Metal Additive Manufacturing Research Articles

Effect of Pre-Heating on Residual Stresses and Deformation in Laser-Based Directed Energy Deposition Repair: A Comparative Analysis.

Laser-directed energy deposition (DED), a metal additive manufacturing method, is renowned for its role in repairing parts, particularly when replacement costs are prohibitive. Ensuring that repaired parts avoid residual stresses and deformation is crucial for maintaining functional integrity. This study conducts experimental and numerical analyses on trapezoidal shape repairs, validating both the thermal and mechanical models with experimental results. Additionally, the study presents a methodology for creating a toolpath applicable to both the DED process and Abaqus CAE software. The findings indicate that employing a pre-heating strategy can reduce residual stresses by over 70% compared to no pre-heating. However, pre-heating may not substantially reduce final distortion. Notably, final distortion can be significantly mitigated by pre-heating and subsequently cooling to higher temperatures, thereby reducing the cooling rate. These insights contribute to optimizing DED repair processes for enhanced part functionality and longevity.

The Production of Three-Dimensional Metal Objects Using Oscillatory-Strain-Assisted Fine Wire Shaping and Joining.

Material shaping and joining are the two fundamental processes that lie at the core of many forms of metal manufacturing techniques, including additive manufacturing. Current metal additive manufacturing processes such as laser/e-beam powder bed fusion and Directed Energy Deposition predominantly use heat and subsequent melt-fusion and solidification to achieve shaping and joining. The energy efficiency of these processes is severely limited due to energy conversion losses before energy is delivered at the point of melt-fusion for shaping and joining, and due to losses through heat transfer to the surrounding environment. This manuscript demonstrates that by using the physical phenomenon of lowered yield stress of metals and enhanced diffusion in the presence of low amplitude high frequency oscillatory strain, metal shaping and joining can be performed in an energy-efficient way. The two performed simultaneously enable a metal additive manufacturing process, namely Resonance-Assisted Deposition (RAD), that has several unique capabilities, like the ability to print net-shape components from hard-to-weld alloys like Al6061 and the ability to print components with a very high aspect ratio. In this study, we show this process's capabilities by printing solid components using aluminum-based metal alloys.

Design of a metal additive manufactured aircraft seat leg using topology optimization and part decomposition

PurposeThe lightweight design of aircraft seats can significantly improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Metal additive manufacturing (MAM) can produce lightweight topology-optimized designs with improved performance, but limited build volume restricts the printing of large components. The purpose of this paper is to design a lightweight aircraft seat leg structure using topology optimization (TO) and MAM with build volume restrictions, while satisfying structural airworthiness certification requirements.Design/methodology/approachTO was used to determine a lightweight conceptual design for the seat leg structure. The conceptual design was decomposed to meet the machine build volume, a detailed CAD assembly was designed and print orientation was selected for each component. Static and dynamic verification was performed, the design was updated to meet the structural requirements and a prototype was manufactured.FindingsThe final topology-optimized seat leg structure was decomposed into three parts, yielding a 57% reduction in the number of parts compared to a reference design. In addition, the design achieved an 8.5% mass reduction while satisfying structural requirements for airworthiness certification.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first paper to design an aircraft seat leg structure manufactured with MAM using a rigorous TO approach. The resultant design reduces mass and part count compared to a reference design and is verified with respect to real-world aircraft certification requirements.

A state-of-the-art review on metal additive manufacturing: milestones, trends, challenges and perspectives

A state-of-the-art review on metal additive manufacturing: milestones, trends, challenges and perspectives

Size matters: Exploring part size effects on microstructure, defects, and mechanical property in optimized laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing

In laser-based metal additive manufacturing (MAM), effective process optimization requires a thorough analysis of variations across the process window. Despite the common practice of utilizing small-sized coupons to optimize process parameters in laser-based MAM, this study challenges this convention. Through an analysis of microstructure and defect differences in Fe-Ni material parts produced via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF), the study reveals significant discrepancies in microstructure, defect and mechanical property based on part size. As part size increases, lack-of-fusion defects and cracks become more pronounced, resulting in a decrease in density from 8.11 g/cm3 to 8.02 g/cm3, leading to constrained grain growth with a decrease of grain size from 41.88 μm to 23.07 μm in the scanning plane. Each defect and microstructural difference was traced back to variations in thermal history based on part size. Finite element method simulations, highlighting differences in thermal history from scanning a single layer to the entire part, showed that an increase in scan length with a widened scan area enlarged the period of the thermal history cycle, leading to considerable cooling. This study underscores crucial considerations for future researchers engaged in process optimization for novel alloy systems using laser-based MAM processes.

