Additive Fertigung
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Additive manufacturing techniques, such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB), are well known for their exceptional freedom in part design. However, these techniques are also characterized by the development of large thermal gradients during production and thus residual stress (RS) formation in produced parts. In this context, neutron diffraction enables the non-destructive characterization of the bulk RS distribution. By control of the thermal gradients in the powder-bed plane by scan strategy variation we study the impact of in-process scan strategy variations on the microstructure and the three-dimensional distribution of RS. Microstructural analysis by means of electron backscatter diffraction reveals sharp microstructure transitions at the interfaces ranging from 100-200 µm. The components of the RS tensor are determined by means of neutron diffraction and the principal stress directions and magnitudes are determined by eigenvalue decomposition. We find that the distribution of RS in the powder-bed plane corresponds to the underlying scan strategy. When the alternating scan vectors align with the x- and y sample coordinate axes, the principal stress directions co-align. In the present geometry, nearly transverse isotropic stress states develop when the scan vectors are either aligned 45° between x and y or continuously rotated by 67° between each layer.
Parameter studies are a common step in selecting process parameters for powder bed fusion of metals with laser beam (PBF-LB/M). Density cubes manufactured with varied process parameters exhibit distinguishable surface structures visible to the human eye. Industrial visual in-situ monitoring systems for PBF-LB/M currently have limited resolution and are incapable of reliably capturing differences in the surface structures. For this work, a 65 MPixel high resolution monochrome camera is integrated in an industrial PBF-LB/M machine together with a high intensity led bar. Post-exposure images are taken to analyze differences in light reflection on the specimen’s surface. The grey level co-occurrence matrix is used to quantify the in-situ measured visual surface structure of nickel-based super alloy IN939 density cubes. The properties of the grey level co-occurrence matrix correlate to the energy input and resulting porosity of specimens. Low energy samples with lack of fusion flaws show an increased contrast in the grey level co-occurrence matrix compared to specimens with an optimal energy input. The potential of high-resolution images as reference data in in-situ process monitoring in PBF-LB/M is discussed.
Hybrid additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in the field of additive manufacturing. Hybrid approaches combine at least two different manufacturing processes. The focus of this work is the build-up of geometries onto conventionally manufactured parts using laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M). The hybrid build-up requires a precise position detection system inside the PBF-LB/M machines to determine the exact position of the existing component. For this purpose, high-resolution camera systems can be utilized. However, the use of a camera system is associated with several challenges. The captured images are subject to various distortions of the optical path. Due to these distortions, it is not possible to use the images for measurements and, therefore, it is not possible to calculate the positions of objects. In this study a homography matrix is calculated to correct keystone distortion in the images. Different calibration patterns have been tested for the calculation of the homography matrix. The influence of the number of calibration points on the precision of position detection of objects is determined. Furthermore, the influence of an additional camera calibration by using ChArUco boards is evaluated. The result is a camera calibration workflow with associated calibration pattern for a precise position detection of parts inside PBF-LB/M machines allowing a hybrid build-up with minimum physical offset between base component and build-up.
Hybrid additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in the field of additive manufacturing. Hybrid approaches combine at least two different manufacturing processes. The focus of this work is the build-up of geometries onto conventionally manufactured parts using Powder Bed Fusion with Laser Beam of Metals (PBF-LB/M). The hybrid build-up requires a precise position detection system inside the PBF-LB/M machines to determine the exact position of the existing component. For this purpose, high-resolution camera systems can be utilized. However, the use of a camera system is associated with several challenges. The captured images are subject to various distortions of the optical path. Due to these distortions, it is not possible to use the images for measurements and, therefore, it is not possible to calculate the positions of objects. In this study a homography matrix is calculated to correct keystone distortion in the images. Different calibration patterns have been tested for the calculation of the homography matrix. The influence of the number of calibration points on the precision of position detection of objects is determined. Furthermore, the influence of an additional camera calibration by using ChArUco boards is evaluated. The result is a camera calibration workflow with associated calibration pattern for a precise position detection of parts inside PBF-LB/M machines allowing a hybrid build-up with minimum physical offset between base component and build-up.
