported under this program. INQUIRIES Inquiries of a general nature about this program initiative can be addressed to any of the three program directors listed below, while specific inquires about virtual prototyping, physical prototyping, and materials issues should be directed respectively to the following: Dr. Michael Foster, Program Director, CISE Directorate (703) 306-1936, mfoster@nsf.gov Dr. F. Stan Settles, Program Director, ENG Directorate (703) 306-1328, fsettles@nsf.gov Dr. Bruce A. MacDonald, Program Director, MPS Directorate (703) 306-1835, bmacdona@nsf.gov Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their research ideas with the appropriate program director, either in person, by letter, by email, or by telephone. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION All proposals must be prepared in accordance with the instructions contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 94-2). Single copies of this brochure are available at no cost from the NSF Forms and Publications Unit, (703) 306-1130, or via Email (Bitnet: pubs@nsf or Internet: pubs@nsf.gov). Brochures are also available through NSF's on-line Science and Technology Information System (STIS). To access the system, follow the instructions on the STIS flyer (NSF 94-4). To get an electronic copy of the flyer, send an E-Mail message to stisfly@nsf.gov. (Internet) or stisfly@NSF (BITNET). Proposals should be submitted to the Rapid Prototyping Initiative, National Science Foundation PPU, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room P60, Arlington, Va, 22230. Proposals in response to this solicitation should specify "Rapid Prototyping Initiative" and list the announcement number on the proposal cover sheet (NSF Form 1207), and must be received by NSF no later than June 15, 1994. Fifteen copies are required, one of which must be signed by the Principal Investigator(s) and an official authorized to commit the proposing institution. For information regarding electronic proposal submission, contact the Electronic Proposal Submission Project Leader, Division of Information Systems (DIS), via electronic mail to eps@nsf.gov (Internet) or eps@nsf (BITNET) or by telephone at (703) 306-1144 (X-4662). Proposals to this program will be subject to the NSF peer review process which may include panel and/or mail review. Criteria by which proposals are judged can be found in the Grant Proposal Guide; they include the intrinsic merit of the research, the utility or relevance of the research, the capability of the investigators, and the effect of the research on the infrastructure of science and engineering in the area covered by this initiative. GENERAL INFORMATION The Foundation provides awards for research in the sciences and engineering. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for the research findings or their interpretation. The Foundation welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists and engineers, and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research and related programs described here. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF projects. See the program announcement or contact the Program Coordinator at (703) 306-1636. Privacy Act and Public Burden. Information requested on NSF application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals and may be used and disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process and to other government agencies. See Systems of Records, NSF- 50, Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records, and NSF- 51, Reviewer/Proposals File and Associated Records, 56 Federal Register 54907 (Oct. 23, 1991). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Herman G. Fleming, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Contracts, Policy, and Oversight, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (3145-0058), Washington, D.C. 20503. The National Science Foundation has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment, or general information. This number is (703) 306-0090. The following codes refer to this document and the sponsoring organizations. OMB 3145-0058. P.T. 34. K.W. 1004000, 0600000, 1009000. CFDA #47.070, #47.041, #47.049. NSF 94-63 (new). Dr. John R. Lehmann Deputy Division Director MIPS Division National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230 703-306-1940 FAX: 703-306-0610 jlehmann@nsf.gov ------- End of Forwarded Message