Additive Manufacturing Components Research Articles

A computationally efficient thermo-mechanical model with temporal acceleration for prediction of residual stresses and deformations in WAAM

ABSTRACT The present paper introduces a novel temporal acceleration strategy for computationally efficient prediction of residual stresses and deformations in wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) components. It employs a semi-analytical approach, dividing temperature into the analytical and the complementary fields. The analytical field is obtained by a closed-form solution, and the complementary field is employed to solve the boundary conditions. A temporal acceleration factor for the heating period is applied. Meanwhile, the diffusion time in the analytical field is manipulated to guarantee accurate temperature prediction. Validation via WAAM experiments, including both a thin-wall structure and a practical engineering component with characteristic dimensions on the order of metres, indicates that the predicted stresses is 50 MPa lower than the experimental values. Moreover, the discrepancy of between the predicted deformations and the experimental measurements is less than 10%, demonstrating reasonable accuracy can be achieved with attractive computational efficiency.

Achieving high strength-ductility combination of Al–Mn–Mg-Sc-Zr alloy subjected by laser powder bed fusion and suitable post heat treatment

Post heat treatment is crucial for optimizing the performance of additive manufacturing components, yet it is still challenging to synergistically improve the strength and ductility through simple heat treatment. The present work investigated the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufactured Al–Mn–Mg-Sc-Zr alloy after aging at 300 °C for different durations. All the as-built and aged samples exhibited a typical bi-modal microstructure consisting of coarse columnar and fine equiaxed grain regions. The as-built samples contained a number of primary Al6Mn precipitates distributed along grain boundaries; meanwhile, Mg solutes segregation was visible at grain boundaries, forming “Mg walls”. After aging for 4 h, the Al6Mn and a small content of Al3Sc were precipitated. Two types of Mg-rich precipitates evolved along grain boundaries simultaneously, increasing ultimate tensile strength from 401 MPa to 501 MPa, while the ductility was significantly reduced from 19.6 % to 4.6 %. When increased to 6 h, the Mg-rich precipitates disappeared, and the density of Al6Mn and Al3Sc precipitates reached its peak concurrently, providing a dual-precipitate strengthening effect. As a result, an excellent strength-ductility balance with an ultimate tensile strength of 528 MPa and ductility of 14.5 % was obtained. The Al6Mn precipitates became coarsening with increasing to 7 h, resulting in lower ductility. The strategy of modulating elemental distribution and precipitated phases by simple heat treatment is expected to be further developed for high strength and ductility Al alloys prepared by L-PBF.

Influence of Manufacturing Process on the Conductivity of Material Extrusion Components: A Comparison between Filament- and Granule-Based Processes.

The additive manufacturing of components using material extrusion (MEX) enables the integration of several materials into one component, including functional structures such as electrically conductive structures. This study investigated the influence of the selected additive MEX process on the resistivity of MEX structures. Specimens were produced from filaments and granules of an electrically conductive PLA and filled with carbon nanotubes and carbon black. Specimens were produced with a full-factorial variation of the input variables: extrusion temperature, deposition speed, and production process. The resistivity of the specimens was determined by four-wire measurement. Analysis of the obtained data showed that only the extrusion temperature had a significant influence on the resistivity of the MEX specimens. Furthermore, the impact of the nozzle diameter was evaluated by comparing the results of this study with those of a previous study, with an otherwise equal experimental setup. The nozzle diameter had a significant influence on resistivity and a larger nozzle diameter reduced the mean variance by an order of magnitude. The resistivity was lower for most process parameter sets. As the manufacturing process had no significant influence on the resistivity of MEX structures, it can be selected based on other criteria, e.g., the cost of feedstock.

Optimization of Surface Finish of Plasma Metal Deposited Stainless Steel 316L Parts by Utilization of Plasma Beam Remelting (PBR) and Taguchi Methodology

The study aimed to optimize the Plasma Beam Polishing process for 316L stainless steel components to reduce anisotropy and poor surface roughness using statistical analysis. An experimental design investigated the impacts of managing factors on surface roughness, with scanning speed having the ultimate impact, followed by beam power and energy density. For lower values of plasma energy density and scanning speed, and a focal location without changes on the metal surface, there was a strong tendency for the estimated Ra to drop with increasing laser power. The process parameters were changed throughout a broad range of values, making it challenging to model the dependent variable across the whole range of experimental trials. The study supports the potential of PBP as a post-processing method for additive manufacturing components.

