ВИБІР ПАРАМЕТРІВ ПРОЦЕСУ СЕЛЕКТИВНОГО ЛАЗЕ-РНОГО ПЛАВЛЕННЯ ДЛЯ МЕТАЛЕВИХ ПОРОШКІВ

Abstract

The article deals with the issues of determining the optimal parameters of the selective laser melting (SLM) process in order to develop a technology for manufacturing aircraft structural elements from titanium alloys. This literature review notes the advantages of titanium alloys, which have higher specific strength and corrosion resistance compared to most steels and aluminum alloys. It is determined that traditional methods of forming titanium parts lead to a large amount of material waste, high production costs and long production times. It is noted that the SLM technology makes it possible to create parts of titanium alloys with complex geometry. It is also emphasized that the titanium glory Ti-6Al-4V is the most popular titanium alloy used in aircraft construction. This paper presents a description of the SLM process and a list of parameters that affect design and final material properties. Attention is drawn to the main parameters of SLM: energy density, process temperature (temperature of the building platform), environmental conditions, material properties and scanning strategy. The influence of the above parameters of the SLM process on product quality and production time is shown. Finding the optimal values for the SLM process parameters is an important step in creating a part that is manufactured to obtain priority mechanical properties. The need is stressed to employed a protective atmosphere during the process is emphasized, the use of internal gases (nitrogen, argon and helium) to prevent oxidation, significantly affects the process, the final mechanical properties and microstructure of the parts produced. It is shown that for the production of high-quality products, it is important that the metal powder has a spherical grain shape and a size not exceeding the thickness of one applied layer. The build chamber temperature should be varied depending on the desired mechanical properties of the final product. Variable process parameters (scanning strategy, laser parameters) affect the thermal balance, productivity, geometric accuracy of porosity, which affects the mechanical properties and microstructure. This analysis of foreign experience and future research will further improve the technology for the production of aircraft structural elements.