Due to the advantages of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), i.e., design freedom and the possibility to manufacture parts with filigree structures, and the considerable amount of knowledge available for 316L in its conventional variant, the mechanical behavior, and related microstructure-property relationships of PBF-LB/316L are increasingly subject of research. However, many aspects regarding the - application-relevant - mechanical behavior at high temperatures are not yet fully understood. Here, we present the results of an experimental study on the LCF behavior of PBF-LB/316L featuring a low defect population, which makes this study more microstructure-focused than most of the studies in the literature. The LCF tests were performed between room temperature (RT) and 600 °C. The mechanical response is characterized by strain-life curves, and hysteresis and cyclic deformation curves. The damage and deformation mechanisms are studied with X-ray computed tomography, and optical and electron microscopy. The PBF-LB/M/316L was heat treated at 450 °C for 4 h, and a hot‑rolled (HR) 316L variant with a fully recrystallized equiaxed microstructure was tested as a reference. Besides, selected investigations were performed after a subsequent heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h. The PBF-LB/316L exhibits higher cyclic stresses than HR/316L for most of the fatigue life, especially at room temperature. At the smallest strain amplitudes, the fatigue lives of PBF-LB/M/316L are markedly shorter than in HR/316L. The main damage mechanisms are multiple cracking at slip bands (RT) and intergranular cracking (600 °C). Neither the melt pool boundaries nor the gas porosity have a significant influence on the LCF damage mechanism. The cyclic stress-strain deformation behavior of PBF-LB/M/316L features an initial hardening followed by a continuous softening. The additional heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h led to decreased cyclic stresses, and a longer fatigue life.
Additively manufactured components are characterized by heterogeneous mechanical properties due to variations of the microstructure, flaws and residual stresses resulting from the inhomogeneous fabrication process. The large number of influencing factors poses a further challenge in understanding the correlation between material properties, process parameters and component geometry. Therefore, the qualification of components based on witness specimens produced within the same job is questionable. This work aims to present a new strategy for the characterization of PBF-LB/M components based on representative specimens. The key assumption is the feasibility of a transfer of the thermal history from a component to a specimen. It is assumed that similar material properties are determined for components and specimens produced adopting a similar thermal history. After the definition of a region of interest in the component, a combination of thermal analyses by means of finite elements and in-situ experimental determination of the thermal history through infrared thermography is used to produce test coupons with a similar thermal history. The effectiveness of the procedure is demonstrated on a pressure vessel for applications in the chemical industry.
The thermal history during additive manufacturing of complex components differs significantly from the thermal history of geometrically primitive test specimens. This can result in differences in properties that can lead to different material behavior. In this talk, the concept of representative test specimens is introduced, which enables the transfer of thermal histories from complex geometries to simple geometries, which can lead to better comparability of material properties.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) of AISI 316L stainless steel has gained popularity due to its exceptional capacity to produce complex geometries and hierarchical microstructures, which can increase the yield strength while maintaining good ductility. Nevertheless, owing to high thermal gradients encountered during the process, the as printed 316L stainless steel often exhibit microstructural heterogeneities and residual stresses, which can limit its performance in demanding environments. Hence, employing heat treatments which balance the reduction of residual stresses while retaining improved static strength may be beneficial in various scenarios and applications. This study investigates the impact of post-processing heat treatments on the microstructure of 316L stainless steel manufactured via PBF-LB/M, along with its correlation with micro-hardness properties. To this end, 6 different heat treatments, i.e., 450 °C for 4h, 700 °C for 1h, 700 °C for 3h, 800 °C for 1h, 800 °C for 3h, and 900 °C for 1h, were applied to different specimens and Vickers hardness measurements (HV1) were performed in all states. At 800 °C, although the cellular structure appears to be retained, there is an observable increase in cellular size. However, while treatments exceeding 900 °C indicate no significant grain growth compared to other conditions, the cellular structure is entirely dissolved, which leads to a reduced Vickers hardness. The effect of the heat treatments on other microstructural features such as grain size and morphology, melt pool boundaries (MPB), crystallographic texture, chemical segregation, dispersoids and phase stability are also discussed in the present work
This study provides insights into the properties of 316L stainless steel produced by additive manufacturing using fused filament fabrication (FFF). One key finding is particularly noteworthy: in significant contrast to cold-rolled 316L, FFF316L develops a pronounced martensite phase after fabrication. The comprehensive comparative analysis shows that FFF316L not only retains the ferrite volume content, but that this is also significantly influenced by the build-up direction. Despite the sintering process, which typically involves densification of the material, a pore volume fraction of 8.45 % remains, which influences the mechanical properties. Although FFF316L has lower elastic
modulus and tensile strength values compared to cold-rolled 316L, its ductility is still competitive. The study further reveals that deformation-induced martensite forms at the intersections of the deformation twins and ferrite islands form at the grain boundaries during the compression and sintering phases. These findings highlight the challenges associated with FFF316L in specific application fields and signal the need to continue to carefully evaluate and improve the development of manufacturing technologies.