Unraveling the main issues of direct sample printing and sample cutting from a sheet of tensile test samples for characterization of Material Extrusion components

AbstractThis research investigates the influence of varied sample manufacturing strategies on the mechanical properties of Material Extrusion (MatExt) Additive Manufacturing components. Two procedures were investigated: direct sample printing and sample cutting from a sheet. The thickness of the samples was also varied to determine possible differences in the measurements performed. Through a comprehensive analysis involving mechanical testing, optical microscopy, and IR thermography during deposition, the study revealed significant implications of the manufacturing strategy on the thermal history and polymer chain entanglement. The results indicated that Young’s modulus and the tensile strength produced through direct printing differed from that measured on the samples made through sample cutting. At the same time, the elongation at rupture was less influenced by the manufacturing strategy. The sample thickness also influenced the fracture strength; the thicker samples were characterized by a strength of 27.9 MPa, which was higher by 23% than that of the extracted samples.The observed differences in mechanical behavior underscore the critical role of sample manufacturing strategy in determining the final mechanical properties of upright samples. Results shed light on the complex interplay between manufacturing protocols and component performance in MatExt applications.

A novel feature engineering approach for predicting melt pool depth during LPBF by machine learning models

Melt pool geometry is a deterministic factor affecting the characteristics of metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) components. The wide array of physical and thermal phenomena involved during the formation of the AM melt pool, along with the great variety of alloy compositions and AM methods, coupled with the clear influence of multiple process parameters, make it difficult to predict the melt pool geometry under a given set of conditions. Therefore, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches such as Machine Learning (ML) is necessary for accurate predictions. Using a physics-informed feature selection strategy along with the application of atomic features for the first time, this work aims to offer accurately trained models relying on existing high-fidelity data for most common alloys in AM academia and industry, i.e., 316 L stainless steel, Ti6Al4V, and AlSi10Mg. Multiple ML algorithms were trained, and the results revealed that the average R2 and RMSE obtained by the K-fold cross-validation (K = 5) were significantly enhanced when laser and material properties, inspired by the analytical models for AM melt pool geometry, were used as the model features. Removing the excess features and applying atomic features further enhanced the accuracy of the models. As a result, R2 for the XGBoost, CatBoost, and GPR models were 0.907, 0.889, and 0.882, respectively, while the hold-out cross-validation led to 0.978, 0.976, and 0.945, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that the XGBoost model outperforms the Rosenthal equation. This approach provides a pathway to more accurately predict the properties of metal AM components.

Effect of different additives and sintering regimes on the optical properties of DLP printed translucent alumina

Additive manufacturing of components with enhanced characteristics to combine the geometrical flexibility of layer-by-layer manufacturing and the remarkable thermomechanical and optical properties of advanced materials has become a focus for research in the last decades. In this investigation, in-house developed Al2O3 slurries mixed with either MgO or MgAl2O4 were digitally light processed and the resulting green parts underwent slow thermal debinding at low heating rates to produce dense and stable brown samples, which were subsequently subjected to different sintering regimes to obtain translucent samples. Air sintering trials were conducted at 1700 °C and the effect of different heating rates and holding times at the sintering temperature were investigated. In addition, vacuum sintering at 1600 °C was conducted for the best conditions to assess the effect of an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. Geometrical dimensions and density data were collected at the brown and fired stages to observe their evolution through the process with the help of high-magnification optical microscopy. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the sintered samples were collected to observe and characterise the obtained microstructure. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the crystal structure and assess the insurgence of secondary phases. Finally, total transmittance and in-line transmittance were measured to evaluate the translucency level achieved by the produced sintered samples. Translucent alumina samples exhibiting a maximum total transmittance of 90.4% and a maximum real in-line transmittance (RIT) of 16.9% in the visible and near-infrared regions were fabricated.

