Abstract
A new process combination route consisting of additive manufacturing (AM) with a subsequent forming operation is proposed. The process route has the opportunity to increase the efficiency of the AM process route up to 360%. Stainless steel 316L sheets with different core structures (similar to sandwich sheets) are produced by AM, characterized, and formed in a die bending operation. The bending characteristics of this novel semi-finished product can be accurately predicted in a numerical simulation. The new process route is discussed in detail and compared to conventional AM parts in terms of the production efficiency.
Highlights
Introduction and State of the ArtSandwich sheets are commonly used due to their remarkable structural performance
In the case of the production of semi-finished sheets with internal core structures, the exposure area is dependent on the relative density of the part itself and the amount of produced parts (Fig. 7b)
In case of the time to remove the powder, according to Eq (3) the suction time-factor can be defined with the times tS,conv and tS,new as the times to vacuum the powder from the build-chamber as necessary
Summary
Sandwich sheets are commonly used due to their remarkable structural performance. High stiffness-to-weight ratio, high strength, and good crash performance are main characteristics, needed in aerospace, transportation, aviation, and automobile applications. The combination of flexibility and complexity offers the benefit to achieve a high level of lightweight capabilities with the help of functional integration, load-adapted profiles and the use of intricate structures These advantages come at the expense of low production rates, which makes AM currently inconvenient for the use in a broad application field. The production of advanced semi-finished sheets with complex inner structures to be used in a subsequent forming operation has not been investigated yet and is the topic of this paper with which a new hybrid process route is proposed. This approach mainly intends to drastically speed up the overall process time while still making use of the flexibility of the AM process
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