Abstract
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) of titanium parts shows promising potential for aerospace application due to its high deposition rates allowing a fast and economical production of large components. The cost savings are high, especially for expensive alloys like Ti-6Al-4V. However, due to high oxygen affinity of Ti-6Al-4V at elevated temperatures an excellent shielding gas coverage seems necessary to prevent embrittlement of the material during the welding process. Regarding the future development of local shielding gas coverage set-ups for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) based WAAM, this study investigates the influence of the oxygen content in the shielding gas chamber on mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V during the welding process. Samples are welded at different oxygen contents in the shielding gas chamber and stress-relief heat treated afterwards. Inert gas milling and hot gas extraction are used to determine the material oxygen content at different deposition heights. Metallographic methods are used to show macroscopic grain structure, evaluate possible α-case thickness and its dissolution by the subsequent layer. Hardness testing is used to investigate possible material inhomogeneities in the deposit and tensile properties of the material welded at different chamber oxygen contents are displayed. It is concluded, that even at high chamber oxygen levels of 6000 ppm the welding process is stable, the forming α-case at top of the layer dissolves in the melt pool of the subsequent layer and that the aerospace requirements on tensile properties can be reached.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.