Integrated approach to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) optimization: Harnessing the synergy of process parameters and deposition strategies

The flexibility of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in the metal 3D printing process has gained significant attention in research and industry, which allows for fabricating complicated and intricate Near-Net-Shape (NNS) geometry designs. The achievement of desired characteristics in Wire-Arc Additive Manufactured (WAAM) components is primarily contingent upon the careful selection and precise control of significant processing variables, including bead deposition strategy, wire materials, type of heat source, wire feed speed, and the application of shielding gas. As a result, optimizing these most significant process parameters has improved, producing higher-quality WAAM-manufactured components. Consequently, this has contributed to the overall rise in the method's popularity and many applications. This article aims to provide an overview of the wire deposition strategy and the optimization of process parameters in WAAM. The optimization of numerous wire deposition techniques and process parameters in the WAAM method, which is required to manufacture high-quality additively manufactured metal parts, is summarised. The WAAM optimization algorithm, in addition to anticipate technological developments, has been proposed. Subsequently, a discussion ensues regarding the potential for WAAM optimization within the swiftly growing domain of WAAM. In the end, conclusions have been derived from the reviewed research work.

Non-destructive characterization of additive manufacturing components with computed tomography and 3D X-ray microscopy

Non-destructive characterization of additive manufacturing components with computed tomography and 3D X-ray microscopy

Surface defect detection from additive manufacturing components at elevated temperatures using laser-generated Rayleigh waves

Online monitoring is a critical issue for additive manufacturing components layer by layer to ensure the integrity of the structure. However, the rough surface and high temperature make it difficult to use conventional non-destructive testing methods to carry out. In this work, the laser ultrasonic technique, as a non-contact nondestructive testing method, is applied to detect defects in a 316L stainless steel specimen manufactured using selective laser melting at elevated temperatures. The unreported phenomenon of phase evolution of Rayleigh waves for different excitation locations and temperatures is observed and systematically explored using the finite element method and experiments.Furthermore, an improved variational mode decomposition strategy based on particle swarm optimization is proposed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. A fitness function based on permutation entropy and mutual information is developed to determine the optimized parameters in variational mode decomposition. The experimental results indicate that, for the different excitation locations, the amplitude of the Rayleigh wave generated by laser irradiation on the defect is larger than on the small area around the defect, and the defect can be effectively detected using B-scans at elevated temperatures according to the abnormal evolution of Rayleigh waves; for the fixed excitation locations, the amplitude and velocity of Rayleigh waves gradually decreases at 100–500 °C, which will provide a scientific basis for online monitoring and evaluation of additive manufacturing components.

A Review on Vibration Characteristics of Additively Manufactured Metal Alloys

The advent of additive manufacturing (AM) has dramatically shifted the manufacturing sector conceptualization, design, and creation of products. AM can facilitate the production of complicated geometries and create functioning components with distinctive features for aerospace and automotive applications. However, defects such as pores, voids, interfaces, and inclusions can impair the quality and functionality of AM components. Vibration analysis (VA) has become a popular tool for the dynamic qualification and testing of products and nondestructive testing, but the literature lacks a comprehensive review of VA applied to AM. Hence, in this article, recent advances in the application of VA for identifying and characterizing flaws in metal alloys, including titanium, aluminum, and nickel‐based alloys produced by AM, are summarized. In this review, studies on defects such as porosity, cracks, and inclusions and their effect on VA are also included. Herein, this article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of VA for defect characterization and future research directions. Overall, VA is a promising nondestructive testing method for quality assurance in AM and offers insights on overcoming the difficulties for further development and application of this technology.

