Ti6Al4V Thin Walls Production using Laser Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) Process

Germán Alberto Barragán De Los Rios ,Fábio Mariani ,Reginaldo Teixeira Coelho

doi:10.26776/ijemm.06.03.2021.03

Abstract

One of the main applications of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is the production of thin-wall structures, where it has significant advantages over traditional milling and machining techniques, or even welded analogues. These kinds of structures are frequently employed in aerospace components, field where titanium alloys have a primary role to play. Amongst them, the most employed is the Ti6Al4V with an alpha + beta alloy containing 6% Aluminium (Al) and 4% Vanadium (V). It has an excellent combination of strength and toughness along with excellent corrosion resistance. For the study hereby, thin-wall structures were constructed employing a Laser Directed Energy Deposition machine (L-DED), working with powder material. Analyse identified some microstructural and mechanical characteristics, thorough metallographic study, wear test (micro-adhesive) and micro hardness test. Finding a grain refined structure with competitive mechanical properties compared to materials manufactured by traditional processes. Results positioning DED as an attractive manufacturing technology, with a huge potential to improve costs and material usage, besides almost no restriction on component shape.

Highlights

1 INTRODUCTION The Laser Directed energy deposition (L-Directed Energy Deposition (DED)) process allows the fabrication of components that can be used in a variety of engineering applications using a layer-by-layer strategy for constructing directly from a CAD data [1]
2.2 Methods For the fabrication of the thin wall structures the process parameters listed in table 2 were employed
These parameters were selected in accordance with the machine, the material employed and previous tests to prove the consistence with an expected bead geometry

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The Laser Directed energy deposition (L-DED) process allows the fabrication of components that can be used in a variety of engineering applications using a layer-by-layer strategy for constructing directly from a CAD data [1] It employs a focused laser beam as heating source to melt in-situ delivered powder. Considering the laser additive manufacturing (AM) process the relationships between the deposition parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties of that alloy have been studied [11] primarily with the use of unit tracks deposition onto a massive substrate [12] or the fabrication of simple geometric solid bodies It was found improved behaviour when compared with their wrought counterparts [13] primarily due to fact that the deposited material undergoes rapid cooling enabling some grain refinements. For these study thin wall structures were constructed employed a Laser Directed Energy (L-DED) deposition machine, working with powder material, to identify its microstructural and some mechanical behaviour, thorough. Barragan et al (2021): International Journal of Engineering Materials and Manufacture, 6(3), 124-131

Sample Analysis

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS