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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (90)
In this presentation, the results of the determination of the diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 are presented. The analysis is based on high-energy synchrotron diffraction experiments performed at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron. It is shown that the characteristic microstructure of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 impacts the elastic anisotropy and therefore the diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants. Finally, the consequences on the diffraction-based residual stress determination of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 are discussed.
Microalloying elements such as Nb and Ti play a decisive function in achieving the desired mechanical strength of quenched and tempered, high-strength fine-grain structural steels with a nominal yield strength ≥ 690 MPa. The current specifications for the chemical composition only provide manufacturers with upper limits. However, even minor deviations in the alloy concept can have a significant impact on the mechanical properties. Consequently, accurate prediction of weldability and the integrity of welded joints becomes difficult or even impossible due to differences in composition and the resulting microstructures. Undesirable consequences include a possible softening of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or, conversely, hardening effects. In view of these challenges, various microalloying strategies with different Ti and Nb contents are being systematically investigated for the first time using specially developed laboratory casting alloys. Each alloying route is based on the common S690QL, maintaining both the chemical composition and the heat treatment parameters. To analyse the weldability, three-layer welds were performed using gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and critical microstructures, such as areas of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) that exhibit significant softening or hardening, were identified. The effect of the softened HAZ region on failure was evaluated using transverse tensile specimens. Digital image correlation (DIC) is used to image changes in local strains in different HAZ regions in situ. Using a specially developed mirror system, the local strains of the microstructure zones on the top and bottom of the weld are recorded simultaneously. This makes it possible to analyse how the weld seam geometry (e.g., V-seam) influences the strain gradients. In addition, the analysis of the local deformation helps to understand the effects of the softened HAZ on the global strain, the fracture constriction, the fracture position, and the overall fracture behavior.
Die Erzeugung rissschließfreier Anrisse in gekerbten bruchmechanischen Proben für anschließende Ermüdungsversuche kann durch eine zyklische Druckbelastung an der Kerbe erfolgen: Bei der Erstbelastung wird eine plastische Verformung an der Kerbspitze erzeugt, welche Zugeigenspannungen und damit eine risstreibende Kraft bei der folgenden zyklischen Druckbelastung hervorruft. Durch das Risswachstum kommt es zu einer Entspannung, bis der Riss schließlich arretiert, weil die effektive risstreibende Kraft auf den Schwellenwert abgesunken ist. Um Kurzrisswachstum in additiv, mittels pulverbettbasiertem Laserstrahlschmelzen (Laser Powder Bed Fusion - LPBF) gefertigtem AISI 316L Stahl und seinem konventionell erzeugten, warmgewalzten Pendant zu untersuchen, wurde dieses Verfahren im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit genutzt. Im Falle des additiv gefertigten Materials kam es zu unerwartet langem Ermüdungsrisswachstum, bevor der Riss arretierte. Zur Ermittlung der Ursache erfolgte eine Messung der Eigenspannungsverteilungen mittels Neutronendiffraktion in der Kerbebene der additiv gefertigten Proben. Anschließend wurde ein Finite-Elemente-Modell zur Simulation des Ermüdungsrisswachstums in konventionellem und additiv gefertigtem Material implementiert. Im Rahmen dieses Vortrages wird insbesondere auf das Vorgehen bei der Simulation und auf die getroffenen Annahmen und Vereinfachungen eingegangen. Die Resultate werden mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen verglichen und das für die Simulation von Risswachstum genutzte Knoten-Freigabe-Verfahren (Node-Release), das Einbringen von Eigenspannungen als initiale Spannungen in der Simulation, und die Rechengrößen zur Quantifizierung der risstreibenden Kraft kritisch diskutiert.
Mikrolegierungselemente wie Nb und Ti sind entscheidend für die erwünschte mechanische Festigkeit von vergüteten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nennstreckgrenze von ≥ 690 MPa. Aktuelle Spezifikationen geben lediglich Obergrenzen für die chemische Zusammensetzung vor, allerdings können geringfügige Abweichungen erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften haben. Die Vorhersage der Schweißbarkeit und Integrität von Schweißverbindungen stellt aufgrund der variierenden Zusammensetzung und Mikrostrukturen Herausforderungen dar. Unerwünschte Effekte wie Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) oder Verfestigung können auftreten. Um dies zu untersuchen, wurden verschiedene Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten an Laborschmelzen erforscht. Die Basis jeder Route entsprach der üblichen S690QL in Zusammensetzung und Wärmebehandlung. Dreilagenschweißungen wurden mittels Metallaktivgasschweißens (MAG) durchgeführt, um kritische Gefügebereiche zu identifizieren. Die Analyse konzentrierte sich auf Phasenumwandlungen während der Abkühlung und metallurgisches Ausscheidungsverhalten. Die mechanischen Eigenschaften der Schweißnähte wurden durch Zugversuche ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen bedeutenden Einfluss der Mikrolegierungsroute und Schweißwärmezufuhr auf die Ausscheidungskinetik, trotz insgesamt guter Schweißbarkeit der Werkstoffe.
Offshore wind turbines continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate offshore foundations concepts like monopiles, tripods, or jackets. These components are typically constructed using submerged arc welding (SAW) with high-strength thick steel plates like the S420ML. During welding, the occurrence of delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) must be anticipated. HAC is a critical combination of the local hydrogen concentration within a susceptible microstructure under certain mechanical load, i.e., the occurring (welding) residual stresses. The welding sequence of the thick-walled plates complicates the residual stress distribution due to the necessary repeated thermal cycling, i.e., welding seam/layer deposition to fill the joint. For that purpose, SAW with two-wire-technique was used to weld a specially designed and prototype-like mock-up of a real component with a thickness of 50 mm, filled with over 20 passes and a seam length of 1000 mm. Additional welded stiffeners simulated the effect of a high restraint, to achieve critical HAC conditions. The necessity of a minimum waiting time (MWT) before the NDT can be conducted (to exclude HAC) was critically verified by the application of ultrasonic testing of the welded joint at different time-steps of the NDT of up to 48 h after the completion welding. The residual stresses were determined by a robot XRD goniometer. Tensile residual stresses up to the yield limit are found both in the weld metal and in the heat-affected zone. Numerical modeling allowed the qualitative estimation of the hydrogen diffusion in the weld. No noticeable HAC occurrence was identified and confirms the high cracking resistance of the investigated material. Finally, the applicability of the MWT concept should be critically discussed.
Residual stresses Analysis in Additively Manufactured alloys using neutron diffraction (L-PBF)
(2023)
An overview of recent progress at BAM of residual stress analysis in additively manufactured, in particular Laser Powder Bed Fusion of metallics materials, using neutron diffraction will be presented. This will cover important topics of the stress-free reference, the diffraction elastic moduli and principal stress determination.
Mikrolegierungselemente, wie Nb und Ti, sind für die signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zu-sammensetzung geben dabei nur obere Grenzwerte für die Hersteller vor. Weiterhin wirken sich bereits kleine Abweichungen in der Legierungsroute teilweise drastisch auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften aus. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Schweißeignung und der Integrität der Schweißverbindung aufgrund der variierenden Mikrogefüge erschwert bis unmöglich.
Die Nb-mikrolegierte Güte weist im Vergleich zur Ti-mikrolegierten Güte eine bessere Anlassbeständigkeit auf. Eine divergente Phasenverteilung in den äußeren Zonen der WEZ der Fülllagen erklärt die unterschiedliche Härteverteilung in der WEZ der drei untersuchten Legierungen und die markanten Unterschiede der Kerbschlagzähigkeit. Die quasistatischen Querzugversuche mittels DIC zeigten ein divergentes lokales Dehnungsverhalten auf. Die Ti-mikrolegierte Stahlsorte zeigt ein signifikanten lokales Dehnungsverhalten in der WEZ, wobei hier sich aufgrund der hohen metallurgischen Kerbwirkung Makrostützeffekte während des plastischen Fließens in der WEZ auftreten.
Offshore-Windenergieanlagen erfordern Gründungskonzepte aus unterpulver-(UP-)geschweißten Dickblechen (bspw. der Güte S420ML). Während der Schweißfertigung kann eine zeitverzögerte wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung auftreten, deren Bewertung aufgrund der Bauteilgröße von Offshore-Strukturen sehr komplex ist. Deswegen wurde eine bauteilähnliche Geometrie (Mock-Up) entwickelt, um reale Steifigkeitsverhältnisse auf den Labormaßstab zu übertragen. Zusätzliche Versteifungen simulieren die Wirkung einer Einspannung bzw. Schrumpfbehinderung der Schweißnaht. Über die Verwendung von Schweißpulvern mit definierter Feuchte wurden zudem ein Extremszenario der Wasserstoffaufnahme simuliert. Entsprechend der vorgegebenen Mindestwartezeit für die ZfP von bis zu 48 h wurde die Schweißnaht zerstörungsfrei mit Phased-Array-Ultraschall-Prüfung (PAUT) geprüft und die Eigenspannungen über Röntgendiffraktometrie (XRD) bestimmt. Zusätzlich wurde die Wasserstoffverteilung in der Schweißverbindung numerisch simuliert. Außer zulässigen Defekten (wie Poren), wurde keine verzögerte Kaltrissbildung in den Mock-Ups festgestellt, was auf hohe Rissbeständigkeit hindeutet.
Offshore-Windenergieanlagen erfordern Gründungskonzepte aus unterpulver-(UP-)geschweißten Dickblechen (bspw. der Güte S420ML). Während der Schweißfertigung kann eine zeitverzögerte wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung auftreten, deren Bewertung aufgrund der Bauteilgröße von Offshore-Strukturen sehr komplex ist. Deswegen wurde eine bauteilähnliche Geometrie (Mock-Up) entwickelt, um reale Steifigkeitsverhältnisse auf den Labormaßstab zu übertragen. Zusätzliche Versteifungen simulieren die Wirkung einer Einspannung bzw. Schrumpfbehinderung der Schweißnaht. Über die Verwendung von Schweißpulvern mit definierter Feuchte wurden zudem ein Extremszenario der Wasserstoffaufnahme simuliert. Entsprechend der vorgegebenen Mindestwartezeit für die ZfP von bis zu 48 h wurde die Schweißnaht zerstörungsfrei mit Phased-Array-Ultraschall-Prüfung (PAUT) geprüft und die Eigenspannungen über Röntgendiffraktometrie (XRD) bestimmt. Zusätzlich wurde die Wasserstoffverteilung in der Schweißverbindung numerisch simuliert. Außer zulässigen Defekten (wie Poren), wurde keine verzögerte Kaltrissbildung in den Mock-Ups festgestellt, was auf hohe Rissbeständigkeit hindeutet.
Structural alloys are largely employed in key industrial sectors and their demand is predicted to rise rapidly for the next decades. Most of these materials require a large amount of energy for extraction and manufacturing, which causes the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Therefore, strategies for improving the sustainability of structural metallic alloys are urgently needed.
Additive Manufacturing (AM), in particular Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M), aims to be a sustainable manufacturing process, as it allows the build-up of complex geometry in near net-shape from 3D models, while minimizing material waste and the energy required for the process and post-process treatments.
Nevertheless, the application of additively manufactured parts in structural safety-relevant applications is still hindered by the poor fatigue performance. The cause of this has been mainly attributed to the presence of manufacturing defects and surface roughness. Therefore, a huge effort has been made to optimize the process parameters and to introduce post-process treatments to minimize the defect content. However, material flaws cannot be fully eliminated, but these can be considered in a damage tolerance framework for the prediction of the fatigue performance of additively manufactured metallic materials, which is essential for part design and qualification.
This work aims at presenting different modelling strategies for the prediction of the fatigue limit of AM metals. Simple empirical models and more complex models based on fatigue short crack propagation are proposed. The investigated material is an AlSi10Mg alloy fabricated by PBF-LB/M and subjected to two different low-temperature heat-treatments (265°C for 1 h and 300°C for 2h). The results show that the models can provide good approximation of the fatigue limits and help in the interpretation of the scatter of fatigue data.
Der Einsatz von hochfesten niedriglegierten Stählen (HSLA) ist in vielen Industriesektoren, wie dem allgemeinen Bauwesen, Offshore Strukturen, Mobilkranbau usw. unumgänglich geworden. Die steigende Nachfrage an Stählen mit einer hohen Festigkeit und gleichzeitig hervorragenden Zähigkeit stellt ein ökonomisches und ökologisches Potential dieser Stähle in Vordergrund. Aktuell gültige Normvorgaben (EN ISO 10025-6) geben den Stahlherstellern Vorgaben bezüglich der chemischen Zusammensetzung, um die geforderten mechanischen Eigenschaften erreichen zu können. Die Legierungsrouten variieren jedoch von Hersteller zu Hersteller. In Betracht der Schweißeignung dieser Stähle zeigt sich das Problem, dass diese bereits bei geringen Nb- und Ti-Mikrolegierungsunterschieden im Grundwerkstoff ein divergentes metallurgisches Verhalten in der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) aufweisen.
In diesem Vortrag werden die schweiß-metallurgischen Unterschiede zwischen verschieden mikrolegiertem hochfestem Feinkornbaustahl S690QL thematisiert. Zur Prüfung der Schweißnahtfestigkeit wurden mittels eines instrumentierten DIC (ARAMIS) Systems Querzugversuche an Schweiß-Querflachzugproben durchgeführt.
Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are a key factor of the sustainable energy generation of tomorrow. The continuously increasing installation depths and weight of the OWTs require suitable foundation concepts like monopiles or tripods. Typically, mild steels like the S420ML are used with plate thicknesses up to several hundreds of mm causing high restraints in the weld joints. Due to the large plate thickness, submerged arc welding (SAW) with multiple wires is the state-of-the-art welding procedure. As a result of the very high stiffness of the construction, a certain susceptibility for time-delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) may occur. The evaluation of crack susceptibility is very complex due to the component size and stiffness of real offshore structures. For this purpose, a near-component test geometry was developed to transfer the real stiffness conditions to laboratory (i.e., workshop) scale. The investigated mock-up, weighing 350 kg, comprised heavy plates (thickness 50 mm, seam length 1,000 m) joined by a 22-pass submerged arc weld. Additional stiffeners simulated the effect of high restraint or shrinkage restraint of the weld. Extreme scenarios of hydrogen absorption during welding were simulated via the use of welding fluxes in dry (HD < 5 ml/100g Fe) and moisture condition (HD > 15 ml/100g Fe). The residual stresses were determined by a robot X-ray diffractometer. Areas of critical tensile residual stress (at the level of the yield strength) were found in the weld metal and heat affected zone. To identify possible delayed cracking, the welds were tested by phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) after 48 h. Summarized, no significant occurrence of HAC was detected, indicating the high crack resistance of the welded joint, i.e., a suitable combination of base material, welding consumable and welding parameters.
The capability to produce complexly and individually shaped metallic parts is one of the main advantages of the laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) process. Development of material and machine specific process parameters is commonly based on results acquired from small cubic test coupons of about 10 mm edge length. Such cubes are usually used to conduct an optimization of process parameters to produce dense material. The parameters are then taken as the basis for the manufacturing of real part geometries. However, complex geometries go along with complex thermal histories during the manufacturing process, which can significantly differ from thermal conditions prevalent during the production of simply shaped test coupons. This may lead to unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities of the microstructure and defect distribution in the final part and it is a root cause of reservations against the use of additive manufacturing for the production of safety relevant parts. In this study, the influence of changing thermal conditions on the resulting melt pool depth of 316L stainless steel specimens is demonstrated. A variation of thermo-graphically measured intrinsic preheating temperatures was triggered by an alteration of inter layer times and a variation of cross section areas of specimens for three distinct sets of process parameters. Correlations between the preheating temperature, the melt pool depth, and occurring defects were analyzed. The limited expressiveness of the results of small density cubes is revealed throughout the systematic investigation. Finally, a clear recommendation to consider thermal conditions in future process parameter optimizations is given.
The capability to produce complexly and individually shaped metallic parts is one of the main advantages of the laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) process. Development of material and machine specific process parameters is commonly based on results acquired from small cubic test coupons of about 10 mm edge length. Such cubes are usually used to conduct an optimization of process parameters to produce dense material. The parameters are then taken as the basis for the manufacturing of real part geometries. However, complex geometries go along with complex thermal histories during the manufacturing process, which can significantly differ from thermal conditions prevalent during the production of simply shaped test coupons. This may lead to unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities of the microstructure and defect distribution in the final part and it is a root cause of reservations against the use of additive manufacturing for the production of safety relevant parts. In this study, the influence of changing thermal conditions on the resulting melt pool depth of 316L stainless steel specimens is demonstrated. A variation of thermo-graphically measured intrinsic preheating temperatures was triggered by an alteration of inter layer times and a variation of cross section areas of specimens for three distinct sets of process parameters. Correlations between the preheating temperature, the melt pool depth, and occurring defects were analyzed. The limited expressiveness of the results of small density cubes is revealed throughout the systematic investigation. Finally, a clear recommendation to consider thermal conditions in future process parameter optimizations is given.
This study was carried out to investigate the neutron transmission signal as a function of sample temperature during a welding process. A theoretical description that includes the Debye-Waller factor was used to describe the temperature influence on the neutron crosssections. Neutron imaging using a monochromatic beam helps to observe transmission variations related to the material temperature. In-situ neutron imaging of welding experiments show the distribution of the temperature in bulk steel samples. The performed finite element modelling of expected temperature distributions shows good agreement with the obtained experimental data.
High energy X-ray synchrotron diffraction is used to investigate the elastic anisotropy of the nickel-based superalloy IN718 produced by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB). This material is characterized by a columnar grain morphology with some crystallographic texture. The material is subjected to elastic loading to determine the diffraction elastic constants (DECs). Furthermore, the single-crystal elastic constants (SCEC) are refined from these experiments using different micromechanical models. The results show that each micromechanical model predicts a specific set of SCEC that well describes the elastic anisotropy of PBF-LB/IN718.
For the wide acceptance of the use of additive manufacturing (AM), it is required to provide reliable testing methods to ensure the safety of the additively manufactured parts. A possible solution could be the deployment of in-situ monitoring during the build process. However, for laser powder bed fusion using metal powders (PBF-LB/M) only a few in-situ monitoring techniques are commercially available (optical tomography, melt pool monitoring), which have not been researched to an extent that allows to guarantee the adherence to strict quality and safety standards.
In this contribution, we present results of a study of PBF-LB/M printed parts made of the nickel-based superalloy Haynes 282. The formation of defects was provoked by local variations of the process parameters and monitored by thermography, optical tomography and melt pool monitoring. Afterwards, the defects were characterized by computed tomography (CT) to identify the detection limits of the used in-situ techniques.
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
Safety-critical applications of products manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) are still limited to date. This is mainly due to a lack of knowledge regarding the complex relationship between process, structure, and resulting properties. The assurance of homogeneity of the microstructure and homogeneity of the occurrence and distribution of defects within complexly shaped geometries is still challenging. Unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities may cause catastrophic failures. The identification of material specific and machine specific process parameter windows for production of fully dense simple laboratory specimens is state of the art. However, the incorporation of changing thermal conditions that a complexly shaped component can be faced with during the manufacturing process is often neglected at the stage of a process window determination. This study demonstrates the tremendous effect of changing part temperatures on the defect occurrence for the broadly used stainless steel alloy AISI 316L. Process intrinsic variations of the surface temperature are caused by heat accumulation which was measured by use of a temperature adjusted mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) camera. Heat accumulation was triggered by simple yet effective temporal and geometrical restrictions of heat dissipation. This was realized by a variation of inter layer times and reduced cross section areas of the specimens. Differences in surface temperature of up to 800 K were measured. A severe development of keyhole porosity resulted from these distinct intrinsic preheating temperatures, revealing a shift of the process window towards unstable melting conditions. The presented results may serve as a warning to not solely rely on process parameter optimization without considering the actual process conditions a real component is faced with during the manufacturing process. Additionally, it motivates the development of representative test specimens.
Safety-critical applications of products manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) are still limited to date. This is mainly due to a lack of knowledge regarding the complex relationship between process, structure, and resulting properties. The assurance of homogeneity of the microstructure and homogeneity of the occurrence and distribution of defects within complexly shaped geometries is still challenging. Unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities may cause catastrophic failures. The identification of material specific and machine specific process parameter windows for production of fully dense simple laboratory specimens is state of the art. However, the incorporation of changing thermal conditions that a complexly shaped component can be faced with during the manufacturing process is often neglected at the stage of a process window determination. This study demonstrates the tremendous effect of changing part temperatures on the defect occurrence for the broadly used stainless steel alloy AISI 316L. Process intrinsic variations of the surface temperature are caused by heat accumulation which was measured by use of a temperature adjusted mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) camera. Heat accumulation was triggered by simple yet effective temporal and geometrical restrictions of heat dissipation. This was realized by a variation of inter layer times and reduced cross section areas of the specimens. Differences in surface temperature of up to 800 K were measured. A severe development of keyhole porosity resulted from these distinct intrinsic preheating temperatures, revealing a shift of the process window towards unstable melting conditions. The presented results may serve as a warning to not solely rely on process parameter optimization without considering the actual process conditions a real component is faced with during the manufacturing process. Additionally, it motivates the development of representative test specimens.
For the wide acceptance of the use of additive manufacturing (AM), it is required to provide reliable testing methods to ensure the safety of the additively manufactured parts. A possible solution could be the deployment of in-situ monitoring during the build process. However, for laser powder bed fusion using metal powders (PBF-LB/M ) only a few in-situ monitoring techniques are commercially available (optical tomography, melt pool monitoring) but not researched to an extent that allows to guarantee the adherence to strict quality and safety standards.
In this contribution, we present results of a study of PBF-LB/M printed parts made of the nickel-based superalloy Haynes 282. The formation of defects was provoked by local variations of the process parameters and monitored by thermography, optical tomography and melt pool monitoring. Afterwards, the defects were characterized by computed tomography (CT) to identify the detection limits of the used in-situ techniques.
Although layer-based additive manufacturing methods such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) offer an immense geometrical freedom in design, they are typically subject to a build-up of internal stress (i.e. thermal stress) during manufacturing. As a consequence, significant residual stress (RS) is retained in the final part as a footprint of these internal stresses. Furthermore, localized melting and solidification inherently induce columnar-type grain growth accompanied by crystallographic texture. Although diffraction-based methods are commonly used to determine the RS distribution in PBF-LB parts, such features pose metrological challenges in their application. In theory, preferred grain orientation invalidates the hypothesis of isotropic material behavior underlying the common methods to determine RS. In this work, more refined methods are employed to determine RS in PBF-LB/M/IN718 prisms, based on crystallographic texture data. In fact, the employment of direction-dependent elastic constants (i.e. stress factors) for the calculation of RS results in insignificant differences from conventional approaches based on the hypothesis of isotropic mechanical properties. It can be concluded that this result is directly linked to the fact that the {311} lattice planes typically used for RS analysis in nickel-based alloys have high multiplicity and less strong texture intensities compared with other lattice planes. It is also found that the length of the laser scan vectors determines the surface RS distribution in prisms prior to their removal from the baseplate. On removal from the baseplate the surface RS considerably relaxes and/or redistributes; a combination of the geometry and the scanning strategy dictates the sub-surface RS distribution.
The microstructure has a great influence on short fatigue crack growth in metallic materials. Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit in the as-built condition a fine fibrous Si structure and a supersaturated solid solution of Si in the α-Al matrix, which is significantly modified by heat treatments starting already at temperatures under 260 °C. This study focuses on the influence of post-process heat treatments on the microstructural evolution and the resulting fatigue crack growth resistance. As compared to the as-built condition, two heat treatments at 265 °C/1 h and at 300 °C/2 h are found to be beneficial to the fatigue crack growth resistance of the investigated material.
One of the main advantages of metal additive manufacturing (MAM) techniques is their ability to produce components with site-specific microstructural features. Nevertheless, microstructural defects and lack of repeatability are still major concerns in MAM. In this study, a laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) IN718 material, produced using two different scan length vectors, is investigated using Bragg-edge neutron 2D imaging (BENI) combined with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. BENI is able to detect, on a macroscopic scale, process-induced changes in texture in a large field of view covering the entire sample (20×80 mm2). In addition, high-resolution BENI (HR-BENI), with a pixel size of 12.8 µm, provides a micro-scale examination of the local variations of texture and grain morphology, otherwise undistinguishable using the standard resolution. As such, HR-BENI offers a straightforward and detailed way of screening the integrity of MAM parts at cm-length scales.
The high cooling rates (~106 K/s) occurring during Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) of AlSi10Mg induce to the formation of a fine nanometric silicon network in the as-built condition. Such unprecedented microstructure enhances the mechanical strength when compared to equivalent as-cast materials. Nevertheless, PBF-LB/M also leads to high magnitude residual stress (RS) due to the extreme localized temperature gradients. The presence of RS can be detrimental to the fatigue life of engineering components, and great efforts are focused on understanding their generation and evolution after post-process heat treatments. Typically, T6 heat treatments are used to mitigate RS and improve mechanical performances by Mg2Si precipitation during ageing at 160-180°C. Nevertheless, the solutionizing at 500-540°C vanishes the fine silicon network, leading to the formation of micrometric (average of ~2-5 µm) polygonal Si particles, similar to those observed in T6 heat-treated Al-Si cast materials. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of two so-called low temperature heat treatments (i.e., at 265°C and 300°C) to mitigate RS while retaining the fine as-built microstructure inherent to PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg. The fatigue behavior of the as-built material is subsequently compared to the two low temperature conditions.
The prediction of porosity is a crucial task for metal based additive manufacturing techniques such as laser powder bed fusion. Short wave infrared thermography as an in-situ monitoring tool enables the measurement of the surface radiosity during the laser exposure. Based on the thermogram data, the thermal history of the component can be reconstructed which is closely related to the resulting mechanical properties and to the formation of porosity in the part. In this study, we present a novel framework for the local prediction of porosity based on extracted features from thermogram data. The framework consists of a data pre-processing workflow and a supervised deep learning classifier architecture. The data pre-processing
workflow generates samples from thermogram feature data by including feature information from multiple subsequent layers.
Thereby, the prediction of the occurrence of complex process phenomena such as keyhole pores is enabled. A custom convolutional neural network model is used for classification. Themodel is trained and tested on a dataset from thermographic in-situ monitoring of the manufacturing of an AISI 316L stainless steel test component. The impact of the pre-processing parameters and the local void distribution on the classification performance is studied in detail. The presented model achieves an accuracy of 0.96 and an f1-Score of 0.86 for predicting keyhole porosity in small sub-volumes with a dimension of (700 × 700 × 50) μm3. Furthermore, we show that pre-processing parameters such as the porosity threshold for sample
labeling and the number of included subsequent layers are influential for the model performance. Moreover, the model prediction is shown to be sensitive to local porosity changes although it is trained on binary labeled data that disregards the actual sample porosity.
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
Laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) of metallic alloys is a layer wise additive manufacturing process which provides significant scope for more efficient designs of components, benefiting performance and weight, leading to efficiency improvements for various sectors of industry. However, to benefit from these design freedoms, knowledge of the high produced induced residual stress and mechanical property anisotropy associated with the unique microstructures is critical. X-ray and neutron diffraction are considered the benchmark for non-destructive characterization of surface and bulk internal residual stress. The latter, characterized by the high penetration power in most engineering alloys, allows for the use of diffraction angle close to 90° enabling a near cubic sampling volume to be specified. However, the complex microstructures of columnar growth with inherent crystallographic texture typically produced during PBF-LB/M of metallics present significant challenges to the assumptions typically required for time efficient determination of residual stress. These challenges include the selection of an appropriate set of diffraction elastic constants and a representative strain-free reference for the material of interest. In this presentation advancements in the field of diffraction-based residual stress analysis of L-PBF Inconel 718 will be presented. The choice of an appropriate set of diffraction-elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure will be described.
Ein Umlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Splitter des zerborstenen Gehäuses aus Kunststoff wurden mit dem Kühlwasser in die Umgebung geschleudert, am Betriebsort entstand Personenschaden. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet - aber reproduzierbar - Knalleffekte bei Berührung der Außenoberfläche der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass bei dem aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat, war nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar gewesen sind.
Im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz haben DIN und DKE im Januar 2022 die Arbeiten an der zweiten Ausgabe der Deutschen Normungsroadmap Künstliche Intelligenz gestartet. In einem breiten Beteiligungsprozess und unter Mitwirkung von mehr als 570 Fachleuten aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, öffentlicher Hand und Zivilgesellschaft wurde damit der strategische Fahrplan für die KI-Normung weiterentwickelt. Koordiniert und begleitet wurden diese Arbeiten von einer hochrangigen Koordinierungsgruppe für KI-Normung und -Konformität.
Mit der Normungsroadmap wird eine Maßnahme der KI-Strategie der Bundesregierung umgesetzt und damit ein wesentlicher Beitrag zur „KI – Made in Germany“ geleistet.
Die Normung ist Teil der KI-Strategie und ein strategisches Instrument zur Stärkung der Innovations- und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der deutschen und europäischen Wirtschaft. Nicht zuletzt deshalb spielt sie im geplanten europäischen Rechtsrahmen für KI, dem Artificial Intelligence Act, eine besondere Rolle.
A steel pipeline segment of 2.5 m length was subjected to quasi-static four-point bending load in three steps for studying the initial cracking and damage accumulation based on the Acoustic Emission (AE) technique and by the direct current potential drop (DCPD) technique. For the latter, a new post-test analysis method was established.
AE is found more sensitive to crack initiation than DCPD. Formation of mesoscopic and macroscopic cracks as well as their closure and the resulting friction generate weighted peak frequencies below 400 kHz, whereas microscopic cracking produces AE with broad band spectra identifiable by weighted peak frequencies above 400 kHz. Critical states alike the maximum load level and the leak opening were accompanied by peak amplitudes above 85 dBAE. This rather fundamental study provides a data base for possibly developing advanced strategies of detection and alarm systems based on acoustic monitoring of pipelines, or at least, steel structures.
Influence of a 265 °C heat treatment on the residual stress state of a PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg alloy
(2022)
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) additive manufacturing (AM) induces
high magnitude residual stress (RS) in structures due to the extremely heterogeneous cooling and heating rates. As the RS can be deleterious to the fatigue resistance of engineering components, great efforts are focused on understanding their generation and evolution after post-process heat treatments. In this study, one of the few of its kind, the RS relaxation induced in an as-built PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg material by a low-temperature heat treatment (265 °C for 1 h) is studied by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Since the specimens are manufactured using a baseplate heated up to 200 °C, low RS are found in the as-built condition. After heat treatment a redistribution of the RS is observed, while their magnitude remains constant. It is proposed that the redistribution is induced by a repartition of stresses between the a-aluminium matrix and the silicon phase, as the morphology of the silicon phase is affected by the heat treatment. A considerable scatter is observed in the neutron diffraction RS profiles, which is principally correlated to the presence (or absence) of pockets of porosity developed at the borders of the chessboard pattern.
Additive manufacturing methods such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) allow geometrically complex parts to be manufactured within a single step. However, as an aftereffect of the localized heat input, the rapid cooling rates are the origin of the large residual stress (RS) retained in as-manufactured parts. With a view on the microstructure, the rapid directional cooling leads to a cellular solidification mode which is accompanied by columnar grown grains possessing crystallographic texture. The solidification conditions can be controlled by the processing parameters and the scanning strategy. Thus, the process allows one to tailor the microstructure and the texture to the specific needs. Yet, such microstructures are not only the origin of the mechanical anisotropy but also pose metrological challenges for the diffraction-based RS determination. In that context the micromechanical elastic anisotropy plays an important role: it translates the measured microscopic strain to macroscopic stress. Therefore, it is of uttermost importance to understand the influence of the hierarchical microstructures and the texture on the elastic anisotropy of LPBF manufactured materials.
This study reveals the influence of the build orientation and the texture on the micro-mechanical anisotropy of as-built Inconel 718. Through variations of the build orientation and the scanning strategy, we manufactured specimens possessing [001]/[011]-, [001]-, and [011]/[111]-type textures. The resulting microstructures lead to differences in the macroscopic mechanical properties. Even further, tensile in-situ loading experiments during neutron diffraction measurements along the different texture components revealed differences in the microstrain response of multiple crystal lattice planes. In particular, the load partitioning and the residual strain accumulation among the [011]/[111] textured specimen displayed distinct differences measured up to a macroscopic strain of 10 %. However, the behavior of the specimens possessing [001]/[011]-and [001]-type texture was only minorly affected. The consequences on the metrology of RS analysis by diffraction-based methods are discussed.
The appearance of irregularities such as keyhole porosity is a major challenge for the production of metal parts by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M). The utilization of thermographic in-situ monitoring is a promising approach to extract the thermal history which is closely related to the formation of irregularities. In this study, we investigate the utilization of convolutional neural networks to predict keyhole porosity based on thermographic features. Here, the porosity information calculated from an x-ray micro computed tomography scan is used as reference. Feature engineering is performed to enable the model to learn the complex physical characteristics of the porosity formation. The model is examined with regard to the choice of hyperparameters, the significance of thermal features and characteristics of the data acquisition. Based on the results, future demands on irregularity prediction in PBF-LB/M are derived.
Competence Centre H2Safety@BAM – Safeguarding the Quality Infrastructure in the Hydrogen Economy
(2022)
Hydrogen is a central component of the energy transition and the European Green Deal for a climate-neutral Europe. To achieve the goals defined for 2050, the EU and the German government have developed a framework for action and are making long-term investments in research, development, and the rapid implementation of innovative hydrogen technologies.
With the Competence Centre "H2Safety@BAM", BAM is creating the safety-related prerequisites for the successful implementation of hydrogen technologies at national as well as European level.
To this end, BAM conducts research, testing and consulting in a holistic and inter-disciplinary manner under one roof – in the Competence Centre H2Safety@BAM. The activities of the competence centre focus on ensuring the safety of infra-structures, plants, and processes as well as innovative hydrogen transport and storage systems based on digital quality testing and the experimental testing of components and systems. It thus creates the prerequisites for the implementation and adaptation of legal framework conditions as well as for standardization. Closely related to this are investigations into the properties and compatibility of metallic materials and polymers as well as friction systems for the safe operation of components, plants, processes, and systems. This interdisciplinary and holistic approach is complemented by the development of gas analytics and suitable sensors, online measurements of gas properties in process control, test scenarios under real conditions as well as impact assessments of accidents and risk assessments and risk management systems derived from them. With its portfolio of tasks and competences, BAM builds trust in the safety and reliability of technical system solutions for hydrogen.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components. Due to the extremely heterogeneous cooling and heating, PBF-LB/M induces high magnitude residual stress (RS) and a fine Si microstructure. As the RS can be deleterious to the fatigue resistance of engineering components, great efforts are focused on understanding their evolution before and after post-process heat treatments (HT).