Windage Torque Reduction in Low-Pressure Turbine Cavities. Part I: Concept Design and Numerical Investigations

Abstract The windage torque on rotational walls has a negative effect on the performance of the low-pressure turbine. In this paper, three novel flow control concepts (FCCs) were proposed to reduce the windage torque within a turbine stator well, with upstream and downstream cavities connected by an interstage labyrinth seal. The swirl and flow pattern inside a reference turbine cavity was first investigated and the potential locations for the FCCs were identified using numerical simulations. FCC1 was a circumferential row of leaned deflectors downstream of the labyrinth seal. FCC2 was a set of deflector vanes and platform to optimize the ingress swirl at high radius in the upstream cavity. FCC3 combined the two flow concepts and the superposition resulted in a stator well windage torque reduction of 70% when compared to the baseline design. The FCCs also showed performance benefits at off-design conditions and over a range of secondary flow rates to the cavity. In Part II, the numerical analysis and performance of the FCCs are validated in an experimental rig using additively manufactured components.

Tensile properties and microstructural evolution of 17–4 PH stainless steel fabricated by laser hybrid additive manufacturing technology

Wire-based laser directed energy deposition (LDED) technology is an attractive and efficient additive manufacturing technology, which shows great potential in the process of manufacturing high-value engineering components. However, the thermal effect will lead to a large amount of residual tensile stress in the components, and the large crystal structures after solidification seriously affects the tensile performance. The pursuit of high mechanical properties in additive manufacturing components have prompted researchers to seek new strengthening process to produce high-strength components. Therefore, in this paper, laser shock peening (LSP) composite wire-based LDED were used for the additive manufacturing of 17–4 PH stainless steel under the specified experimental conditions, and the effects of LSP on microstructure evolution, microhardness, and tensile properties of wire-based LDED components were systematically studied. Results showed that uniform grains with an average size of 2.31 μm were generated on the top surface of specimen due to the ultra-high plastic strain induced by LSP shock wave. The size of hierarchical martensitic units shows varying degrees of reduction after LSP treatment, which is shown by the width decrease of packet, block and lath. Dynamic recrystallization caused by rearrangement and annihilation of high-density dislocations promoted the grain refinement. Meanwhile, the residual stress was completely converted from tensile state into compressive state with a maximum value of 425 MPa, and the microhardness was also enhanced to a peak value of 432 HV. In addition, we observed that the high-density dislocation environment created by LSP treatment promoted the further precipitation, and the aggregation phenomenon of precipitates was observed in the dense dislocation area. Furthermore, the tensile strength and elongation of LSP treated specimen were improved significantly, which was attributed to the combined effects of grain refinement, introduction of dislocation structures, precipitation strengthening and gradient residual compressive stress. In summary, laser hybrid additive manufacturing technology provides a new idea and method for the production of high-performance precipitation hardening stainless steel components.

Process parameters for three-dimensional specimens made of Ti6Al4V materials using additive manufacturing: A review

The Ti6Al4V alloy is highly mechanical, corrosion-resistant, low-specific weight, and biocompatible. Several high-performance applications are ideal for technical uses in the auto, aerospace, and medical sectors. The recent process parameters for Ti6Al4V, manufactured using additive manufacturing methods, are reviewed in this article for the past 20 years. It is possible to link processing parameters with fundamental information. This review finds that the process parameters in additive manufacturing are laser power, scanning speed, layer thickness, and hatch distance. In addition, this reviewed the presence of processes in the additive manufacturing of Ti6Al4V components and their impact on mechanical performance and microstructure analysis. In the additive manufacturing process, the reviewed parameter is the additive manufacturing component that has reduced the defects of microstructural evaluation, residual stress, porosity, compression, and corrosion behaviour of the study.

Additive manufacturing of carbon nanocomposites for structural applications

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has attracted a lot of attention in science and technology in recent years. Improvement in AM processes and materials are necessary, particularly for structural and load-bearing components in mechanical applications. The addition of nano-fillers can potentially improve the mechanical properties of additively manufactured components, making them suitable for structural applications. Carbon nanofillers like graphene and carbon nanotubes are of special interest due to their exceptional properties. Several studies have already demonstrated the use of carbon nanofillers for improving the electrical properties of 3D printed components, facilitating their use in electrical and electronic applications. However, studies focusing on structural and mechanical applications have been limited, and are not widely known. This review seeks to fill this gap by exploring the effect of carbon nanofillers on the mechanical and thermal properties of AM parts and their use in structural applications. The effect of parameters like print orientation, nanofiller addition method, and nanofiller dispersion are also explored. The review points out that there are improvements in mechanical and thermal properties due to carbon nanofiller addition, which makes the AM components more suitable for structural application.