Additively manufactured low-gradient interfacial heterostructured medium-entropy alloy multilayers with superior strength and ductility synergy

Metallic additive manufacturing (AM) offers near net-shape fabrication but often results in insufficient strength and/or ductility due to voids or cracks, coarse initial crystalline microstructure, insufficient volume fraction of precipitates and yet post-AM strengthening/toughening methods non-destructive to shape are generally lacking. Here, we report a laser-directed energy deposited (L-DED) medium entropy alloy (MEA) with a heterostructure (HS) comprising alternate layers of solid-solution and intermetallic-dispersed MEA that possess ultimate tensile strength of 1132.8 MPa and elongation of 50.6 %, corresponding to strength-ductility synergy higher than other medium- or high-entropy alloys reported. The multilayers were produced from a dual source of CoCrNi MEA powder and a powder mixture of the same MEA, Al and Ti with stoichiometry (CoCrNi)86Al7Ti7, and the remarkable strength-ductility synergy is achieved only after post-L-DED heat treatment, which causes Al and Ti to diffuse across the layers to form a low-gradient HS. The significant back stress due to the HS contributes to the high strength, while the high ductility results from a high strain-hardening rate suppressing necking. This study demonstrates the concept of using AM not just as a near net-shape fabrication method but also a unique tool to produce low-gradient HSs with superb mechanical properties, via the use of multiple powder sources combined with suitable shape-preserving post-fabrication heat treatment.

Enhanced Pool Boiling Heat Transfer with Porous Ti-6Al-4V-Coatings Produced by Cold Spray Metal Additive Manufacturing

In advancing industrial heat transfer mechanisms, surface coatings offer significant potential. This research elucidates the efficacy of the metal additive manufacturing Cold Spray deposition technique for producing enhanced boiling surfaces, specifically focusing on Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) coatings on Aluminium substrates. This offers a rapid and low-cost fabrication method for producing lightweight enhanced boiling surfaces. The Cold Spray method is typically used to create dense metal deposits. Here, the process has been specially tuned to create highly inhomogeneous honeycomb-type porous Ti64 coatings. Critical Cold Spray deposition parameters, such as particle velocity, preheat temperature, and deposition rate have been identified to create repeatable porous coatings, with thicknesses of up to 3.0 mm achievable. Following deposition, several samples were subjected to systematic boiling heat transfer tests in a purpose-built pool boiling apparatus. Boiling curves were generated for the augmented Cold Spray surfaces as well as a bare surface, with the latter acting as a baseline to which enhancement levels were assessed. Initial data analysis shows that some of the tested surfaces exhibit a notable increase in boiling heat transfer coefficient and Critical Heat Flux (CHF). This enhancement is potentially attributed to increased surface area, increased nucleation site density, capillary wicking, and mitigation of lateral bubble coalescence, though excessive coating thickness may degrade heat transfer. In summary, the novel Ti64 surface structures developed using the Cold Spray deposition technique exhibits high potential for industries necessitating superior boiling heat transfer performance. Importantly, the manufacturing process is industrially scalable, offering the capacity to rapidly coat large areas at low cost compared with subtractive manufacturing other metal additive manufacturing methods.

Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing for Wireless Power Transfer Applications

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as an economical and feasible technology for creating industrial components. This paper evaluates the use of AM for inductive Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems. In particular, the innovative use of metal 3D printing is proposed as a manufacturing process for the coils. For this reason, the recent improvement of metal AM is proposed as a suitable solution to increase design opportunities, reduce costs and production time while improving transmission efficiency. In fact, the WPT coil current distribution can be preliminarily studied through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to optimize its cross-section and geometry. In this work, a general design procedure for WPT coils using metal AM is presented and this technology is compared with traditional solutions (i.e. hollow and litz wire) through extensive experimental measurements. The analysis shows that AM allows to reduce the parasitic resistance, costs and weight while increasing the transmission efficiency. Thus, the obtained results confirm the potential of AM for producing WPT coils, nominating this technology as a flexible, sustainable, and rapid solution for custom WPT coils production.

Thermal performance against gravity of an AlSi10 AM heat pipe with a diamond lattice structure

Metal Additive Manufacturing has gained momentum as a viable production technique for specialized heat transfer devices, in particular for industrial sectors characterized by small production numbers associated with high-performance requirements. Within the space industry, ESA is leading and funding several applied research programs to explore the possibility to employ AM for building electronic boxes with embedded heat pipes, in order to reduce manufacturing post-processing steps and contact thermal resistances. In the context of tender 1-10238, the project “Heat Pipe Solutions for High Power Systems” (HPS2) has developed and tested lattice-based heat pipes, that are intended to be integrated in electronic modules. In this paper, the heat transfer performances as function of input power and tilt angle against gravity of a 150 mm long heat pipe with a 20 mm evaporator section and a 40 mm condenser section are presented and compared with the results of the models of performance limits, based on the measured properties of the lattice.

