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Nickel-Iron-Alloy Modification to Enhance Additively Welded Microstructure for Subsequent Milling
(2022)
The aerospace industry uses nickel–iron alloys, e.g., FeNi36, to create moulding tools for composite materials, since these alloys have a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Nickel–iron alloys are hard-to-cut materials. The moulding tools are large in size and involve complex structures, making them cost-intensive and difficult to manufacture. Thus, the focus is set on additive manufacturing, which can additionally enable the repair of components in order to eliminate local defects. However, the process usually results in a heterogeneous microstructure and anisotropic mechanical properties. As there is a high demand for a precise and exact fit of the precision moulds and the surface quality, the welded components must be subsequently machined. Additionally, inhomogeneous microstructure may lead to unstable cutting forces and conditions. Consequently, a modification of the microstructure morphology is achieved through specific alloy modifications in order to stabilise and improve the subsequent machining process. Therefore, titanium and zirconium are chosen as modification elements with a maximum 1% weight percent and are added to nickel–iron alloy powder. The elements are alloyed, and build-up welded by plasma-transferred-arcwelding. The resulting microstructure morphology of the welded wall structure and the machining properties are then determined. It can be shown that titanium has a significant effect on the structural morphology of the welded layers, as well as on the machining.
Ni alloys are generally classified as difficult-to-cut materials and cost intensive. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers economic advantages. However, machining of these AM components is mandatory to create the final contour or surface. The inhomogeneous and anisotropic microstructure and properties of AM components causes an unstable cutting process. Moreover, undesirable tensile residual stresses are generated due to subsequent machining. In this investigation, the initial alloy 36 is modified with Ti and Nb up to 1.6 wt.-% and build-up welded via gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and plasma-transferred-arc (PTA). Then, finish-milling tests are carried out to investigate the influence of the modification as well as the cutting parameters on the resulting cutting force and the surface integrity. In addition, the conventional milling process (CM) is compared with the ultrasonic-assisted milling process (US), which has a significant influence on the machinability as well as on the surface integrity.
Alloy 36 (1.3912) is an alloy with 36% nickel and 64% iron and is generally classified as a difficult-to-cut material. Increasingly complex structures and the optimization of resource efficiency are making additive manufacturing (AM) more and more attractive for the manufacture or repair of components. Subsequent machining of AM components is unavoidable for its final contour. By using modern, hybrid machining processes, e.g., ultrasonic-assisted milling (US), it is possible to improve the cutting situation regarding the resulting surface integrity as well as the cutting force. Part I deals with the influence of the alloying elements Ti, Zr, and Hf on the microstructure and the hardness of the initial alloy 36. Part II focusses on the effect of the alloy modifications and the ultrasonic assistance on machinability as well as on the surface integrity after finish-milling. The results show a highly significant influence of the ultrasonic assistance. The cutting force during the US is reduced by over 50% and the roughness of approx. 50% compared to conventional milling (CM) for all materials investigated. Moreover, the US causes a defect-free surface and induces near-surface compressive residual stresses. CM leads to a near-surface stress state of approx. 0 MPa.