Effect of hot isostatic pressing on microstructure and properties of high chromium K648 superalloy manufacturing by extreme high-speed laser metal deposition

High chromium superalloys have good overall mechanical properties and are widely used in critical hot-end components. The current manufacturing process still faces the problem of low forming efficiency. Extreme high-speed laser metal deposition (EHLMD) is a new and efficient additive manufacturing technology that can quickly and directly shape the direct forming of difficult-to-process materials. However, EHLMD still possesses some inter-layer defects in EHLMD alloy due to its excessively fast scanning speed, implying that there is potential for further improvement in its properties. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) as a post-heat treatment is primarily used for the removal of defects in additive manufacturing components. In this study, the defects, microstructure, and properties of the EHLMD K648 superalloy using Micro-CT, XRD, SEM and TEM under HIP treatment were investigated. The results show that the porosity of the HIP EHLMD K648 superalloy decreased, and slender needle-shaped α-Cr phase, γ′ phase and coarse M6C carbides were precipitated. The tensile strength of the HIP EHLMD K648 superalloy increased by about 240 MPa. However, its plasticity was reduced. To further improve the plasticity of the HIP EHLMD K648 superalloy, subsequent heat treatment was carried out. The outcomes of this study are expected to promote the manufacturing of high-quality chromium superalloys and the development of EHLMD technology.

The semi-quantitative analysis of hole defects in metal additive manufacturing components using LIBS

The method of segmented feature selection combined with spectral line intensity ratio was employed to improve the semi-quantitative analysis results of LIBS metal AM component hole defects.

Dynamic Mechanical Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components

The introduction of additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, has significantly transformed the production of components in various industries. This study includes a comprehensive examination of the dynamical mechanical characterization of materials produced through additive manufacturing technologies. The study revolves around an assessment of the impact of the additive manufacturing (AM) methods on the material characteristics and performance of manufactured components, with a specific focus on their mechanical characteristics under dynamic load scenarios. A comparative examination takes place to bring out the unique mechanical responses of components created through additive manufacturing (AM) in comparison to traditionally manufactured counterparts. In order evaluate characteristics such as stiffness, damping, and fatigue resistance, investigators utilize various experimental techniques, including dynamically mechanical assessment (DMA), vibrating testing, and impact testing. The outcomes of the study reveal significant insights into the interactions between printing parameters, post-processing techniques, particularly material choices, and their impact on the mechanical properties. This study increases the general understanding of the suitability and dependability of additive manufacturing (AM) components in dynamic applications hence facilitating the establishment of enhanced design and manufacturing procedures for aviation, aerospace, automobile, and biomedical uses.

Influence of the aspect ratio of an additive manufacturing component on the surface roughness during cutting with wire EDM

Influence of the aspect ratio of an additive manufacturing component on the surface roughness during cutting with wire EDM

Fused Filament Fabrication for Metallic Materials: A Brief Review.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) technology mostly used to produce thermoplastic parts. However, producing metallic or ceramic parts by FFF is also a sintered-based AM process. FFF for metallic parts can be divided into five steps: (1) raw material selection and feedstock mixture (including palletization), (2) filament production (extrusion), (3) production of AM components using the filament extrusion process, (4) debinding, and (5) sintering. These steps are interrelated, where the parameters interact with the others and have a key role in the integrity and quality of the final metallic parts. FFF can produce high-accuracy and complex metallic parts, potentially revolutionizing the manufacturing industry and taking AM components to a new level. In the FFF technology for metallic materials, material compatibility, production quality, and cost-effectiveness are the challenges to overcome to make it more competitive compared to other AM technologies, like the laser processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in FFF for metallic materials, including the metals and binders used, the challenges faced, potential applications, and the impact of FFF on the manufacturing (prototyping and end parts), design freedom, customization, sustainability, supply chain, among others.