The formation of defects such as keyhole pores is a major challenge for the production of metal parts by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). The LPBF process is characterized by a large number of influencing factors which can be hard to quantify. Machine Learning (ML) is a prominent tool to predict the outcome of complex processes on the basis of different sensor data. In this study, a ML model for defect prediction is created using thermographic image features as input data. As a reference, the porosity information calculated from an x-ray Micro Computed Tomography (µCT) scan of the produced specimen is used. Physical knowledge about the keyhole pore formation is incorporated into the model to increase the prediction accuracy. From the prediction result, the quality of the input data is evaluated and future demands on in-situ monitoring of LPBF processes are formulated.
In-situ Prozessüberwachung in der additiven Fertigung von Metallen (PBF-LB /M) mittels TT und ET
(2022)
Durch die additive Fertigung ergeben sich durch die nun mögliche wirtschaftliche Fertigung hochgradig individueller und komplexer metallischer Bauteile in kleinen Stückzahlen bis hinunter zum Einzelstück für viele Industriebereiche ganz neue Möglichkeiten.
Gleichzeitig entstehen jedoch neue Herausforderungen im Bereich der Qualitätssicherung, da sich auf statistischen Methoden beruhende Ansätze nicht anwenden lassen, ohne wiederum die Vorteile der Fertigung massiv einzuschränken.
Eine mögliche Lösung für dieses Problem liegt in der Anwendung verschiedener In-situ-Überwachungstechniken während des Bauprozesses. Jedoch sind nur wenige dieser Techniken kommerziell verfügbar und noch nicht so weit erforscht, dass die Einhaltung strenger Qualitäts- und Sicherheitsstandards gewährleistet werden kann. In diesem Beitrag stellen wir die Ergebnisse einer Studie über mittels L-PBF gefertigte Probekörper aus der Nickelbasis-Superlegierung Haynes 282 vor, bei denen die Bildung von Defekten durch lokale Variationen der Prozessparameter wie der Laserleistung provoziert wurde. Die Proben wurden in-situ mittels Thermographie, optischer Tomographie, Schmelzbadüberwachung und Wirbelstromprüfung sowie ex-situ mittels Computertomographie (CT) überwacht, mit dem Ziel, die Machbarkeit und die Aussichten der einzelnen Methoden für die zuverlässige Erkennung der Bildung relevanter Defekte zu bewerten.
In Hinblick auf den austenitischen Stahl AISI 316L erzeugt das pulverbettbasierte selektive Laserstrahlschmelzen, als ein additives Fertigungsverfahren, kristallographisch texturierte und Multiskalige Mikrostruktur. Einerseits können diese Mikrostrukturen zu einer Verbesserung der statischen mechanischen Eigenschaften führen (z. B. zu einer höheren Streckgrenze). Andererseits stehen diesen Verbesserungen der mechanischen Eigenschaften hohe Eigenspannungen gegenüber, die sich nachteilig auf das Ermüdungsverhalten auswirken können. Zur Reduzierung der Eigenspannungen und der daraus resultierenden negativen Auswirkungen auf die Ermüdungseigenschaften, werden Bauteile nach der Herstellung typischerweise wärmebehandelt. In dieser Studie wurde eine niedrige Wärmebehandlungstemperatur von 450°C höher temperierten Behandlungen bei 800 °C und 900 °C gegenübergestellt. Diese Wärmebehandlungstemperaturen bilden die oberen und die untere Grenze ein Spannungsarmglühendes Materials, ohne die prozessinduzierte Mikrostruktur signifikant zu verändern. Zusätzlich bieten diese Temperaturen den Vorteil, dass sie eine übermäßige intergranulare Ausscheidung von Karbiden und TCP-Phasen vermeiden, die zu einer Sensibilisierung des Werkstoffes gegen korrosive Umgebungen führen würden. Die Auswirkungen der Wärmebehandlung auf das Gefüge wurden mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskopie (BSE und EBSD) untersucht. Die Relaxation der Eigenspannungen wurde vor und nach den jeweiligen Wärmebehandlungen bei 800°C und 900°C mittels Neutronenbeugung charakterisiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Proben nach der Wärmebehandlung bei 900 °C nahezu spannungsfrei sind, was mit der Auflösung der zellularen Substruktur korreliert.
Entwicklung der Mikrostruktur der mechanischen Eigenschaften und der Eigenspannungen in L-PBF 316L
(2022)
Die additive Fertigung (AM) metallischer Werkstoffe mittels Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) ermöglicht einzigartige hierarchische Mikrostrukturen, die zu Verbesserungen bestimmter mechanischer Eigenschaften gegenüber konventionell hergestellten Varianten derselben Legierung führen können. Allerdings ist das L-PBF-Verfahren häufig durch das Vorhandensein hoher Eigenspannungen gekennzeichnet, die es zu verstehen und zu mindern gilt. Daher ist das Verständnis der Mikrostrukturen, der Eigenspannungen und der daraus resultierenden mechanischen Eigenschaften entscheidend für eine breite Akzeptanz bei sicherheitskritischen Anwendungen. Die BAM hat ein multidisziplinäres Forschungsprogramm gestartet, um diese Aspekte bei LPBF 316L zu untersuchen. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt einige der wichtigsten Ergebnisse vor: der Einfluss von Prozessparametern auf die Mikrostruktur, der Einfluss von Mikrostruktur und Textur auf die Festigkeit, Kriechverhalten und Schädigung und die Stabilität von Eigenspannungen und Mikrostruktur unter Wärmebehandlungsbedingungen.
Avoiding the formation of defects such as keyhole pores is a major challenge for the production of metal parts by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). The use of in-situ monitoring by thermographic cameras is a promising approach to detect defects, however the data is hard to analyze by conventional algorithms. Therefore, we investigate the use of Machine Learning (ML) in this study, as it is a suitable tool to model complex processes with many influencing factors. A ML model for defect prediction is created based on features extracted from process thermograms. The porosity information calculated from an x-ray Micro Computed Tomography (µCT) scan is used as reference. Physical characteristics of the keyhole pore formation are incorporated into the model to increase the prediction accuracy. Based on the prediction result, the quality of the input data is inferred and future demands on in-situ monitoring of LPBF processes are derived.
The manufacturability of metallic alloys using laser-based additive manufacturing methods such as laser powder bed fusion has substantially improved within the last decade. However, local melting and solidification cause hierarchically structured and crystallographically textured microstructures possessing large residual stress. Such microstructures are not only the origin of mechanical anisotropy but also pose metrological challenges for the diffraction-based residual stress determination. Here we demonstrate the influence of the build orientation and the texture on the microstructure and consequently the mechanical anisotropy of as-built Inconel 718. For this purpose, we manufactured specimens with [001]/[011]-, [001]- and [011]/[111]-type textures along their loading direction. In addition to changes in the Young’s moduli, the differences in the crystallographic textures result in variations of the yield and ultimate tensile strengths. With this in mind, we studied the anisotropy on the micromechanical scale by subjecting the specimens to tensile loads along the different texture directions during in situ neutron diffraction experiments. In this context, the response of multiple lattice planes up to a tensile strain of 10% displayed differences in the load partitioning and the residual strain accumulation for the specimen with [011]/[111]-type texture. However, the relative behavior of the specimens possessing an [001]/[011]- and [001]-type texture remained qualitatively similar. The consequences on the metrology of residual stress determination methods are discussed.
Ein Umlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Splitter des zerborstenen Gehäuses aus Kunststoff wurden mit dem Kühlwasser in die Umgebung geschleudert, am Betriebsort entstand Personenschaden. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet - aber reproduzierbar - Knalleffekte bei Berührung der Außenoberfläche der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass bei dem aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat, war nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar gewesen sind.
Laser powder-based directed energy deposition (DED-L) is a technology that offers the possibility for 3D material deposition over hundreds of layers and has thus the potential for application in additive manufacturing (AM). However, to achieve broad industrial application as AM technology, more data and knowledge about the fabricated materials regarding the achieved properties and their relationship to the manufacturing process and the resulting microstructure is still needed. In this work, we present data regarding the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. The material was fabricated using an optimized DED-L process. It features a low defect population and excellent tensile properties. To assess its LCF behavior two conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy featuring different microstructures were additionally tested. The strain-controlled LCF tests were carried out in fully reversed mode with 0.3 % to 1.0 % axial strain amplitude from room temperature up to 400°C. The LCF behavior and failure mechanisms are described. For characterization, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-computed tomography (µCT) were used. The low defect population allows for a better understanding of the intrinsic material’s properties and enables a fairer comparison against the conventional variants. The fatigue lifetimes of the DED-L material are nearly independent of the test temperature. At elevated test temperatures, they are similar or higher than the lifetimes of the conventional counterparts. At room temperature, they are only surpassed by the lifetimes of one of them. The principal failure mechanism involves multiple crack initiation sites.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) allow the fabrication of lightweight near net shape AlSi10Mg components attractive to the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and military industries. During the build-up process, high cooling rates occur. Thus, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit a Si-nanostructure in the as-built condition, which leads to superior mechanical properties compared to conventional cast materials. At the same time, such high thermal gradients generally involve a deleterious residual stress (RS) state that needs to be assessed during the design process, before placing a component in service. To this purpose post-process heat treatments are commonly performed to relieve detrimental RS. In this contribution two low-temperature stress-relief heat treatments (SRHT) are studied and compared with the as-built state: a SRHT at 265°C for 1 hour and a SRHT at 300°C for 2 hours. At these temperatures microstructural changes occur. In the as-built state, Si atoms are supersaturated in the α-aluminium matrix, which is enveloped by a eutectic Si-network. At 265°C the Si precipitation from the matrix to the pre-existing network is triggered. Thereafter, above 295°C the fragmentation and spheroidization of the Si branches takes place, presumably by Al–Si interdiffusion. After 2 hours the original eutectic network is completely replaced by uniformly distributed blocky particles. The effect of the heat and the microstructure modification on the RS state and the fatigue properties is investigated. Energy dispersive x-ray and neutron diffraction are combined to investigate the near-surface and bulk RS state of a L-PBF AlSi10Mg material. Differences in the endurance limit are evaluated experimentally by high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests and cyclic R-curve determination.
The detection of internal irregularities is crucial for quality assessment in metal-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). The utilization of in-process thermography as an in situ monitoring tool in combination with post-process X-ray micro computed tomography (XCT) as a reference technique has shown great potential for this aim. Due to the small irregularity dimensions, a precise registration of the datasets is necessary as a
requirement for correlation. In this study, the registration of thermography and XCT reference datasets of a cylindric specimen containing keyhole pores is carried out for the development of a porosity prediction model. The considered datasets show variations in shape, data type and dimensionality, especially due to shrinkage and material elevation effects present in the manufactured part. Since the resulting deformations are challenging for registration, a novel preprocessing methodology is introduced that involves an adaptive volume adjustment algorithm which is based on the porosity distribution in the specimen. Thus, the implementation of a simple three-dimensional image-to-image registration is enabled. The results demonstrate the influence of the part deformation on the resulting porosity location and the importance of registration in terms of irregularity prediction.
Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) are characterized by layer wise construction, which enable advancements of component design, with associated potential gains in performance and efficiency. However, high magnitude residual stresses (RS) are often a product of the rapid thermal cycles typical of the layerwise process. Therefore, a deep understanding of the formation of RS, the influence of process parameters on their magnitude and the impact on mechanical performance is crucial for widespread application. The experimental characterisation of these RS is essential for safety related engineering application and supports the development of reliable numerical models. Diffraction-based methods for RS analysis using neutrons and high energy X-rays enable non-destructive spatially resolved characterisation of both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components. This presentation will provide an overview of recent research by the BAM at large scale facilities for the characterization of residual stresses in LPBF metallic alloys as a function of process parameters. In addition, the challenges posed by the textured and hierarchical microstructures of LPBF materials on diffraction-based RS analysis in AM materials will be discussed. This will include the question of the d0 reference lattice spacing and the appropriate choice of the diffraction elastic constants (DECs) to calculate the level of RS in LPBF manufactured alloys.
The influence of the inter-layer-time and the scanning velocity on the surface and bulk residual stress in laser powder bed fused 316L specimens was investigated. This study combines X-ray and neutron diffraction results with the thermal history of the specimens acquired through in-situ process monitoring. The process parameter variations were observed to directly influence the thermal history, which gave new insights in the assessment of the residual stress results.
The subsurface residual stress in laser powder bed fused 316L structures was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and layer removal. The influence of varying structure thicknesses was investigated. In this study the importance of combining surface roughness measurements with XRD was shown. Moreover, a clear relation between the structure thickness and the subsurface residual stress profiles was observed.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components that find space in aerospace, automotive, biomedical and military applications. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the building process, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit an ultra-fine microstructure that leads to superior mechanical properties in the as-built condition compared to conventional cast Al-Si materials. Nevertheless, L-PBF processing induces high thermal gradients, leading to deleterious residual stress levels that must be considered to avoid part distortion and unpredicted failures. In order to relax detrimental residual stress and to increase the ductility, post-processing stress relief treatments are generally performed. In as-built condition the hypoeutectic AlSi10Mg microstructure consist of fine α-Al cells containing uniformly dispersed silicon nanoparticles, which are, in addition, surrounded by a eutectic Si network. Above 260°C the silicon interconnectivity starts to breakdown into spheroidized particles and to coarsen. At the same time, the heating residual stresses are relieved.
The objective of the contribution is to investigate, under different heat treatment conditions, the evolution of microstructure and residual stresses in view of optimizing the fatigue performance of the alloy. To this purpose various heat treatments in a range of temperatures between 265°C and 300°C for a duration between 15 minutes and 2 hours are performed. The microstructure modifications are analysed using a scanning electron microscope and the residual stress state is measured by laboratory X-ray diffraction.
Design of freedom, performance improvement, cost reduction and lead time reduction are key targets when manufacturing parts in a layer-by-layer fashion using the laser powder bed fusion process (LPBF). Many research groups are focussed on improving the LPBF process to achieve the manufacturing of sound parts from a structural integrity perspective. In particular, the formation and distribution of residual stress (RS) remains a critical aspect of LPBF. The determination of the RS in LPBF benefits from the use of neutron diffraction (ND), as it allows the non-destructive mapping of the triaxial RS with a good spatial resolution. Two case studies are presented based on experiments carried out on the angular-dispersive neutron diffractometers Strain Analyser for Large Scale Engineering Applications (SALSA) (Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble) and STRESS-Spec (FRM II, Garching). The RS in LPBF parts having a rectangular and more complex geometry (lattice structure) is analysed. The former example discusses the mapping of the RS in a rectangular body manufactured from stainless steel 316L. The manufacturing of these parts was monitored using an in-situ thermography set-up to link the RS to the thermal history. The latter discusses the RS in a lattice structure manufactured from the nickel base superalloy IN625. This geometry is challenging to characterise, and the use of a X-ray computed tomography twin is presented as tool to support the alignment of the ND experiment. The results from these case studies show a clear link between the thermal history and the RS magnitudes, as well as giving insights on the RS formation.
Infrared thermography is a technique that allows to measure the temperatures of objects by analyzing the intensity of the thermal emission without the need of direct contact with very high spatial and temporal resolution. As the temperature is a fundamental factor for the additive manufacturing processes of metals, infrared thermography can provide experimental data that can be used for the validation of simulations and improving the understanding of the processes as well as for in-situ process monitoring for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for quality control.
In this talk we will provide an overview over the possibilities of state of the art thermographic in-situ monitoring systems for the DED-LB/M and PBF-LB/M processes and the challenges such as phase transitions and unknown emissivity values in respect to the determination of real temperatures. We define the requirements for different camera systems in various configurations and give examples on the selection of appropriate measurement parameters and data acquisition techniques as well as on techniques for data analysis and interpretation. Finally, we compare in-situ monitoring methods against post NDE methods by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both.
This research was funded by BAM within the Focus Area Materials.
While the problem of the identification of mechanisms of hydrogen assisted damage has and is being thoroughly studied, the quantitative analysis of such damage still lacks suitable tools. In fact, while, for instance, electron microscopy yields excellent characterization, the quantitative analysis of damage requires at the same time large field-of-views and high spatial resolution. Synchrotron X-ray refraction techniques do possess both features. In this work, we show how synchrotron X-ray refraction computed tomography (SXRCT) can quantify damage induced by hydrogen embrittlement in a lean duplex steel, yielding results that overperform even those achievable by synchrotron X-ray absorption computed tomography. As already reported in literature, but this time using a non-destructive technique, we show that the hydrogen charge does not penetrate to the center of tensile specimens. By the comparison between virgin and hydrogen-charged specimens, we deduce that cracks in the specimen bulk are due to the rolling process rather than hydrogen-assisted. We show that (micro)cracks propagate from the surface of tensile specimens to the interior with increasing applied strain, and we deduce that a significant crack propagation can only be observed short before rupture.
The triaxial distribution of the residual stress in laser powder bed fused austenitic steel 316L was determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction. The residual stress analysis results were linked to the thermal history of the specimens, which were manufactured with varying inter-layer-times and scanning velocities. A clear link between the in-process temperature of the specimens and the residual stress was found, based on in-situ monitoring data.
Influence of Surface Preparation on Cracking Phenomena in TIG-Welded High and Medium Entropy Alloys
(2022)
Multi-element systems with defined entropy (HEA—high entropy alloy or MEA—medium entropy alloy) are rather new material concepts that are becoming increasingly important in materials research and development. Some HEA systems show significantly improved properties or combinations of properties, e.g., the overcoming of the trade-off between high strength and ductility. Thus, the synthesis, the resulting microstructures, and properties of HEA have been primarily investigated so far. In addition, processing is crucial to achieve a transfer of potential HEA/MEA materials to real applications, e.g., highly stressed components. Since fusion welding is the most important joining process for metals, it is of vital importance to investigate the weldability of these materials. However, this has rarely been the subject of research to date. For that reason, in this work, the weldability depending on the surface preparation of a CoCrFeMnNi HEA and a CoCrNi MEA for TIG welding is investigated. The fusion welding of longer plates is described here for the first time for the CoCrNi alloy. The welds of both materials showed distinct formation of cracks in the heat affected Zone (HAZ). Optical and scanning electron microscopy analysis clearly confirmed an intergranular fracture topography. However, based on the results, the crack mechanism cannot be conclusively identified as either a liquid metal embrittlement (LME) or hot cracking-like liquid film separation.
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process for materials which inherently tends to yield various degrees of metastable hierarchical microstructures, defects and high residual stresses in the as-built condition depending on the process parameters. The understanding of the evolution of these typical features during heat treatment and subsequent thermal and mechanical ageing is crucial for the wider acceptance for safety critical structures. A multi-disciplinary research project at BAM studying the development of the microstructure, defects, residual stresses typical of LPBF 316L and their evolution during thermal and mechanical ageing has led to insights into the stability of these inherent features. This presentation aims to give a broad overview of the project with a few specific cases of investigation. Firstly, the formation of residual stresses, the nature of the initial microstructure, the tensile properties and a modelling approach to understand the anisotropy will be presented. This will be followed by examples of studies of their evolution during heat treatment, long term thermal exposure, and room temperature and high temperature mechanical testing compared to a baseline of conventional wrought variant of the same alloy.
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are experiencing an exceedingly rapid growth, driven by their potential through layer wise deposition for transformational improvements of engineering design, leading to efficiency and performance improvements. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an Additive Manufacturing (AM) method which permits the fabrication of complex structures that cannot otherwise be produced via conventional subtractive manufacturing methods. Nevertheless, the rapid cooling rates associated with this process results in the formation of significant and complex residual stress (RS) fields. A large body of both experimental and simulation research has been dedicated in recent years to the control and mitigation of RS in AM. In order to validate simulations with the end goal of being able to model the residual stress state in AM components and to devise strategies for their reduction during manufacturing, experimental methods need to be able to accurately determine 3D residual stresses fields in complex geometries. Several destructive and non-destructive methods can be used to analyze the RS state, the choice of which depends on the geometry and the information required. Diffraction-based methods using penetrating neutron and synchrotron X-rays at large scale facilities offer the possibility to non-destructively spatially resolve both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components and track their changes following applied thermal or mechanical loads. This presentation will overview the success stories of using large scale facilities by the BAM for the characterization of residual stresses in additively manufactured metallic alloys. In particular, the study of the influence of process parameters on the residual stress state and the relaxation of these stresses through heat treatment will be presented. However there remains challenges to overcome particularly of the hypotheses underlying the experimental determination of residual stresses, which will be discussed.
Metal Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) enable the fabrication of complex structures, giving rise to potential improvements in component and manufacturing efficiency. However, the processes are typically characterized by the generation of high magnitude residual stress (RS) which can have detrimental consequences for subsequent applications. Therefore, the characterization of these RS fields and the understanding of their formation and mitigation through optimized processing is crucial for the wider uptake of the technology. Due to the potential complex nature and high value of components manufactured by LPBF, it is important to have suitable characterisation methods which can determine the spatial variations of RS in a non-destructive manner. Neutron diffraction is considered to be the best suited for these requirements. However, the microstructures developed in the complex thermal cycles experience in the production can pose challenges to the ND method for RS analysis. The BAM has conducted significant research over the past years to overcome these obstacles, enabling higher confidence in the RS determined in LPBF materials by neutron diffraction. This contribution will overview some of these advancements made recently at European neutron sources including on Stress-Spec at FRM2/MLZ.
Vor allem in den letzten Jahren ist das Interesse der Industrie an der additiven Fertigung deutlich gestiegen. Die Vorteile dieser Verfahren sind zahlreich und ermöglichen eine ressourcenschonende, kundenorientierte Fertigung von Bauteilen, welche zur stetigen Entwicklung neue Anwendungsbereiche und Werkstoffe führen. Aufgrund der steigenden Anwendungsfälle, nimmt auch der Wunsch nach Betriebssicherheit unabhängig von anschließenden kostenintensiven zerstörenden und zerstörungsfreien Prüfverfahren zu. Zu diesem Zweck werden im Rahmen des von der BAM durchgeführten Themenfeldprojektes „Prozessmonitoring in Additive Manufacturing“ verschiedenste Verfahren auf ihre Tauglichkeit für den in-situ Einsatz bei der Prozessüberwachung in der additiven Fertigung untersucht. Hier werden drei dieser in-situ Verfahren, die Thermografie, die optische Emissionsspektroskopie und die Schallmissionsanalyse für den Einsatz beim Laser-Pulver-Auftragschweißen betrachtet.
The laser powder bed fusion of 316L leads to the formation of large residual stress. In this presentation, different stress relieve treatments were employed to assess their potential to relax the residual stress. The residual stress was determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction. The results give insights on the range of relaxation one can obtain by employing low and high temperature heat treatments and relates the relaxation to changes in the microstructure.
Creep and creep damage behavior of stainless steel 316L manufactured by laser powder bed fusion
(2022)
This study presents a thorough characterization of the creep properties of austenitic stainless steel 316L produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF 316L) contributing to the sparse available data to date. Experimental results (mechanical tests, microscopy, X-ray computed tomography) concerning the creep deformation and damage mechanisms are presented and discussed. The tested LPBF material exhibits a low defect population, which allows for the isolation and improved understanding of the effect of other typical aspects of an LPBF microstructure on the creep behavior. As a benchmark to assess the material properties of the LPBF 316L, a conventionally manufactured variant of 316L was also tested. To characterize the creep properties, hot tensile tests and constant force creep tests at 600 °C and 650 °C are performed. The creep stress exponents of the LPBF material are smaller than that of the conventional variant. The primary and secondary creep stages and the times to rupture of the LPBF material are shorter than the hot rolled 316L. Overall the creep damage is more extensive in the LPBF material. The creep damage of the LPBF material is overall mainly intergranular. It is presumably caused and accelerated by both the appearance of precipitates at the grain boundaries and the unfavorable orientation of the grain boundaries. Neither the melt pool boundaries nor entrapped gas pores show a significant influence on the creep damage mechanism.
