Materials for additive manufacturing
Superalloys in additive manufacturing
Scientists at the Fraunhofer IWS have developed methods that allow more materials to be used in additive manufacturing than before. The prerequisite: improving the industrial 3D printers currently in use so that these machines can also process very strong and extremely heat-resistant alloys.
In laser powder cladding, various filler powders are introduced into the process zone and welded onto the workpiece surface using a laser. The advantage: the process can be adapted to the requirements of materials that are difficult to weld and process using traditional methods. The prerequisite is that the temperature, powder types, feed rate and other settings are exactly right.
To this end, engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam Technology IWS are collecting sensor data as part of the Fraunhofer lighthouse project "futureAM - Next Generation Additive Manufacturing". With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, this data is being researched in a working group. For example, analysis algorithms link the measured sensor values with the institute's powder database and evaluate process parameters. Over time, the machines learn to make decisions independently. For example, they recognize for themselves whether a slight increase in temperature in the welding process can be tolerated or whether they need to take immediate countermeasures before the entire component becomes a reject.
Procedure in practice
Industry is interested in research. The reason can be explained using the example of aircraft engines. These could run hotter and more efficiently if the materials did not fail at temperatures of around 1,200 °C. Although materials exist that are resistant to such high temperatures, they are difficult to process using traditional methods and are also expensive. Constructing a component from a single material is not very effective, as the component is not exposed to the same heat at all points. This is where the researched process could help: With laser powder build-up welding, different powders can be applied to the process zone simultaneously or one after the other at adjustable feed rates. In this way, the expensive, highly stressable material could only be used where high temperatures occur. A different material would be sufficient for less stressed areas. The catch: the superalloys can only be processed if the current industrial 3D printers are improved accordingly.
In the next step, the researchers want to combine various high-performance materials within a single component. In the "futureAM" joint project, the IWS and five other Fraunhofer Institutes are bringing together this and other expertise to take additive manufacturing to a new level. By summer 2020, they want to integrate all of this expertise into the additive manufacturing process chain and demonstrate it on tangible components.
According to documents from the Fraunhofer IWS / ag
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