Post-80s professor Gu Dongdong: The 3D printing gap between China and Germany is less than 10 years

Introduction: From December 5th to 8th, 2017, the World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference will be held in Nanjing. In order to increase the academic and forward-looking nature of the conference, the conference specially set up sub-forums such as Industrial Internet, Artificial Intelligence, and Additive Manufacturing. Before the opening, Phoenix Jiangsu specially interviewed the host of the conference’s additive manufacturing sub-forum, Professor Gu Dongdong of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. When Professor Gu Dongdong from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics met this post-80s professor, Gu Dongdong had just finished a 10-day “closed-loop” business trip. “(November) Nanjing flew to Guangzhou on the 16th, Guangzhou flew to Xi’an on the 18th, Xi’an flew to Beijing on the 20th, Beijing flew to Xi’an on the 21st, and flew back to Nanjing from Xi’an on the 25th.”

The metal 3D Printing industry is booming, and new technologies and new concepts are constantly emerging everywhere. Frequent exchanges and learning between domestic and foreign metal 3D printing research and development cities have almost become the norm for practitioners. Without time to rest, on the second day after returning to Nanjing, Gu Dongdong took his graduate student team and spent nearly zero in the laboratory.

The experiment was very successful. “I printed out these difficult-to-process materials. I couldn’t even think about it when I was a PhD student 10 years ago. Now it can be printed so perfect.” Gu Dongdong also sent a circle of friends to celebrate. Times: China’s 3D printing is experiencing a development bonus. He became a German Humboldt Scholar at the age of 29, and he was promoted to a professor at the age of 31. “Love” and “Dedication” made Gu Dongdong a height that his peers could hardly reach. However, Gu Dongdong said that he really felt that “now is in a good era.” “The national policy is sufficient to support you to do something you are interested in.” When he just graduated from his Ph.D., Gu Dongdong applied for a scientific research project with only 100,000 yuan. But now the funding for new projects on hand has doubled dozens of times. At a time when all countries are accumulating their efforts to advance into intelligent manufacturing, additive manufacturing research is experiencing unprecedented development dividends.

Due to the precision requirements of experimental materials and printing technology, the cost of a metal 3D printing experiment is very high. With sufficient national capital investment, scientific research no longer has any worries, and scholars can let go of their hands and feet and try boldly. “In the past few years, we thought that it would be good to be able to print out the appearance of the parts, but we now hope that the printed parts have more functions.” Gu Dongdong pointed to a batch of metal components in the laboratory and said, “Like this aluminum Nanocomposite materials will be applied to the deformable wings of next-generation aircraft. The next-generation wings will be deformable like bird wings. “Even today, such advanced technology is Many people still seem to be unimaginable, but the rapid development of technology is about to bring such airplanes into reality. With sufficient funding for scientific research, Gu Dongdong often feels a lot of pressure in order to fulfill his mission. In his view, just completing tasks and making general results is not enough to repay the country’s funding input, but “must do international first-class research.” “Since we have won these projects through competition, this is definitely not an end, but a starting point. We also believe that under the guidance of our current experimental equipment and our innovative scientific research ideas, we can make world-class results.” Gu Dongdong said. The experimental schedule is busy, and teachers and students have a lot of DEADLINE to rush, but the table of Gu Dongdong’s team laboratory is still neatly packed with coffee and soda. “Although our laboratory is very hard, but it is also very good to play outside of work.” Despite the face of scientific research, Gu Dongdong is often serious and meticulous. But as a post-80s, Gu Dongdong still hopes that students can work in a relaxed state of mind, “learn from Europeans, drink coffee and coffee, and take a vacation if you take a vacation.”

Features: High-end applications are the advantage of China’s additive manufacturing. The selective laser melting additive manufacturing technology developed by Gu Dongdong’s team laboratory originated from the Fraunhofer Institute of Laser Technology in Germany. In 2009, funded by the German Humboldt Fund, Gu Dongdong came here to trace the roots to a two-year metal additive manufacturing research. In Gu Dongdong’s view, this Humboldt scholar’s experience has become an important “turning point” of his scientific career. From the initial study and application of German technology, to now autonomously walking in the forefront of science and technology. In the past eight years, Gu Dongdong has witnessed the rapid development of China’s metal additive manufacturing field. In 2015, Gu Dongdong, as the Chinese chairman, jointly organized the China-Germany Additive Manufacturing Forum in Aachen, Germany with the Fraunhofer Institute. At that time, the Chinese professors who participated in the meeting sighed that they were “not very confident” to participate in the first Sino-German Forum in 2010, but by 2015, the technological gap between China and Germany did not seem to be so obvious, and the waists of Chinese scholars were even harder. “You can sit on an equal footing.”

In the field of additive manufacturing in recent years, China and Germany have their own advantages. “German characteristics are original equipment, materials and processes. China has very good applications, especially in aerospace.” Gu Dongdong introduced the representative team of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Wang Huaming, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Boli The team of Professor Huang Weidong of the special company has very clear aerospace application requirements for scientific research output; the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics research team he is in charge of has always been based on the urgent need for additive manufacturing technology in the aerospace field. “Some are used in spacecraft such as satellites and deep space probes, and some are used in advanced aircraft and other aircraft.”