The general term additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses processes that enable the production of parts in a single manufacturing step. Among these, laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) is one of the most commonly used to produce metal components. In essence, a laser locally melts powder particles in a powder bed layer-by-layer to incrementally build a part. As a result, this process offers immense manufacturing flexibility and superior geometric design capabilities compared to conventional processes. However, these advantages come at a cost: the localized processing inevitably induces large thermal gradients, resulting in the formation of large thermal stress during manufacturing. In the best case, residual stress remains in the final parts produced as a footprint of this thermal stress. Since residual stress is well known to exacerbate the structural integrity of components, their assessment is important in two respects. First, to optimize process parameter to minimize residual stress magnitudes. Second, to study their effect on the structural integrity of components (e.g., validation of numerical models). Therefore, a reliable experimental assessment of residual stress is an important factor for the successful application of PBF-LB. In this context, diffraction-based techniques allow the non-destructive characterization of the residual stress. In essence, lattice strain is calculated from interplanar distances by application of Braggs law. From the known lattice strain, macroscopic stress can be determined using Hooke’s law. To allow the accurate assessment of the residual stress distribution by such methods, a couple of challenges in regard of the characteristic PBF-LB microstructures need to be overcome.
This presentation highlights some of the challenges regarding the accurate assessment of residual stress in PBF-LB on the example of the Nickel-based alloy Inconel 718. The most significant influencing factors are the use of the correct diffraction elastic constants, the choice of the stress-free reference, and the consideration of the crystallographic texture. Further, it is shown that laboratory X-ray diffraction methods characterizing residual stress at the surface are biased by the inherent surface roughness. Overall, the impact of the characteristic microstructure is most significant for the selection of the correct diffraction elastic constants. In view of the localized melting and solidification, no significant gradients of the stress-free reference are observed, even though the cell-like solidification sub-structure is known to be heterogeneous on the micro-scale.
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 that 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 a 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 lattice plane suitable for residual stress analysis. In this contribution, the selection of a suitable lattice plane family for residual stress analysis is explored. Furthermore, the determination of an appropriate set of diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure is addressed.
In-situ loading experiments have been performed at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source with the main scope to study the deformation behaviour of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718. Cylindrical tensile bars have been subjected to an increasing mechanical load. At pre-defined steps, neutron diffraction data has been collected. After reaching the yield limit, unloads have been performed to study the accumulation of intergranular strain among various lattice plane families.
Development of representative test specimens by thermal history transfer in laser powder bed fusion
(2024)
The use of components manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) and subjected to fatigue loading is still hampered by the uncertainty about the homogeneity of the process results. Numerous influencing factors including the component’s geometry contribute to the risk of process instability and resulting inhomogeneity of properties. This drastically limits the comparability of different built parts and requires expensive full component testing. The thermal history as the spatiotemporal temperature distribution has been identified as a major cause for flaw formation. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that a similar thermal history between components and test specimens enhances their comparability. Following this assumption, a strategy is developed to transfer the intrinsic preheating temperature as a measure of comparability of thermal histories from a region of interest of a complex component to a simple test specimen. This transfer concept has been successfully proved by the use of FEM-based macroscale thermal simulations, validated by calibrated infrared thermography. An adoption of the specimen manufacturing process by the adjustment of the inter layer times was established to manufacture specimens which are representatives of a specific region of a large-scale component in terms of the thermal history similarity criterion. The concept is schematically illustrated in Figure 1 and was demonstrated using a pressure vessel geometry from the chemical industry.
AbstractPowder Bed Fusion with Laser Beam of Metals (PBF-LB/M) has gained more industrial relevance and already demonstrated applications at a small series scale. However, its widespread adoption in various use cases faces challenges due to the absence of interfaces to established Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) that support customers in the predominantly data-driven quality assurance. Current state-of-the-art PBF-LB/M machines utilize communication architectures, such as OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface (REST API). In the context of the Reference Architecture Model Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0) and the Internet of Things (IoT), the assets, particularly the physical PBF-LB/M machines, already have an integration layer implemented to communicate data such as process states or sensor values. Missing is an MES component acting as a communication and information layer. To address this gap, the proposed Extract Transform Load (ETL) pipeline aims to extract relevant data from the fabrication of each build cycle down to the level of scan vectors and additionally to register process signals. The suggested data schema for archiving each build cycle adheres to all terms defined by ISO/TC 261—Additive Manufacturing (AM). In relation to the measurement frequency, all data are reorganized into entities, such as the AM machine, build cycle, part, layer, and scan vector. These scan vectors are stored in a runtime-independent format, including all metadata, to be valid and traceable. The resulting machine log represents a comprehensive documentation of each build cycle, enabling data-driven quality assurance at process level.
This study investigates the room‐ and high‐temperature (650 °C) tensile and low‐cycle‐fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 produced by laser powder bed fusion (PBF‐LB/M) with a four‐step heat treatment and compares the results to the conventional wrought material. The microstructure after heat treatment is characterized on different length scales. Compared to the wrought variant, the elastic and yield properties are comparable at both test temperatures while tensile strength, ductility, and strain hardening capacity are lower. The fatigue life of the PBF‐LB/M variant at room temperature is slightly lower than that of the wrought material, while at 650 °C, it is vice versa. The cyclic stress response for both material variants is characterized by cyclic softening, which is more pronounced at the higher test temperature. High strain amplitudes (≥0.7%) at room temperature and especially a high testing temperature result in the formation of multiple secondary cracks at the transitions of regions comprising predominantly elongated grain morphology and columns of stacked grains with ripple patterns in the PBF‐LB/M material. This observation and pronounced crack branching and deflection indicate that the cracks are controlled by sharp micromechanical gradients and local crystallite clusters.