Material incorporation in powder sheet additive manufacturing toward lightweight designs for future mobility

Additive manufacturing of AlSi10Mg has obtained increased attention due to its lightweight feature. However, handling of loose powder, efficient usage of feedstock, and powder recycling still remain major open challenges. Herein, a novel additive manufacturing method based on metal additive manufacturing using powder sheet (MAPS) is proposed, which leverages composite flexible films made of the feedstock of metal powder and a polymeric binder, aiming to extend the range of applicability of AlSi10Mg-based additive manufacturing technologies, for example, vehicle components. In situ high-speed imaging is used to explore the underlying manufacturing mechanisms of the proposed MAPS concept and investigate the laser–powder sheet interaction. In addition, a representative computational thermo-mechanical model was used to evaluate the substrate deformation due to the printing process, a critical aspect that must be minimized in order to transfer this technology to larger scale applications.

Experimental investigation of the cooling performance of an additively manufactured prototype for nuclear fusion energy application

Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) is a non-traditional technology recently introduced to manufacture multifunctional mechanical components. In fact, recent developments in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process have enabled the production of materials characterized by high density and high thermal conductivity properties, such as copper alloys and pure copper, making the technology attractive for thermal science. In nuclear fusion energy applications, mechanical components often encounter extremely high heat fluxes. An innovative solution using unconventional integrated cooling channels is therefore required to safely manage the components. However, the high surface roughness in 3D-printed parts represents an intrinsic limitation of the LPBF technology: the cooling channels show high-pressure drops due to the high viscous dissipation generated by the rough surface. To address this challenge, a lab-scale prototype of an e-beam extraction grid for a fusion experiment with an original integrated cooling system was designed and manufactured. Additionally, a novel heating mask was designed and manufactured to reproduce the realistic heat load distribution on the grid during the experimental tests. The prototype was built using additive manufacturing with a CuCrZr copper alloy. The grid underwent heat treatment via solution annealing and age hardening, to increase thermal conductivity from about 100 W m−1 K−1 to almost 300 W m−1 K−1. The prototype was tested at three different constant heat fluxes by varying the water flow rate while measuring the pressure and the maximum temperatures of the grid. A CFD numerical model was also calibrated to estimate the thermo-hydraulic performance of the prototype under test conditions. The experimental and numerical results are presented in terms of overall thermal performance, maximum temperature, and pressure drop.

Designing materials by laser powder bed fusion with machine learning-driven bi-objective optimization

To exploit the full industrial potential of additive manufacturing (AM) beyond prototyping, the resource-consuming identification of the optimal processing conditions needs to be minimized. This task becomes more challenging when multiple properties of the part shall be simultaneously optimized. We utilize machine learning (ML) methods in a case study on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of a Zr-based glass-forming alloy. Our experiments show that processing parameters affect density and amorphicity opposingly, demonstrating the efficacy of our ML-based approach. We employ multi-objective optimization using Gaussian Process Regression to model and predict target properties and their uncertainties of parts fabricated by LPBF – a widely used metal AM technology. With density and amorphicity as target parameters, we optimize models using the Pareto front facilitated by the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II. Despite deviations in the amorphicity data, we demonstrate this method to identify the high-performance region of the process parameters and its ability to be iteratively enhanced with additional experimental data. This bi-objective optimization approach provides a robust toolset for navigating LPBF processing. It can be easily extended to a larger set of target properties and transferred to further AM technologies.

Statistical parameterized physics-based machine learning digital shadow models for laser powder bed fusion process

This paper presents a statistical physics-based machine learning model for predicting defects, such as surface roughness and lack-of-fusion porosity, in the laser powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) additive manufacturing process. The statistical physics-based model is calibrated and validated against controlled single-track experiments and used for statistical prediction for multi-layer and multi-track cases for PBF-LB/M defects. A mechanistic reduced-order-based stochastic calibration process is introduced to capture the stochastic nature of the melt pool. The calibrated physics-based digital shadow model is demonstrated for predicting the surface roughness of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) overhang part X4, with a difference of 9.3% compared to the experimental results. By leveraging data obtained from both the physics-based model and experiments, a machine learning model has been trained for fast predictions (inference time of 0.4 ms) with high accuracy (error bound of 6.7%). This model can predict melt pool geometries under various processing conditions, offering a control strategy for the PBF-LB/M process. Further, the trained machine learning model is showcased to demonstrate a control application of melt pool geometries (width and depth) for specific processing parameters. These developed models (physics-based and machine learning) serve as a digital shadow of the PBF-LB/M process, offering predictive capabilities to build a digital twin model for process control, optimization, and online monitoring.