This year Gu Dongdong’s laboratory has received at least 6 waves of guests, all of whom are internationally well-known teams. “There are Cardiff University in the UK, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Texas at Austin in the United States. There are more guests from Aachen, Hanover, Germany and other places. Especially professors from the United States are the pioneers in the field of laser additive manufacturing. It is very meaningful for him to come to China for inspection.” Gu Dongdong was excited by the visit of well-known foreign experts. “They came to China to inspect and cooperate because China has made great breakthroughs in the field of additive manufacturing technology research in recent years.” “We still have to have confidence in Chinese manufacturing.” While learning from international high-level science and technology, Gu Dongdong also advocated that domestic scientific research teams can “maintain our own best things.” For example, at international academic conferences, “on the one hand, Studying at the international advanced level, on the other hand, the most important thing is to make world-class results in China and make reports and exchanges on an equal footing with well-known foreign scholars.”

Entrepreneurship: 3D printing companies should target high-end demand for nearly five years. The 3D printing technology that originated in the early 1990s has suddenly attracted unprecedented attention. Not only aerospace metal structural parts, from children’s toys, teaching supplies, to medical equipment, a large number of 3D printing startups have sprung up across the country. However, in the past few years, some companies that are chasing leading concepts are unsustainable. From the perspective of industry insiders like Gu Dongdong, the reason why some companies have difficulty growing in the market environment is not because of the problem with the concept of 3D printing. The fundamental reason is the technology itself. “What can be done in the field of 3D printing is definitely that the technology of the enterprise can solve the major needs of many industries.” “3D printing is a demand-driven technology. Any technology must have vitality, and the most direct source of technical vitality is It is industrial demand.” “After you print the components, they must be applied to industrial production, not for fun.” At present, there are many 3D printing companies in China that are growing. “A well-developed company must have orders and demand.

Several 3D printing companies that have developed around the aerospace field have developed particularly well because they can truly solve the manufacturing problems for aircraft research and development. “If additive manufacturing is to have a strong vitality, we must first be high-end. “Positioning high-end is not only a requirement for manufacturing companies, but also a requirement for scientific research. Gu Dongdong has a philosophy that scientific research in universities should lead commercial applications for five years. “The research results of our universities should not be used now, it is best It will not be useful until five years later. “Gu Dongdong feels that this kind of layout of future scientific research vision is particularly important, “Universities are to be cutting-edge.”

Focus: Enterprises should cultivate the spirit of craftsmanship and walk at the forefront of Sino-German intelligent manufacturing exchanges. Gu Dongdong has an intuitive experience of the development gap between Sino-German manufacturing. “There is definitely a gap between our country and Germany, but the gap will not reach 10 years.” From “German high-tech strategy 2020” to “Made in China 2025”, Gu Dongdong believes that the five-year time gap set aside by the national development strategy reflects objectively. The gap between China and Germany. “It not only recognizes some gaps with Germany, but also builds confidence, the gap is not that big.” In Gu Dongdong’s view, scientific research leadership is one aspect of the upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry. It is also necessary to adjust the industrial layout and business philosophy of the enterprise itself.

Gu Dongdong was clearly impressed by the division of labor in the German manufacturing industry. “When it comes to manufacturing power, Germany is developing the physical manufacturing industry in a real sense, and factories have a batch of good products in a real sense. In Germany, regardless of the size of the company, the division of labor is very clear, and it is very focused on doing one thing.” Focusing on one field and achieving the ultimate in a technology or product” is Gu Dongdong’s understanding of the craftsman spirit. “At least in physical manufacturing, especially in the past few years, we must speak about the spirit of craftsmanship.” Gu Dongdong believes that the spirit of craftsmanship in industry should learn more from Germany.

Based on this, he suggested that small and medium-sized enterprises can learn from the German model in their development, instead of blindly seeking the whole chain, but trying to establish the core advantages of the enterprise, and achieve the ultimate in certain characteristics and advantages. Outlook: Building a communication bridge between the Jiangsu and German teams In addition to hosting this additive manufacturing sub-forum, Gu Dongdong has also held several Sino-German forums in Jiangning, Nanjing in the past two years.

The in-depth study and cognition of the Fraunhofer model and the foundation of cooperation with the top teams in the field of German additive manufacturing have enabled Gu Dongdong’s team to achieve high-level international cooperation results in the field of additive manufacturing. Gu Dongdong has been playing the role of a bridge and link between China and Germany for many years, allowing German experts to come to know Jiangsu and Nanjing. Gu Dongdong introduced that the Sino-German cooperation platform based on the Fraunhofer model is currently running smoothly in Nanjing. As a team active in the forefront of metal additive manufacturing research, in recent years, the research results of Gu Dongdong’s team have formed a high degree of influence and popularity at home and abroad. Gu Dongdong laughed and talked, “There is still a gap between the world’s first-class level, and we still need to make progress.” Based in Jiangsu and looking at the world, it is undoubtedly the team to make some intentional explorations for the technological progress of additive manufacturing and the application of local industrialization. One of the beautiful visions for the future.