This chapter explores the ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process. This process is an advanced, solid-state, metal additive/subtractive hybrid manufacturing process. The process combines high-power ultrasonic welding and computer numerical control milling to fabricate solid metal components, layer by layer, from metal foils. The chapter discusses the process fundamentals and three key abilities of UAM: complicated geometries, dissimilar material bonding, and object embedment. Combining these three key abilities positions UAM as a unique and attractive method to create metal matrix–based freeform multifunctional structures for high-value engineering applications. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a technique that can measure the size and shape of small particles such as proteins and nanoparticles using X-rays. At MAX IV, we are developing a microfluidic sample delivery platform to measure liquid samples containing proteins under flow using SAXS. One of the main advantages of using microfluidics is that the sample is continuously flowing, thus minimizing the risk of radiation damage as the sample is continuously refreshed. Other advantages include low sample volume and the possibility to study dynamic processes, e.g. mixing. To obtain good SAXS signals, the X-ray properties of the chip material are essential. The microfluidic chip must have low attenuation of X-rays, low background scattering, and high resistance to X-ray-induced damage, and preferably be low cost and easy to fabricate. In this work, we have evaluated the performance of two different polymer microfluidic chips for SAXS measurements.

The AdaptoCell project at MAX IV has developed a microfluidic sample delivery platform for academic and industrial users to enable studies of protein samples in solution and in microcrystals underflow. The platform is compatible with various X-ray techniques and has so far been integrated onto two beamlines at MAX IV: the CoSAXS beamline for small angle X-ray scattering studies and the Balder beamline for X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies. Initial implementation of the platform for serial crystallography sample delivery is ongoing and will be integrated onto the BioMAX and MicroMAX beamlines once commissioned. With this platform, we aim to meet the demand from our user community for studying proteins at physiologically relevant temperatures and give the ability to follow dynamical processes in situ as well as decreasing sample volumes and radiation damage.

To determine the optimized flow rates and components for mixing etc. using different microfluidic chips, a dedicated off(beam)line test station with a microscope has been established at the Biolab. The Biolab also provides a number of characterization techniques, such as Dynamic Light Scattering, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, for quality control of the samples; as well as an anaerobic chamber for preparation and characterization of metalloproteins. The microfluidic flows are controlled via syringe pumps or a pressure-driven system. Channel design varies, depending on the needs of the experiment, from straight channel, cross-junction to herringbone micromixers etc. On-chip mixing of buffers with different viscosity, pH, ion strength and protein concentrations has been demonstrated successful and will be presented.

Additive Manufacturing is transforming how researchers and industrialists look to design and manufacture chemical devices to meet their specific needs. In this work, we report the first example of a flow reactor formed via the solid-state metal sheet lamination technique, Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM), with directly integrated catalytic sections and sensing elements. The UAM technology not only overcomes many of the current limitations associated with the additive manufacturing of chemical reactionware but it also significantly increases the functionality of such devices. A range of biologically important 1, 4-disubstituted 1, 2, 3-triazole compounds were successfully synthesised and optimised in-flow through a Cu mediated Huisgen 1, 3-dipolar cycloaddition using the UAM chemical device. By exploiting the unique properties of UAM and continuous flow processing, the device was able to catalyse the proceeding reactions whilst also providing real-time feedback for reaction monitoring and optimisation. © 2022. The Author(s).

New tools are needed to allow for complex protein dynamics studies, especially to study proteins in their native states. In the AdaptoCell project a microfluidic platform for academic and industrial users at MAX IV Laboratory is being developed. MAX IV is a Swedish national laboratory providing brilliant synchrotron X-rays for research. Due to the high photon flux, sensitive samples such as proteins are prone to rapid radiation damage; thus, it is advantageous to have the liquid sample underflow to refresh the sample continuously. This, in combination with small volumes, makes microfluidics a highly suitable sample environment for protein studies at MAX IV. The AdaptoCell platform is being integrated at three beamlines:Balder (X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy), CoSAXS (small angle x-ray scattering) and Micromax (serial synchrotron crystallography). Currently, the platform is fully available atBalder, under commissioning at CoSAXS and being developed for MicroMAX.