Laser-based additive manufacturing methods allow the production of complex metal structures within a single manufacturing step. However, the localized heat input and the layer-wise manufacturing manner give rise to large thermal gradients. Therefore, large internal stress (IS) during the process (and consequently residual stress (RS) at the end of production) is generated within the parts. This IS or RS can either lead to distortion or cracking during fabrication or in-service part failure, respectively. With this in view, the knowledge on the magnitude and spatial distribution of RS is important to develop strategies for its mitigation. Specifically, diffraction-based methods allow the spatial resolved determination of RS in a non-destructive fashion. In this review, common diffraction-based methods to determine RS in laser-based additive manufactured parts are presented. In fact, the unique microstructures and textures associated to laser-based additive manufacturing processes pose metrological challenges. Based on the literature review, it is recommended to (a) use mechanically relaxed samples measured in several orientations as appropriate strain-free lattice spacing, instead of powder, (b) consider that an appropriate grain-interaction model to calculate diffraction-elastic constants is both material- and texture-dependent and may differ from the conventionally manufactured variant. Further metrological challenges are critically reviewed and future demands in this research field are discussed.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the building process, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit an ultra-fine microstructure that leads to superior mechanical properties in the as-built condition compared to conventional cast Al-Si materials. Nevertheless, L-PBF processing induces high thermal gradients, leading to deleterious residual stress. In order to relax detrimental residual stress and to increase the ductility, post-processing stress relief treatments are performed. The objective of the contribution is to investigate, under different heat treatment condition, the evolution of microstructure and residual stresses in view of optimizing the fatigue performance of the alloy. To this purpose various heat treatments in a range of temperatures between 265°C and 300°C for a duration between 15 minutes and 2 hours are performed.
This study reports on the stress relaxation potential of stress-relieving heat treatments for laser powder bed fused 316L. The residual stress is monitored non-destructively using neutron diffraction before and after the heat treatment. Moreover, the evolution of the microstructure is analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The results show, that a strong relaxation of the residual stress is obtained when applying a heat treatment temperature at 900°C. However, the loss of the cellular substructure needs to be considered when applying this heat treatment strategy.
The residual stress (RS) in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) IN718 alloy samples produced using a 67°-rotation scan strategy is investigated via laboratory X-ray diffraction (XRD) and neutron diffraction (ND). The location dependence of the strain-free (d₀) lattice spacing in ND is evaluated using a grid array of coupons extracted from the far-edge of the investigated specimen. No compositional spatial variation is observed in the grid array. The calculated RS fields show considerable non-uniformity, significant stress gradients in the region from 0.6 to 2 mm below the surface, as well as subsurface maxima that cannot be accounted for via XRD. It is concluded that failure to determine such maxima would hamper a quantitative determination of RS fields by means of the stress balance method.
The relaxation of macroscopic residual stresses in laser powder bed fused stainless steel 316L
(2021)
The processing of stainless steel 316L using the additive manufacturing process Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) can widen its field of application due to a strong increase in Yield strength, without making major compromises on the ductility nor its outstanding corrosion and oxidation properties. Furthermore, improved designs that either reduce the weight or optimise the function of a part can be obtained using LPBF. These benefits are however counterbalanced by the proneness of LPBF to inducing high Residual Stresses (RS) during manufacturing. The characterisation and monitoring of these RS are of paramount importance for the wider acceptance of the LPBF process. This study focuses on the relaxation of the initial macroscopic RS present in an LPBF 316L as-built prism that undergoes various routes of manufacturing steps to achieve different specimen geometries and stress relieving treatments. The RS are determined using Angle-Dispersive (AD) and Time-of-Flight (TOF) neutron diffraction. The results reveal high tensile RS close to the surfaces and compressive RS near the centre of the as-built parts. The reduction in size and change of geometry heavily impact the stress ranges of the remaining RS, with lower stress ranges in cylindrical shaped compared to rectangular shaped specimens. Also, the application of different stress relieving heat treatments showed that heat-treating temperatures above 800 °C are necessary to obtain a strong relaxation in LPBF 316L.
Im Rahmen des Themenfeldprojektes „Process Monitoring of AM“ (ProMoAM) evaluiert die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -Prüfung (BAM) gegenwärtig die Anwendbarkeit verschiedenster ZfP-Verfahren zur in-situ Prozessüberwachung in der additiven Fertigung (AM) von Metallen in Hinblick auf die Qualitätssicherung.
Einige der wichtigsten Messgrößen sind hierbei die Temperatur des Schmelzbades und die Abkühlrate, welche starken Einfluss auf das Gefüge und die Eigenspannung haben. Aufgrund der Zugänglichkeit zum Werkstück während des Bauprozesses bieten sich optische Verfahren zu Temperaturbestimmung an. Hierbei stellen jedoch u. a. die hohe Bandbreite der zu messenden Temperaturen, die Bestimmung der Emissivität und ihre Änderung bei Phasenübergängen der verwendeten Legierung große experimentelle Herausforderungen dar. Eine weitere Herausforderung stellt für die IR-Spektroskopie die Absorption durch das Schutzgas und weitere optische Elemente dar. Um diese auch in einem industriellen Umfeld kompensieren zu können, wurde eine Methode entwickelt, die das gemessene Spektrum bei der Verfestigung des Werkstoffes als Referenz nutzt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Anwendung dieser Methode für die IR-Spektrometrie als auch Thermografische Messungen beim Laser-Pulver-Auftragschweißen von 316L gezeigt, wobei beide Methoden weiterhin in Hinblick auf ihre individuellen Vor- und
Nachteile miteinander verglichen werden.
Undetected and undesired microstructural variations in components produced by laser powder bed fusion are a major challenge, especially for safety-critical components. In this study, an in-depth analysis of the microstructural features of 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion at different levels of volumetric energy density and different levels of inter layer time is reported. The study has been conducted on specimens with an application relevant build height
(>100 mm). Furthermore, the evolution of the intrinsic preheating temperature during the build-up of specimens was monitored using a thermographic in-situ monitoring set-up. By applying recently determined emissivity values of 316L powder layers, real temperatures could be quantified. Heat accumulation led to preheating temperatures of up to about 600 °C. Significant differences in the preheating temperatures were discussed with respect to the individual process parameter combinations, including the build height. A strong effect of the inter layer time on the heat accumulation was observed. A shorter inter layer time resulted in an increase of the preheating temperature by more than a factor of 2 in the upper part of the specimens compared to longer inter layer times. This, in turn, resulted in heterogeneity of the microstructure and differences in material properties within individual specimens. The resulting differences in the microstructure were analyzed using electron back scatter diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Results from chemical analysis as well as electron back scatter diffraction measurements indicated stable conditions in terms of chemical alloy composition and austenite phase content for the used set of parameter combinations. However, an increase of the average grain size by more than a factor of 2.5 could be revealed within individual specimens. Additionally, differences in feature size of the solidification cellular substructure were examined and a trend of increasing cell sizes was observed. This trend was attributed to differences in solidification rate and thermal gradients induced by differences in scanning velocity and preheating temperature. A change of the thermal history due to intrinsic preheating could be identified as the main cause of this heterogeneity. It was induced by critical combinations of the energy input and differences in heat transfer conditions by variations of the inter layer time. The microstructural variations were directly correlated to differences in hardness.
Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals and in particular laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) enables a degree of freedom in design unparalleled by conventional subtractive methods. To ensure that the designed precision is matched by the produced LPBF parts, a full understanding of the interaction between the laser and the feedstock powder is needed. It has been shown that the laser also melts subjacent layers of material underneath. This effect plays a key role when designing small cavities or overhanging structures, because, in these cases, the material underneath is feed-stock powder. In this study, we quantify the extension of the melt pool during laser illumination of powder layers and the defect spatial distribution in a cylindrical specimen. During the LPBF process, several layers were intentionally not exposed to the laser beam at various locations, while the build process was monitored by thermography and optical tomography. The cylinder was finally scanned by X-ray computed tomography (XCT). To correlate the positions of the unmolten layers in the part, a staircase was manufactured around the cylinder for easier registration. The results show that healing among layers occurs if a scan strategy is applied, where the orientation of the hatches is changed for each subsequent layer. They also show that small pores and surface roughness of solidified material below a thick layer of unmolten material (>200 µm) serve as seeding points for larger voids. The orientation of the first two layers fully exposed after a thick layer of unmolten powder shapes the orientation of these voids, created by a lack of fusion.
An unusual microstructure, inherent residual stresses and void formation are the three key aspects to control when assessing metallic parts made by LPBF. This talk explains an experiment to unravel the interlinked influence of the two mechanisms for the formation of residual stresses in LPBF: the temperature gradient mechanism and constricted solidification shrinkage. The impact of each mechanism on the shape and magnitudes of the residual stress distribution is described. Combined results from neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, computed tomography and in-situ thermography are presented.
Also, influence of scan strategies as well as surface roughness of subjacent layers on void formation is shown. Results from computed tomography and in-situ thermography of a specimen dedicated to study the interaction of the melt pool with layers of powder underneath the currently illuminated surface are presented.
This article is an outcome of a workshop on Fatigue of Additive Manufactured Metallic Components jointly organized by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Berlin, Germany and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Boulder, CO, U.S.A. The aim of the workshop was a comprehensive discussion of the specific aspects of additively manufactured (AM) components in regard to failure under cyclic loading. Undoubtedly, a better understanding and the further development of approaches for damage tolerant component design of AM parts are among the most significant challenges currently facing the use of these new technologies.
This article presents a thorough overview of the workshop discussions. It aims to provide a review of the parameters affecting the damage tolerance of AM parts with special emphasis on the process parameters intrinsic to the AM technologies, the resulting defects and residual stresses. Based on these aspects, concepts for damage tolerant component design for AM are reviewed and critically discussed.
Das pulverbettbasierte selektive Laserstrahlschmelzen (engl. laser powder bed fusion, L-PBF) ist die am weitesten verbreitete additive Fertigungstechnologie für die Herstellung metallischer Komponenten. Unter der Vielzahl an Einflussfaktoren auf die Qualität und die mechanischen Eigenschaften von L PBF-Bauteilen hat die Zwischenlagenzeit (engl. inter layer time, ILT) bisher kaum Beachtung in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur gefunden, obwohl sie je nach Bauraumausnutzungsgrad stark variieren kann. In diesem Vortrag werden Ergebnisse einer Studie präsentiert, die den Einfluss der ILT in Kombination mit der Bauteilhöhe und unter Berücksichtigung verschiedener Volumenenergiedichten am Beispiel der austenitischen Stahllegierung AISI 316L untersucht. Die Fertigungsprozesse wurden in situ mittels Thermographiekamera überwacht, sodass Informationen über das Abkühlverhalten der Bauteile während des Prozesses gewonnen werden konnten. Es wurden signifikante Effekte der ILT und der Bauteilhöhe auf Wärmeakkumulation, Mikrostruktur, Schmelzbadgeometrie und Härte festgestellt. Ferner konnte ein Anstieg von Defektdichten bei einem gegenseitigen Wechselspiel aus Bauteilhöhe und ILT aufgezeigt werden. Die Zwischenlagenzeit wurde somit als kritischer Faktor für die L-PBF-Fertigung von Realbauteilen identifiziert.