Defect evolution and mitigation in metal extrusion additive manufacturing: From deposition to sintering

Material extrusion additive manufacturing of metals has found widespread application and is typically thought of as a facile technique to create metal components. This can be undertaken without the need for energy sources typically used in direct energy deposition and powder bed fusion processes. Despite recent advances in achieving net shape and improvements to material/component integrity, these processes are characterized by performance limiting defects which often emerge as a result of deposition strategy and are retained post sintering. Although the debinding and sintering steps have been investigated for metal injection molding technology, quantitative studies of defect evolution are lacking. This work proposes an approach to study the pore evolution behavior from deposition to sintering through X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) image processing. Quantitative results of pore shrinking, partial and full closure through backtracking of individual pores from the sintered to the green state are presented. It is shown that where pores are larger than 4 × 10-6 mm3, equals to the D90 of the feedstock metal particles, these cannot be fully closed upon sintering and will survive to limit the performance of the final part. The average pore shrinkage is by a factor of 5.6 and partial closure happens in pores with minimum Feret diameter of 33 μm, equals to 160% of the D90 powder particle, or less. The utilization of overfill as a proposed technique in the literature for the elimination of macro pores is investigated, yielding disparate and unsatisfactory results. This discrepancy can be attributed to the insufficient formation of micro-channels within the pore structure during the deposition process of the aqueous feedstock, leading to regions of weak grain bonding. To evaluate the contribution of these to undermining material integrity, tensile tests of linear and circular deposition strategies are undertaken. Experiments show that track interface length plays a major role in determining elongation to failure and tensile strength. It is concluded that the limitation to the mechanical properties of metal paste extrusion components originates from the emergence of defects and their characteristics after the completion of the processing, as opposed to being influenced by the metallurgy prior or post sintering.

Enhanced latent thermal energy battery with additive manufacturing

The low thermal conductivity of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), such as paraffin waxes, hinders efficient latent heat storage, especially for rapid charging and discharging cycles. To address this issue, this study explores experimentally and numerically the use of metal additive manufacturing to create a latent heat storage system operating at medium temperatures (around 90°C). A 3D Cartesian metal lattice is manufactured through laser powder bed fusion to optimize heat conduction within the PCM. Experimental tests show impressive specific power densities (approximately 714 ± 17 W kg−1 during charging and 1310 ± 48 W kg−1 during discharging). Moreover, the device exhibits stability over multiple cycles. Finally, the validated finite-element model has the potential to provides a basis for general design guidelines to boost the system’s performance further. Potential applications of this technology are highlighted in the automotive industry, where such systems could efficiently manage thermal energy, for instance, by capturing excess heat from an engine’s cooling radiator to expedite the warm-up process during a cold start, which is a critical phase for reducing pollutant emissions.

Mechanical and corrosion performance of WAAM printed steel structure

Wire plus arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is rapidly growing into a popular and cost-effective technology for manufacturing medium-large complex structured components. WAAM is a novel metal additive manufacturing method that deposits material layer by layer using an electric arc as a heat source, allowing the creation of metal components with high mechanical characteristics. The procedure allows for the construction of a near-net-shape structure at a rapid pace of production (50–130 gm/min) and material utilization efficiency (80–90 %). The present study mainly focuses on the fabrication of the WAAM structure and a detailed investigation of the mechanical and corrosion performance of multi-layer fabricated wall components. The most versatile and widely applicable stainless steel SS316L material is employed to build multi-layered wall structures. The average micro-hardness of the WAAM-built structure along the building direction was found to be 197.43±1.46 HV0.3 and that of the commercially available counterpart was found to be 187.26±1.17 HV0.3. Moreover, the maximum hardness was observed close to the bottom region (201.86±1.44 HV0.3) which further reduces with the building height. The ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength of the WAAM printed wall obtained as 573.81±2.3 MPa, and 275.41±1.1 MPa respectively found to have improved mechanical strength to that of wrought counter-part however the ductility in the form of percent elongation gets slightly reduced. Furthermore, comparable corrosion resistance was observed for the WAAM fabricated wall structure and conventionally manufactured SS316L structure. The bottom region experiences better corrosion resistance compared to the upper region in both saline environment and acidic corrosion solution with an average corrosion rate of 0.0276 mm/yr, and 0.0366 mm/yr respectively.