In the AdaptoCell project, we are developing microfluidic platforms for X-ray studies of liquid samples. Microfluidics is a suitable technology for samples that are prone to radiation damage, such as proteins. By having the sample underflow, the sample is continuously refreshed, and the risk of radiation damage is reduced. The technology is also suitable for investigating dynamic events such as in situ mixing. The microfluidic platforms are being integrated at three beamlines at MAX IV Laboratory: Balder (X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy), CoSAXS (small angle x-ray scattering) and MicroMAX (serial synchrotron crystallography). Currently, the platforms are available for users at Balder and CoSAXS, which is under development at MicroMAX. In addition, we also provide a microfluidic offline test station where users can test their samples and optimise their devices before the beam time. The main components of the microfluidic setup are the pressure-driven flow controller and the microfluidic chip. We mainly use commercially available polymer microfluidic chips made of COC (cyclic olefin copolymer). COC is used as a chip material as it has high X-ray transmission and high resistance to radiation damage. There are several different chip designs available such as straight channel chips, droplet generator chips and mixing chips. We believe the AdaptoCell platforms will be useful and versatile sample environments for academic and industrial users at MAX IV Laboratory who want to perform experiments with liquid samples under flow. 

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is a family of novel and advanced manufacturing techniques that operate in a layer-by-layer additive manner and, by using a vast material palette, can deliver parts in an autonomous fashion directly from computer data without the need for additional tooling and with part complexities beyond most conventional manufacturing techniques. Serving under the in situ resource utilization concept, AM is envisioned as a highly promising solution for producing a range of physical assets off-world, by using as feedstock the abundant natural resources that are readily available onsite, from building life-sustaining habitats on the Moon or Mars, to fabricating various replacements parts, aiming to support human (or robotic) space exploration. This chapter discusses AM within a future planetary manufacturing scenario. It reviews those identified and prospective material space resources with a focus on lunar regolith, their simulants, and envisaged processing methods. Finally, a laser-based AM approach for fabricating parts using lunar regolith is presented and further discussed, as it shows great promise and showcases the potential of the technology.

Some of the most fundamental chemical building blocks of life on Earth are the metal elements. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an element-specific technique that can analyse the local atomic and electronic structure of, for example, the active sites in catalysts and energy materials and allow the metal sites in biological samples to be identified and understood. A microfluidic device capable of withstanding the intense hard X-ray beams of a 4th generation synchrotron and harsh chemical sample conditions is presented in this work. The device is evaluated at the K-edges of iron and bromine and the L3-edge of lead, in both transmission and fluorescence mode detection and in a wide range of sample concentrations, as low as 0.001 M. The device is fabricated in silicon and glass with plasma etched microchannels defined in the silicon wafer before anodic bonding of the glass wafer into a complete device. The device is supported with a well-designed printed chip holder that made the microfluidic device portable and easy to handle. The chip holder plays a pivotal role in mounting the delicate microfluidic device on the beamline stage. Testing validated that the device was sufficiently robust to contain and flow through harsh acids and toxic samples. There was also no significant radiation damage to the device observed, despite focusing with intense X-ray beams for multiple hours. The quality of X-ray spectra collected is comparable to that from standard methods; hence we present a robust microfluidic device to analyse liquid samples using synchrotron XAS.

Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state metal additive manufacturing process that uses periodic CNC machining to create internal and external geometries, layer-by-layer. The solid-state nature of the bonding process (ultrasonic metal welding) allows UAM to directly bond metal materials with significantly different thermal, hardness and strength properties – permitting unique multi-metal structures. Additionally, the ultrasonic bonding process results in a high-plasticity, low-bulk-temperature phenomenon that permits the embedding of sensitive elements such as optical fibers, electronics and reinforcement elements, directly into metal matrices. Due to these novel capabilities, UAM holds a position of uniqueness in Advanced Manufacturing processes.

BioMAX is the first macromolecular crystallography beamline at the MAX IV Laboratory 3 GeV storage ring, which is the first operational multi-bend achromat storage ring. Due to the low-emittance storage ring, BioMAX has a parallel, high-intensity X-ray beam, even when focused down to 20 µm × 5 µm using the bendable focusing mirrors. The beam is tunable in the energy range 5–25 keV using the in-vacuum undulator and the horizontally deflecting double-crystal monochromator. BioMAX is equipped with an MD3 diffractometer, an ISARA high-capacity sample changer and an EIGER 16M hybrid pixel detector. Data collection at BioMAX is controlled using the newly developed MXCuBE3 graphical user interface, and sample tracking is handled by ISPyB. The computing infrastructure includes data storage and processing both at MAX IV and the Lund University supercomputing center LUNARC. With state-of-the-art instrumentation, a high degree of automation, a user-friendly control system interface and remote operation, BioMAX provides an excellent facility for most macromolecular crystallography experiments. Serial crystallography using either a high-viscosity extruder injector or the MD3 as a fixed-target scanner is already implemented. The serial crystallography activities at MAX IV Laboratory will be further developed at the microfocus beamline MicroMAX, when it comes into operation in 2022. MicroMAX will have a 1 µm × 1 µm beam focus and a flux up to 10¹⁵ photons s⁻¹ with main applications in serial crystallography, room-temperature structure determinations and time-resolved experiments. © 2020 International Union of Crystallography.