Einer der aussichtsreichsten Ansätze, die Qualität und Sicherheit der gefertigten Teile in der metallbasierten additiven Fertigung (AM) zu erhöhen und die Notwendigkeit aufwändiger und zeitintensiver, zerstörender oder zerstörungsfreier Prüfungen (ZfP) nach der Fertigung zu verringern, liegt in dem Einsatz von in-situ Prozessüberwachungstechniken. Viele wichtige Prozessgrößen bei der additiven Fertigung sind thermischer Natur, wie z.B. die Temperatur des Schmelzbades. Aufgrund der Zugänglichkeit zum Werkstück während des Bauprozesses bieten sich optische Verfahren zur Temperaturbestimmung an. Für die Thermografie und Optische Emissionsspektrometrie im IR-Bereich, welche für die in-situ Anwendung prinzipiell als geeignet angesehen werden können, gibt es allerdings noch wenig konkrete praktische Umsetzungen, da die Möglichkeiten und individuellen Grenzen dieser Methoden, angewendet auf AM, noch nicht ausreichend erforscht sind. Aus diesem Grund verfolgt die BAM mit dem Projekt „Process Monitoring of AM“ (ProMoAM) im Themenfeld Material das Ziel, Verfahren des Prozessmonitorings zur in-situ Bewertung der Qualität additiv gefertigter Metallbauteile weiterzuentwickeln.
Im Beitrag wird der Fokus auf eine Versuchsserie gelegt, bei der Aufbau von Probekörpern aus dem austenitischen Edelstahl 316L mittels Laser-Pulver-Auftragschweißen (LPA) durch od. mit Hilfe von IR-Spektrometrie und Thermografie in-situ überwacht wurde. Hierbei stellen u.a. die hohe Bandbreite der zu messenden Temperaturen, die Bestimmung der Emissivität und ihre Änderung bei Phasenübergängen des Metalls große experimentelle Herausforderungen dar, wobei jede Methode individuelle Vor- und Nachteile aufweist, welche verglichen werden.
The formation of high magnitude residual stresses is inherent in laser powder bed fused processed austenitic steel 316L. Post-process heat treatments to relieve these stresses are necessary. In this study, heat treatment temperatures of 450°C, 800°C and 900°C were applied in order to avoid excessive sensitization. This temperature range thereby encompassed the upper and lower bounds for stress relieving treatment of this material. The residual stresses were determined by neutron diffraction and the evolution of the microstructure was monitored using scanning electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction. The results show that a full relaxation of the residual stresses is achieved when applying 900°C for 1 hour, which seems to be closely related to the dissolution of the subgrain solidification cellular structure.
Entwicklung einer Bohrlochsonde für Ultraschalluntersuchungen an Abschlussbauwerken in Endlagern
(2021)
Für die Qualitätssicherung von Abschlusswerken für Endlager wird eine Ultraschall-Bohrlochsonde entwickelt. Mithilfe dieser Sonde, die aus einer Vielzahl von einzelnen koppelmittelfreien Ultraschall-Punktkontaktprüfköpfen besteht, soll die Rissfreiheit der Versuchsbauwerke überprüft werden.
Ein erster Prototyp der Sonde wurde mit einem kommerziellen Ultraschallgerät betrieben und bestand aus 12 Transversalwellen-Punktkontaktprüfköpfen von denen jeweils sechs als Sender und sechs als Empfänger parallelgeschaltet waren. Um den erzeugten Schalldruck der Bohrlochsonde zu steigern, wurde bei der Neuentwicklung die Prüfkopfanzahl erhöht und zusätzlich die laufzeitgesteuerte Anregung der einzelnen Prüfköpfe vorgesehen. Für die Anregung der Prüfköpfe mit programmierten Zeitverzögerungen wurde ein neuartiger mehrkanaliger Sender für bipolare Rechtecksignale entwickelt.
Durch die Entwicklung der Bohrlochsonde soll eine dynamische Anpassung der Prüfkopf-Apertur sowie eine Fokussierung des Schallfeldes in Abhängigkeit der zu untersuchenden Tiefe erfolgen. Mithilfe entsprechender Anregungsfunktionen kann das Schallfeld der Bohrlochsonde unterschiedlich geformt werden, z. B. ist auch ein Schwenken des fokussierten Schallbündels möglich. Dadurch wird das erfasste Prüfvolumen begrenzt und auf diese Weise das Signal-Störverhältnis der Empfangssignale verbessert. In Kombination mit SAFT-Rekonstruktionsrechnungen wird durch eine optimierte Abstrahlcharakteristik der Sonde mit einem hohen Schalldruck unter verschiedenen Winkeln eine verbesserte Signalqualität und damit eine erhöhte Aussagesicherheit der Ergebnisse in der Objektabbildung erwartet.
Entwicklung einer Bohrlochsonde für Ultraschalluntersuchungen an Abschlussbauwerken in Endlagern
(2021)
Für die Qualitätssicherung von Abschlusswerken für Endlager wird eine Ultraschall-Bohrlochsonde entwickelt. Mithilfe dieser Sonde, die aus einer Vielzahl von einzelnen koppelmittelfreien Ultraschall-Punktkontaktprüfköpfen besteht, soll die Rissfreiheit der Versuchsbauwerke überprüft werden.
Ein erster Prototyp der Sonde wurde mit einem kommerziellen Ultraschallgerät betrieben und bestand aus 12 Transversalwellen-Punktkontaktprüfköpfen von denen jeweils sechs als Sender und sechs als Empfänger parallelgeschaltet waren. Um den erzeugten Schalldruck der Bohrlochsonde zu steigern, wurde bei der Neuentwicklung die Prüfkopfanzahl erhöht und zusätzlich die laufzeitgesteuerte Anregung der einzelnen Prüfköpfe vorgesehen. Für die Anregung der Prüfköpfe mit programmierten Zeitverzögerungen wurde ein neuartiger mehrkanaliger Sender für bipolare Rechtecksignale entwickelt.
Durch die Entwicklung der Bohrlochsonde soll eine dynamische Anpassung der Prüfkopf-Apertur sowie eine Fokussierung des Schallfeldes in Abhängigkeit der zu untersuchenden Tiefe erfolgen. Mithilfe entsprechender Anregungsfunktionen kann das Schallfeld der Bohrlochsonde unterschiedlich geformt werden, z. B. ist auch ein Schwenken des fokussierten Schallbündels möglich. Dadurch wird das erfasste Prüfvolumen begrenzt und auf diese Weise das Signal-Störverhältnis der Empfangssignale verbessert. In Kombination mit SAFT-Rekonstruktionsrechnungen wird durch eine optimierte Abstrahlcharakteristik der Sonde mit einem hohen Schalldruck unter verschiedenen Winkeln eine verbesserte Signalqualität und damit eine erhöhte Aussagesicherheit der Ergebnisse in der Objektabbildung erwartet.
Scanning Manufacturing Parameters Determining the Residual Stress State in LPBF IN718 Small Parts
(2021)
The influence of scan strategy on the residual stress (RS) state of an as-built IN718 alloy produced by means of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is investigated. Two scan vector rotations (90°-alternation and 67°-rotation), each produced following two different scan vector lengths (long and short), are used to manufacture four rectangular prisms. Neutron diffraction (ND) and laboratory X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques are used to map the bulk and surface RS state, respectively. The distortion induced upon removal from the baseplate is measured via profilometry. XRD measurements show that the two long scan vector strategies lead to higher RS when compared with the equivalent short scan vector strategies. Also, the 67°-rotation strategies generate lower RS than their 90°-alternation counterparts. Due to the lack of reliable stress-free d0 references, the ND results are analyzed using von Mises stress. In general, ND results show significant RS spatial non-uniformity. A comparison between ND and distortion results indicates that the RS component parallel to the building direction (Z-axis) has a predominant role in the Z-displacement. The use of a stress balance scheme allows to discuss the d0 variability along the length of the specimens, as well as examine the absolute RS state.
The safe fatigue design of metallic components fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) is still a largely unsolved problem. This is primarily due to (a) a significant inhomogeneity of the material properties across the component; (b) defects such as porosity and lack of fusion as well as pronounced surface roughness of the asuilt components; and (c) residual stresses, which are very often present in the as‐built parts and need to be removed by post‐fabrication treatments. Such morphological and microstructural features are very different than in conventionally manufactured parts and play a much bigger role in determining the fatigue life. The above problems require specific solutions with respect to the identification of the critical (failure) sites in AM fabricated components. Moreover, the generation of representative test specimens characterized by similar temperature cycles needs to be guaranteed if one wants to reproducibly identify the critical sites and establish fatigue assessment methods taking into account the effect of defects on crack initiation and early propagation. The latter requires fracture mechanics‐based approaches which, unlike common methodologies, cover the specific characteristics of so‐called short fatigue cracks. This paper provides a discussion of all these aspects with special focus on components manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L‐PBF). It shows how to adapt existing solutions, identifies fields where there are still gaps, and discusses proposals for potential improvement of the damage tolerance design of L‐PBF components
Laser powder bed fusion is used to create near net shape metal parts with a high degree of freedom in geometry design. When it comes to the production of safety critical components, a strict quality assurance is mandatory. An alternative to cost-intensive non-destructive testing of the produced parts is the utilization of in-situ process monitoring techniques. The formation of defects is linked to deviations of the local thermal history of the part from standard conditions. Therefore, one of the most promising monitoring techniques in additive manufacturing is thermography. In this study, features extracted from thermographic data are utilized to investigate the thermal history of cylindrical metal parts. The influence of process parameters, part geometry and scan strategy on the local heat distribution and on the resulting part porosity are presented. The suitability of the extracted features for in-situ process monitoring is discussed.
Laser powder bed fusion is used to create near net shape metal parts with a high degree of freedom in geometry design. When it comes to the production of safety critical components, a strict quality assurance is mandatory. An alternative to cost-intensive non-destructive testing of the produced parts is the utilization of in-situ process monitoring techniques. The formation of defects is linked to deviations of the local thermal history of the part from standard conditions. Therefore, one of the most promising monitoring techniques in additive manufacturing is thermography. In this study, features extracted from thermographic data are utilized to investigate the thermal history of cylindrical metal parts. The influence of process parameters, part geometry and scan strategy on the local heat distribution and on the resulting part porosity are presented. The suitability of the extracted features for in-situ process monitoring is discussed.
Due to the rapid thermal cycles involved in additive manufacturing of metals, high internal stresses and peculiar microstructures occur, which influence the parts mechanical properties. To systematically examine their formation, in-process measurements of the temperature are needed. Since the part emissivity is strongly inhomogeneous and rapidly changing in the process, the applicability of thermography for the determination of thermodynamic temperatures is limited. Measuring the thermal radiation in different wavelengths simultaneously, temperature and emissivity can be separated. Here, we present results of a preliminary study using multispectral thermography to obtain real temperatures and emissivities in directed energy deposition (DED) processes.
Due to the rapid thermal cycles involved in additive manufacturing of metals, high internal stresses and peculiar microstructures occur, which influence the parts mechanical properties. To systematically examine their formation, in-process measurements of the temperature are needed. Since the part emissivity is strongly inhomogeneous and rapidly changing in the process, the applicability of thermography for the determination of thermodynamic temperatures is limited. Measuring the thermal radiation in different wavelengths simultaneously, temperature and emissivity can be separated. Here, we present results of a preliminary study using multispectral thermography to obtain real temperatures and emissivities in directed energy deposition (DED) processes.
Additive manufacturing of metals offers the opportunity to build parts with a high degree of complexity without additional costs, opening a new space for design optimization. However, the processes are highly complex and due to the rapid thermal cycles involved, high internal stresses and peculiar microstructures occur, which influence the parts mechanical properties. To systematically examine the formation of internal stresses and the microstructure, in-process spatially resolved measurements of the part temperature are needed. If the emissivity of the inspected part is known, its thermodynamic temperature can be reconstructed by a suited radiometric model. However, in additive manufacturing of metals, the emissivity of the part surface is strongly inhomogeneous and rapidly changing due to variations of, e.g., the degree of oxidation, the material state and temperature. Thus, here, the applicability of thermography in the determination of thermodynamic temperatures is limited. However, measuring the process thermal radiation at different wavelengths simultaneously enables one to separate temperature and emissivity spatially resolved to obtain further insight into the process. Here, we present results of an initial study using multispectral thermography to obtain real temperatures and emissivities in the powderfree LMD process.
Ein Durchlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Die zerborstenen Gehäuseteile aus Kunststoff führten zu einem Austreten der Kühlflüssigkeit am Betriebsort sowie zu einem Personenschaden mit Knalltrauma. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet, aber reproduzierbar Knalleffekte auf der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass beim aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat ist nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar waren.
Damage tolerance counts as one of the most widespread approach to fatigue assessment and surely as one of the most promising in understanding the process-structure-property-performance relationships in additively manufactured metallic materials. Manufacturing defects, surface roughness, microstructural features, short and long crack fatigue propagation, residual stresses and applied loads can be taken into consideration in a fracture mechanics-based fatigue assessment. Many aspects are crucial to the reliable component life prediction. Among those a prominent role is played by an accurate measurement and modelling of the short crack fatigue behavior, and reliable statistical characterization of defects and residual stresses.
This work aims at addressing the issues related to both experimental testing, fatigue and fatigue crack propagation, and fracture mechanics-based modelling of fatigue lives. Examples will be provided on an additively manufactured AISI 316 L.
Diese Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit der Charakterisierung von Kurzrisswachstum in mittels Laser-Pulverbett-Verschmelzen (LPBF - Laser Powder Bed Fusion) hergestelltem rostfreien austenitischen Stahl. Spezifischer wird die Ermittlung zyklischer R-Kurven untersucht. Diese beschreiben den Aufbau des Widerstands gegen Ermüdungsrisswachstum - d.h. des Schwellenwertes - aufgrund von Rissschließeffekten bei physikalisch kurzen Rissen. Mit Hilfe der zyklischen R-Kurven kann die Fähigkeit eines Bauteils, physikalisch kurze Risse zu arretieren, charakterisiert werden. Wir verfügen damit über eine Schnittstelle zwischen klassischer Ermüdung und Bruchmechanik. Das ist gerade auch für additiv gefertigte (AM – Additive Manufacturing) Materialien von Interesse. Diese weisen prozessintrinsische Defekte auf, die als Initiierungsstellen kurzer Ermüdungsrisse agieren. Im Rahmen der experimentellen Untersuchungen wurden zyklische R-Kurven für konventionellen und LPBF AISI-316L-Stahl ermittelt. Insbesondere wurde der Einfluss verschiedener Wärmebehandlungen (WB1: 450°C, WB2: 800°C und WB3: 900°C) auf das Wachstumsverhalten physikalisch kurzer Risse im LPBF-Material untersucht. Aufgrund hoher Eigenspannungen war die Ermittlung des Kurzrisswachstumsverhaltens bei WB1 nicht möglich. Für WB2 und WB3 ergaben sich sehr unterschiedliche zyklische R-Kurven. Untersuchungen der Eigenspannungen, der Bruchfläche (insbesondere der Rauheit) und der Mikrostruktur sollen die Ursachen für das unterschiedliche Verhalten erklären. Die Ergebnisse werden mit den Verhältnissen in konventionellem Material verglichen.
In this presentation we discuss the online monitoring of metallic AM parts produced by the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process by using optical, thermographic and electromagnetic methods. In a first approach we present the detection of defects generated during the process and discuss how to improve these methods for the optimization of design and production of metallic AM parts.
Thermography is one on the most promising techniques for in-situ monitoring of metal additive manufacturing processes. Especially in laser powder bed fusion processes, the high process dynamics and the strong focus of the laser beam cause a very complex thermal history within the produced specimens, such as multiple heating cycles within single layer expositions. This complicates data interpretation, e.g., in terms of cooling rates. A quantity that is easily calculated is the time a specific area of the specimen is at a temperature above a chosen threshold value (TOT). Here, we discuss variations occurring in time-over-threshold-maps during manufacturing of an almost defect free cuboid specimen.
Online quality control of security relevant parts manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) remains to be a challenge due to the highly complex process conditions. Furthermore, the influence of characteristic scan strategy parameters is not sufficiently clarified yet due to the commonly used method of single-track investigations. In this contribution, this topic is addressed by observing large 316L volume sections using in-situ melt pool monitoring by thermography in high temporal and spatial resolution. In detail, the influence of the scan angle on the melt pool geometry is investigated on. Characteristic melt pool features are extracted from the image data and analyzed using statistical methods data for altering scan angles. The results show significant changes in the melt pool dimensions and temperature distribution over the scan angle rotation. A first explanation approach is presented that connects the observed changes to phenomena of beam attenuation by metal vapor plume.
The relationship between residual stresses and microstructure associated with a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) IN718 alloy has been investigated on specimens produced with three different scanning strategies (unidirectional Y-scan, 90° XY-scan, and 67° Rot-scan). Synchrotron X-ray energy-dispersive diffraction (EDXRD) combined with optical profilometry was used to study residual stress (RS) distribution and distortion upon removal of the specimens from the baseplate. The microstructural characterization of both the bulk and the nearsurface regions was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). On the top surfaces of the specimens, the highest RS values are observed in the Y-scan specimen and the lowest in the Rot-scan specimen, while the tendency is inversed on the side lateral surfaces. A considerable amount of RS remains in the specimens after their removal from the baseplate, especially in the Y- and Z-direction (short specimen Dimension and building direction (BD), respectively). The distortion measured on the top surface following baseplate thinning and subsequent removal is mainly attributed to the amount of RS released in the build direction. Importantly, it is observed that the additive manufacturing microstructures challenge the use of classic theoretical models for the calculation of diffraction elastic constants (DEC) required for diffraction-based RS analysis. It is found that when the Reuß model is used for the calculation of RS for different crystal planes, as opposed to the conventionally used Kröner model, the results exhibit lower scatter. This is discussed in context of experimental measurements of DEC available in the literature for conventional and additively manufactured Ni-base alloys.
Laser based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing offers the flexibility to incorporate standard and userdefined scan strategies in a layer or in between the layers for the customized fabrication of metallic components. In the present study, four different scan strategies and their impact on the development of microstructure, texture, and residual stresses in laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of a nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 was investigated. Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction, and neutron diffraction were used as the characterization tools. Strong textures with epitaxially grown columnar grains were observed along the build direction for the two individual scan strategies. Patterns depicting the respective scan strategies were visible in the build plane, which dictated the microstructure development in the other planes. An alternating strategy combining the individual strategies in the successive layers and a 67◦ rotational strategy weakened the texture by forming finer microstructural features. Von Mises equivalent stress plots revealed lower stress values and gradients, which translates as lower distortions for the alternating and rotational strategies. Overall results confirmed the scope for manipulating the microstructure, texture, and residual stresses during laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing by effectively controlling the scan strategies.
Eine kritische Aufgabe im Rahmen der Etablierung von Prozess-Struktur-Eigenschafts-Performance-Beziehungen bei der additiven Fertigung (AM) von Metallen ist die Ermittlung von zuverlässigen und gut dokumentierten Kennwerten zum Materialverhalten sowie das Schaffen von Wissen über die Struktur-Eigenschafts-Korrelation. Schließlich ist dies die Grundlage für die Entwicklung gezielterer Prozessoptimierungen und zuverlässigerer Lebensdauer-Vorhersagen. In diesem Zusammenhang zielt dieser Beitrag darauf ab, Daten und Erkenntnisse über das Kriechverhalten des austenitischen Edelstahls 316L zu liefern, der mittels Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF) hergestellt wird. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wurden Proben aus konventionellem warmgewalztem sowie AM-Material gemäß den bestehenden Normen für konventionelles Material geprüft und vor und nach dem Versagen mikrostrukturell charakterisiert. Die Probekörper wurden aus einzelnen Blöcken des AM-Materials gefertigt. Die Blöcke wurden mit einer Standard-Scan- und Aufbaustrategie hergestellt und anschließend wärmebehandelt. Das Kriechverhalten wird anhand der Kriechlebensdauer und ausgewählter Kriechkurven und Kennwerte beschrieben und vergleichend bewertet. Der Einfluss von Defekten und Mikrostruktur auf das Materialverhalten wird anhand von zerstörenden und zerstörungsfreien Auswertungen an ausgewählten Proben analysiert. Der AM-Werkstoff zeigt kürzere Kriechlebensdauern, erreicht das sekundäre Kriechstadium deutlich schneller und bei geringerer Dehnung und weist eine geringere Kriechduktilität im Vergleich zu seinem konventionellen Gegenstück auf. Das Kriechschädigungsverhalten des AM-Werkstoffs ist eher mikrostruktur- als defektgesteuert und ist durch die Bildung intergranularer Kriechrisse gekennzeichnet. Als kritische Merkmale werden die Versetzungsdichte sowie die Versprödung der Korngrenzen identifiziert. Die Mikro-Computertomographie (µCT) erweist sich als Alternative zur Metallographie, um die Kriechschädigung zu analysieren.
Creep and fracture behavior of conventionally and additively manufactured stainless steel 316L
(2020)
A critical task within the frame of establishing process-structure-property-performance relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is producing reliable and well-documented material behavior’s data and knowledge regarding the structure-property correlation, including the role of defects. After all, it represents the basis for developing more targeted process optimizations and more reliable predictions of performance in the future. Within this context, this contribution aims to close the actual gap of limited historical data and knowledge concerning the creep behavior of the widely used austenitic stainless steel 316L, manufactured by Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF). To address this objective, specimens from conventional hot-rolled and AM material were tested under application-relevant conditions according to existing standards for conventional material, and microstructurally characterized before and after failure. The test specimens were machined from single blocks from the AM material. The blocks were manufactured using a standard scan and build-up strategy and were subsequently heat-treated. The creep behavior is described and comparatively assessed based on the creep lifetime and selected creep curves and characteristic values. The effect of defects and microstructure on the material’s behavior is analyzed based on destructive and non-destructive evaluations on selected specimens. The AM material shows shorter creep lives, reaches the secondary creep stage much faster and at a lower strain, and features lower creep ductility compared to its conventional counterpart. The creep damage behavior of the AM material is more microstructure than defect controlled and is characterized by the formation and accumulation of single intergranular damage along the whole volume. Critical features identified are the grain morphology and the grain-boundary as well as the dislocation’s density. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) proves to be an alternative to metallography to analyze the creep damage.
Rapid cooling rates and steep temperature gradients are characteristic of additively manufactured parts and important factors for the residual stress formation. This study examined the influence of heat accumulation on the distribution of residual stress in two prisms produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) of austenitic stainless steel 316L. The layers of the prisms were exposed using two different border fill scan strategies: one scanned from the centre to the perimeter and the other from the perimeter to the centre. The goal was to reveal the effect of different heat inputs on samples featuring the same solidification shrinkage. Residual stress was characterised in one plane perpendicular to the building direction at the mid height using Neutron and Lab X-ray diffraction. Thermography data obtained during the build process were analysed in order to correlate the cooling rates and apparent surface temperatures with the residual stress results. Optical microscopy and micro computed tomography were used to correlate defect populations with the residual stress distribution. The two scanning strategies led to residual stress distributions that were typical for additively manufactured components: compressive stresses in the bulk and tensile stresses at the surface. However, due to the different heat accumulation, the maximum residual stress levels differed. We concluded that solidification shrinkage plays a major role in determining the shape of the residual stress distribution, while the temperature gradient mechanism appears to determine the magnitude of peak residual stresses.
Additive manufacturing offers a range of novel applications. However, the manufacturing process is complex and the production of almost defect-free parts with high reliability and durability is still a challenge. Thermography is a valuable tool for process surveillance, especially in metal additive manufacturing processes. The high process temperatures allow one to use cameras usually operating in the visible spectral range. Here, we compare the results of measurements during the manufacturing process of a commercial laser metal deposition setup using a mid wavelength infrared camera with those from a short wavelength infrared camera and those from a visual spectrum high-speed camera with band pass filter in the near infrared range.