An analytic cost model for bound metal deposition

AbstractMetal material extrusion is a family of metal additive manufacturing that includes atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM) and bound metal deposition (BMD). In the literature, there are just a few cost models for ADAM and no one for BMD. The paper presents an analytic cost model for BMD. It considers the entire process: pre-processing, printing and post-processing. The total manufacturing cost is split into material, machine, labour, energy and consumables items. The cost model validation on a 3D-printed part determined an accuracy of 98%.

High precision detection of artificial defects in additively manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy via laser ultrasonic testing

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a cutting-edge metal additive manufacturing technology with promising applications in aerospace, biomedicine, and industrial automation. Its ability to fabricate intricate geometric shapes, achieve high surface precision, and deliver comprehensive results renders it highly advantageous. In LPBF process, several factors such as the interference of laser processing fluctuations, rapid cooling rate, and environmental gas, contribute to the initiation and expansion of defects including pores and cracks, limiting the application of LPBF components. Laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) is a promising non-destructive evaluation method that can accurately detected defects in LPBF manufactured components by non-contact generation and detection. In this paper, a multi-physical field LUT model for the pores and cracks in LPBF additively manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy is proposed. The interaction of ultrasound with defects produces defect reflection echo wave, diffracted wave, and transmission wave. The transmission and diffraction phenomena occur in the longitudinal sound waves at defects. Furthermore, the echo wave reflected at crack exhibited enhanced prominence and an irregular shape. Clear differences were observed in the effects of laser ultrasonic detection on different defect types, pore depths and sizes. Finally, the LUT technology achieved the detection of 90 μm pore defects in LPBF manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy.

Phenomenological sintering model and experimental validation of gravity-induced distortions in binder-jetted stainless steel components

Sintering is an important consolidation step employed in sinter-based metal additive manufacturing processes. Binder Jetting (BJT) starts with green components with low green density (40–60 %) that results in large sintering shrinkages and geometrical shape distortions caused by external forces (e.g. gravity). Consequently, the prediction of the final sintered geometry is crucial during the design process. In this work, a novel sintering simulation framework for gravity-affected sintering of stainless-steel components is presented, including the Rios-Olevsky-Hryha sintering model and the methodology for the identification of the required material parameters. The constitutive law includes material constants to account for the powder packing effects and the delta-ferrite transformation occurring at high temperatures. The material shear viscosity was explicitly related to the equilibrium phase fraction of austenite and delta-ferrite during sintering temperatures. Dilatometry experiments were conducted and followed by the data postprocessing for the model calibration. The calibrated model was incorporated in a FEM code and validated against experimental data from BJT sintered components, showing the remarkably accuracy of the numerical simulations, with small geometric deviations (0.56 mm) related to the assumption of isotropic shrinkage in the model proposed. In parallel, other alternative models were implemented based on different normalized bulk viscosity formulations, which underestimate/overestimate the sintered distortions.

Emergence of rapid solidification microstructure in additive manufacturing of a Magnesium alloy

Abstract Bioresorbable Mg-based alloys with low density, low elastic modulus, and excellent biocompatibility are outstanding candidates for temporary orthopedic implants. Coincidentally, metal additive manufacturing (AM) is disrupting the biomedical sector by providing fast access to patient-customized implants. Due to the high cooling rates associated with fusion-based AM techniques, they are often described as rapid solidification processes. However, conclusive observations or rapid solidification in metal AM — attested by drastic microstructural changes induced by solute trapping, kinetic undercooling, or morphological transitions of the solid-liquid interface — are scarce. Here we study the formation of banded microstructures during laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) of a biomedical-grade Magnesium-rare earth alloy, combining advanced characterization and state-of-the-art thermal and phase-field modeling. Our experiments unambiguously identify microstructures as the result of an oscillatory banding instability known from other rapid solidification processes. Our simulations confirm that LPBF-relevant solidification conditions strongly promote the development of banded microstructures in a Mg-Nd alloy. Simulations also allow us to peer into the sub-micrometer nanosecond-scale details of the solid-liquid interface evolution giving rise to the distinctive banded patterns. Since rapidly solidified Mg alloys may exhibit significantly different mechanical and corrosion response compared to their cast counterparts, the ability to predict the emergence of rapid solidification microstructures (and to correlate them with local solidification conditions) may open new pathways for the design of bioresorbable orthopedic implants, not only fitted geometrically to each patient, but also optimized with locally-tuned mechanical and corrosion properties.