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.
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are becoming increasingly important, not only for the manufacture of parts, but also as repair technology that complement existing production technologies. Powder bed fusion of metals by laser beam (PBF-LB/M) combines the freedom in design with high achievable accuracy, making it ideal as a repair approach. However, there are still challenges in adapting process for repair applications. When mounting parts inside PBF-LB/M machines, their real position within the build volume is unknown. One goal of a repair process is to minimize the offset between the base component and the additively manufactured structure to reduce additional rework. For a minimum offset between component and additively manufactured structure, the actual position of the component has to be identified with high precision within the machine coordinate system (MCS). In this work a process setup is presented that allows the actual position of a gas turbine blade to be detected inside a PBF-LB/M machine. A high resolution camera with 65 megapixel is used for this purpose. The presented setup is implemented on a SLM 280 HL PBF-LB/M machine. In addition to the setup, a novel repair workflow using PBF-LB/M is presented. The developed setup and workflow consider inaccuracies in the component and camera mounting, as well as process inaccuracies. This includes keystone distortion correction by homography. The machine setup and workflow are used to repair a real gas turbine blade. Subsequently the offset between the turbine blade and the additivley manufactured structure is validated by 3D scanning the repaired part. The maximum offset is 160 µm. The presented approach can be extended to other geometries and PBF-LB/M machine manufacturers. The high-resolution camera approach is platform independent, which facilates the market penetration of PBF-LB/M repair processes.
The process-structure-property-performance relationship is a fundamental paradigm in metal additive manufacturing (AM). The knowledge of how process parameters and post-process treatments influence the material properties and therefore the structural integrity of additively manufactured metallic components is of paramount importance. With respect to this, one of the unsolved problems related to the unique AM process is the reliability of witness samples for part qualification. Focusing on the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) process, the microstructure and therefore the mechanical performance of test coupons are not representative of parts of the same material in every case. This work summarizes part of the results of an ongoing cooperation between BAM and BASF, which aims at addressing this issue by designing dedicated specimens, representative of the fatigue properties of the real component. The considered case study consisted in the fabrication and characterization of the fatigue properties of a pressure vessel made of AISI 316L. The first phase of the project was devoted to the process monitoring to understand the relationship between process parameters and temperature distribution during the fabrication of the component. Finite element models were tuned on the experimental data from the process monitoring and simulations of the temperature field in the component were conducted. The numerical results were in good agreement with the temperature profiles measured during the fabrication of the component. The second phase dealt with the evaluation of the fatigue and fatigue crack propagation properties on specimens extracted from different regions of the pressure vessel. The experimental investigations showed significant differences in hoop and longitudinal direction. A clear dependence of the fatigue properties on heat accumulation (temperature distribution) and defect size was pointed out. The third phase encompassed the fabrication and testing of the representative specimens. Numerical simulations were used to design specimens displaying the same temperature profile as in the most critical region of the component. The fatigue testing of the representative specimens is subject of ongoing work.
State-of-the-art laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) machines allow pre-heating of the substrate plate to reduce stress and improve part quality. However, two major issues have been shown in the past: First, with increasing build height the apparent pre-heat temperature at the surface can deviate drastically from the nominal pre-heat temperature in the substrate plate. Second, even within a single layer the local surface pre-heat temperature can show large gradients due to thermal bottlenecks in the part geometry underneath the top surface. Both lead to unwanted changes in microstructure or defects in the final parts. In this study, a first attempt is taken to show the feasibility of pre-heating the top surface with the onboard laser beam to overcome the mentioned issues. A single layer of a group of three parts built from IN718 to a height of 33.5 mm is pre-heated in a commercially available PBF-LB/M machine to an average steady state surface temperature of 200 °C using the onboard laser beam. The parts are continuously heated, omitting powder deposition and melting step. Temperatures are measured by thermocouples underneath the surface. The experiments are supported by a thermal finite element (FE) model that predicts the temperature field in the parts. When heating the parts uniformly with the laser beam, differences in surface temperatures as large as 170 K are observed. To overcome this inhomogeneity, the heat flux supplied by the laser beam is modulated. An optimized, spatial heat flow distribution is provided by the thermal FE model and translated into a scan pattern that reproduces the optimized heat distribution on the PBF-LB/M machine by locally modulating hatch distance and scan velocity. This successfully reduces the differences in surface temperature to 20 K. Thermographic imaging shows that a homogeneous surface temperature can be achieved despite the localized heat input by the beam. The potential for industrial application of the optimized laser-heating technique is discussed.
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.
Rapidly advancing technologies and progressive digitisation are posing challenges to the established quality infrastructure (QI). In response, the key stakeholders of the German QI established the initiative QI-Digital aimed at developing new solutions for modern quality assurance. One of the central use cases herein is quality assurance for additive manufacturing, in which a fully interlinked additive manufacturing process chain is established. The intention is to collect and process data from each production step, allowing for a comprehensive digital view of the physical material flow. Within this process chain, prototypes of digital QI tools like machine readable standards and digital quality certificates are being demonstrated, tested, and evolved. This is complemented by research on the process level, comprising the evaluation and refinement of methods for in-situ and ex-situ quality assurance, as well as algorithms for registration, reduction, and analysis of process data. This paper presents the status, goals, and vision for the QI-Digital use case additive manufacturing.
Rapidly advancing technologies and progressive digitisation are posing challenges to the established quality infrastructure (QI). In response, the key stakeholders of the German QI established the initiative QI-Digital aimed at developing new solutions for modern quality assurance. One of the central use cases herein is quality assurance for additive manufacturing, in which a fully interlinked additive manufacturing process chain is established. The intention is to collect and process data from each production step, allowing for a comprehensive digital view of the physical material flow. Within this process chain, prototypes of digital QI tools like machine readable standards and digital quality certificates are being demonstrated, tested, and evolved. This is complemented by research on the process level, comprising the evaluation and refinement of methods for in-situ and ex-situ quality assurance, as well as algorithms for registration, reduction, and analysis of process data. This paper presents the status, goals, and vision for the QI-Digital use case additive manufacturing.
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.
Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metal (PBF-LB/M) is a broadly used metal additive manufacturing (AM) method for fabricating complex metallic parts, whose sizes are however limited by the build envelope of PBF-LB/M machines. Laser welding arises as a valid joining method for effectively integrating these AM parts into larger assemblies.
PBF-LB/M components must usually be stress-relieved before they can be separated from the build plate. An additional heat treatment can be beneficial for obtaining homogeneous mechanical properties across the seam or for the formation of desired precipitations in nickel-based-alloys.
Therefore, the tensile performance of laser welded hybrid (AM/wrought) and AM-AM tensile samples of Inconel 718 is examined after undergoing three different heat treatments and considering three relevant build directions. It can be shown that the build orientation is an influencing factor on weld properties even after two applied heat treatments.
The industrialization of AM is only possible by creating synergy with the tools of Industry 4.0. The system technology of Powder Bed Fusion with Laser beam of Metals (PBF-LB/M) reached a level of high performance in terms of process stability and material spectrum in the past years. However, the digital process chain, starting from CAD via CAM and plant-specific compila-tion of the manufacturing file exhibits media disruptions. The consequence is a loss of metadata. A uniform data scheme of simulation for Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), the PBF-LB/M process itself and quality assurance is currently not realized within industry. There is no entity in the common data flows of the process chains, that enables the integration of these functionalities. As part of the creation of a digital quality infrastructure in the QI-Digital pro-ject, an integration of the CAD/CAM chain is being established. The outcome is a file in an advanced commercially available format which includes all simula-tions and manufacturing instructions. The information depth of this file extends to the level of the scan vectors and allows the automatic optimization and holis-tic documentation. In addition, the KPI for the economic analysis are generated by compressing information into a unique file combined with the application of a digital twin. The implementation and advantages of this solution are demon-strated in a case study on a multi-laser PBF-LB/M system. A build job contain-ing a challenging geometry is thermally simulated, optimized, and manufac-tured. To verify its suitability for an Additive Manufacturing Service Platform (AMSP), the identical production file is transferred to a PBF-LB/M system of another manufacturer. Finally, the achieved quality level of the build job is evaluated via 3D scanning. This evaluation is carried out in the identical entity of the production file to highlight the versatility of this format and to integrate quality assurance data.
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.
The present research focuses on the weldability of PBF-LB/M lattice structure parts of Inconel 718 by means of laser beam welding. The integration of complex and lightweight AM structures into assemblies employing conventional joining methods is challenging. During the welding process, dissipation of the laser heat input through thin-walled structures of these lightweight structures is strongly limited, resulting in heat accumulation, atypical cooling rates, and affecting weld geometry, quality of the joint and microstructure. PBF-LB/M parts have been manufactured in three characteristic build directions. They were all stress relieved, then a group of them were submitted to an additional solution annealing and the second group to a two-step aging treatment. Afterwards, these parts were welded to identical PBF-LB/M parts and to wrought ones in butt position. To gain insight into the welding temperature field and to explain segregation mechanisms, grain growth and asymmetries, thermocouples have been attached on the surface’s regions and struts nearby. Joining a lattice structure with a full material wrought sample results in clear asymmetric welds due to dissimilar heat dissipation on both sides of the seam. Selected pre-weld heat treatments have a crucial influence on the quality of the seam on the AM part.
Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metal (PBF-LB/M) is a broadly used metal additive manufacturing (AM) method for fabricating complex metallic parts, whose sizes are however limited by the build envelope of PBF-LB/M machines. Laser welding arises as a valid joining method for effectively integrating these AM parts into larger assemblies.
PBF-LB/M components must usually be stress-relieved before they can be separated from the build plate. An additional heat treatment can be beneficial for obtaining homogeneous mechanical properties across the seam or for the formation of desired precipitations in nickel-based-alloys.
Therefore, the tensile performance of laser welded hybrid (AM/wrought) and AM-AM tensile samples of Inconel 718 is examined after undergoing three different heat treatments and considering three relevant build directions. It can be shown that the build orientation is an influencing factor on weld properties even after two applied heat treatments.
This article reports temperature-dependent elastic properties (Young’s modulus, shear modulus) of three alloys measured by the dynamic resonance method. The alloys Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel IN718, and AISI 316 L were each investigated in a variant produced by an additive manufacturing processing route and by a conventional manufacturing processing route. The datasets include information on processing routes and parameters, heat treatments, grain size, specimen dimensions, and weight, as well as Young’s and shear modulus along with their measurement uncertainty. The process routes and methods are described in detail. The datasets were generated in an accredited testing lab, audited as BAM reference data, and are hosted in the open data repository Zenodo. Possible data usages include the verification of the correctness of the test setup via Young’s modulus comparison in low-cycle fatigue (LCF) or thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) testing campaigns, the design auf VHCF specimens and the use as input data for simulation purposes.
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.
Additive manufacturing (AM) processes such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) are rapidly gaining popularity in repair applications. Gas turbine components benefit from the hybrid repair process as only damaged areas are removed using conventional machining and rebuilt using an AM process. However, hybrid repair is associated with several challenges such as component fixation and precise geometry detection. This article introduces a novel fixturing system, including a sealing concept to prevent powder sag during the repair process. Furthermore, a high-resolution camera within an industrial PBF-LB/M machine is installed and used for object detection and laser recognition. Herein, process related inaccuracies such as PBF-LB/M laser drift is considered by detection of reference objects. This development is demonstrated by the repair of a representative gas turbine blade. The final offset between AM build-up and component is analysed. An approximate accuracy of 160 μm is achieved with the current setup.
Additive manufacturing (AM) processes such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) are rapidly gaining popularity in repair applications. Gas turbine components benefit from the hybrid repair process as only damaged areas are removed using conventional machining and rebuilt using an AM process. However, hybrid repair is associated with several challenges such as component fixation and precise geometry detection. This article introduces a novel fixturing system, including a sealing concept to prevent powder sag during the repair process. Furthermore, a high-resolution camera within an industrial PBF-LB/M machine is installed and used for object detection and laser recognition. Herein, process related inaccuracies such as PBF-LB/M laser drift is considered by detection of reference objects. This development is demonstrated by the repair of a representative gas turbine blade. The final offset between AM build-up and component is analysed. An approximate accuracy of 160 μm is achieved with the current setup.
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 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.
The elastic properties (Young's modulus, shear modulus) of austenitic stainless steel AISI 316L were investigated between room temperature and 900 °C in an additively manufactured variant (laser powder bed fusion, PBF‑LB/M) and from a conventional process route (hot rolled sheet). The moduli were determined using the dynamic resonance method. The data set includes information on processing parameters, heat treatments, grain size, specimen dimensions and weight, Young’s and shear modulus as well as their measurement uncertainty.
The dataset was generated in an accredited testing lab using calibrated measuring equipment. The calibrations meet the requirements of the test procedure and are metrologically traceable. The dataset was audited as BAM reference data.
The elastic properties (Young's modulus, shear modulus) of Ni-based alloy Inconel IN718 were investigated between room temperature and 800 °C in an additively manufactured variant (laser powder bed fusion, PBF‑LB/M) and from a conventional process route (hot rolled bar). The moduli were determined using the dynamic resonance method. The data set includes information on processing parameters, heat treatments, grain size, specimen dimensions and weight, Young’s and shear modulus as well as their measurement uncertainty.
The dataset was generated in an accredited testing lab using calibrated measuring equipment. The calibrations meet the requirements of the test procedure and are metrologically traceable. The dataset was audited as BAM reference data.
The elastic properties (Young's modulus, shear modulus) of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V were investigated between room temperature and 400 °C in an additively manufactured variant (laser-based directed energy deposition with powder as feedstock, DED-LB/M) and from a conventional process route (hot rolled bar). The moduli were determined using the dynamic resonance method. The data set includes information on processing parameters, heat treatments, microstructure, grain size, specimen dimensions and weight, Young’s and shear modulus as well as their measurement uncertainty.
The dataset was generated in an accredited testing lab using calibrated measuring equipment. The calibrations meet the requirements of the test procedure and are metrologically traceable. The dataset was audited as BAM reference data.
Additive manufacturing (AM) in general and laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) in particular are becoming increasingly important in the field of production technologies. Especially the high achievable accuracies and the great freedom in design make PBF-LB/M interesting for the manufacturing and repair of gas turbine blades. Part repair involves building AM-geometries onto an existing component. To minimise the offset between component and AM-geometry, a precise knowledge of the position of the component in the PBF-LB/M machine is mandatory. However, components cannot be inserted into the PBF-LB/M machine with repeatable accuracy, so the actual position will differ for each part. For an offset-free build-up, the actual position of the component in the PBF-LB/M machine has to be determined. In this paper, a camera-based position detection system is developed considering PBF-LB/M constraints and system requirements. This includes finding an optimal camera position considering the spatial limitations of the PBF-LB/M machine and analysing the resulting process coordinate systems. In addition, a workflow is developed to align different coordinate systems and simultaneously correct the perspective distortion in the acquired camera images. Thus, position characteristics can be determined from images by image moments. For this purpose, different image segmentation algorithms are compared. The precision of the system developed is evaluated in tests with 2D objects. A precision of up to 30μm in translational direction and an angular precision of 0.021∘ is achieved. Finally, a 3D demonstrator was built using this proposed hybrid strategy. The offset between base component and AM-geometry is determined by 3D scanning and is 69μm.
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.
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.
When it comes to higher accuracies, new technologies and real applications in additive manufacturing, there is one topic which cannot be avoided: The material response on the chosen processing parameters and its agreement and correspondence with literature data of the wrought material grade counterpart. In industrial Additive Manufacturing (AM) standards in terms of printing parameters, protection gas atmospheres or powder handling instructions are not obligatory. Therefore, the question must be answered whether the AM process is reproducible and reliable over different printing companies. This was the motivation to realize a round robin test between 8 European printing companies and academic partners. The consortium had printed and tested fatigue and tensile testing bars under plant-specific conditions. A commonly used cast aluminum alloy, AlSi10Mg, was chosen as test material for the PBF-LB/M process. Differences of the results between the partners and the scatter itself were discussed in detail.
When it comes to higher accuracies, new technologies and real applications in additive manufacturing, there is one topic which cannot be avoided: The material response on the chosen processing parameters and its agreement and correspondence with literature data of the wrought material grade counterpart. In industrial Additive Manufacturing (AM) standards in terms of printing parameters, protection gas atmospheres or powder handling instructions are not obligatory. Therefore, the question must be answered whether the AM process is reproducible and reliable over different printing companies. This was the motivation to realize a round robin test between 8 European printing companies and academic partners. The consortium had printed and tested fatigue and tensile testing bars under plant-specific conditions. A commonly used cast aluminum alloy, AlSi10Mg, was chosen as test material for the PBF-LB/M process. Differences of the results between the partners and the scatter itself were discussed in detail.
In line with the industrial trend of additive manufacturing, cold spray as a non-laser-based process is becoming increasingly important for many fields of application. For the evaluation of additive manufacturing of winding components made of copper for large electrical high-voltage machines, material and component properties such as electrical conductivity, mechanical load capacity and the component size that can be produced are of particular importance. In this context, the cold spray process offers advantages over laser-based additive manufacturing processes such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) or laser cladding by using the kinetic energy of the copper powder particles to generate particle cohesion. To investigate the electrical conductivity as well as the mechanical load capacity of cold spray parts, specimens were machined out of cold sprayed bulk copper deposits. The characteristic values were obtained with regard to the direction of deposition, which is defined by the direction of the robot’s movement. Thus, for the investigation of the component properties, specimens were provided that had been produced both longitudinally and transversely as well as orthogonally to the direction of deposition. The results of the investigations show that both the electrical conductivity and the mechanical load capacity of the specimen have a strong preferential direction of the specimen orientation with respect to the direction of deposition. Furthermore, it could be shown that by increasing the deposition height, there is an increasing oxygen content in the sample material, combined with increasingly significant defect networks. These effects have a negative impact on the electrical conductivity as well as on the mechanical load capacity. As a conclusion, further need for investigation is identified in the optimization of the process parameters as well as in the deposition strategy for the additive manufacturing of large-volume components with cold spray.
In line with the industrial trend of additive manufacturing, cold spray as a non-laser-based process is becoming increasingly important for many fields of application. For the evaluation of additive manufacturing of winding components made of copper for large electrical high-voltage machines, material and component properties such as electrical conductivity, mechanical load capacity and the component size that can be produced are of particular importance. In this context, the cold spray process offers advantages over laser-based additive manufacturing processes such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) or laser cladding by using the kinetic energy of the copper powder particles to generate particle cohesion. To investigate the electrical conductivity as well as the mechanical load capacity of cold spray parts, specimens were machined out of cold sprayed bulk copper deposits. The characteristic values were obtained with regard to the direction of deposition, which is defined by the direction of the robot’s movement. Thus, for the investigation of the component properties, specimens were provided that had been produced both longitudinally and transversely as well as orthogonally to the direction of deposition. The results of the investigations show that both the electrical conductivity and the mechanical load capacity of the specimen have a strong preferential direction of the specimen orientation with respect to the direction of deposition. Furthermore, it could be shown that by increasing the deposition height, there is an increasing oxygen content in the sample material, combined with increasingly significant defect networks. These effects have a negative impact on the electrical conductivity as well as on the mechanical load capacity. As a conclusion, further need for investigation is identified in the optimization of the process parameters as well as in the deposition strategy for the additive manufacturing of large-volume components with cold spray.
Laser welding is an appropriate technique for joining Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) parts together and to conventional wrought ones. The potential consists of profiting from synergies between additive and conventional manufacturing methods and overcoming the existing limitations of both. On the one hand, L-PBF is a widely spread metal-based additive manufacturing technique suitable for generating complex parts which can present intrinsic designed cavities, conformal cooling channels, and filigree structures contributing to sustainable manufacturing and efficiency-oriented designs. On the other hand, chamber sizes for producing L-PBF parts are limited, and the process is time-consuming. Thus, its employment is not for every geometry justified. Additionally, they are in most cases individual elements of a larger assembly and need to be joined together to conventionally fabricated parts.
The present research suggests laser welding parameters to adequately bond pairs of wrought and L-PBF processed plates and two L-PBF plates of Inconel 718 in butt position. L-PBF samples are printed in three different build-up orientations. Additionally, the influence of as-built L-PBF roughness qualities and usual pre-weld preparations such as edge milling are examined. The effect of normed pre-weld heat treatments is also contemplated. Identified cracks are analyzed by means of EDS in order to confirm the present phases on the areas of interest. EBSD is also employed to obtain a clear depiction of the crystallographic texture and distribution of the hot cracks.
The quality of the weldment was examined according to existing standards. Substantial differences in seam geometry and microstructure across different edge’s surface qualities and build directions of stress relieved L-PBF parts have not been detected. Nevertheless, even if no other irregularities are present in the seam, variability in liquation cracking susceptibility has been confirmed. This defect is prone to happen when parts made of this nickel-based superalloy are welded together when not enough precautions are taken. It has been determined that grain size and ductility of the material before welding play a crucial role and mitigating or intensifying these imperfections. Moreover, recommendations are presented to avoid this potential welding defect.
With regard to efficient production, it is desirable to combine the respective advantages of additively and conventionally manufactured components. Particularly in the case of large-volume components that also include filigree or complex structures, it makes sense to divide the overall part into individual elements, which afterwards have to be joined by welding.
The following research represents a first step in fundamentally investigating and characterizing the joint welding of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) components made of Inconel 718. For this purpose, bead-on-plate welds were performed on plates manufactured using the L-PBF process and compared with the conventionally manufactured material. Conventional laser beam welding was used as welding process. The weld geometry was investigated as a function of the L-PBF build-up orientation. It was found that the welding depth and weld geometry differ depending on this orientation and in comparison to the conventional material.
One of the main advantages of additive manufacturing (AM) processes such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) is the possibility to manufacture complex near-net-shape components. Therefore, the PBF-LB/M process is becoming increasingly important for the manufacturing and repair of gas turbine blades. Despite the great freedom in design, there are also limitations to the process. Manufacturing overhangs or bridging voids are some of the main challenges. In the conventional PBF-LB/M process, overhangs with angles up to 45° can be manufactured. However, gas turbine blades feature voids for cooling, which have to be bridged when using PBF-LB/M. In this work, different concepts for bridging voids are developed for future application in gas turbine blade repair. For this purpose, a test geometry is derived from the tip area of a gas turbine blade as a reference. By changing the initial geometry of the reference body, different designs for bridging voids are developed based on the PBF-LB/M requirements. Subsequently, these distinct designs are manufactured by PBF-LB/M. The different approaches are compared with respect to their volume increase. In addition, the specimens are visually inspected for warpage, shrinkage and imperfections by overheating. Out of the seven concepts developed, three concepts can be recommended for gas turbine blade repair based on low volume increase, distortion and shrinkage.
One of the main advantages of additive manufacturing (AM) processes such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) is the possibility to manufacture complex near-net-shape components. Therefore, the PBF-LB/M process is becoming increasingly important for the manufacturing and repair of gas turbine blades. Despite the great freedom in design, there are also limitations to the process. Manufacturing overhangs or bridging voids are some of the main challenges. In the conventional PBF-LB/M process, overhangs with angles up to 45° can be manufactured. However, gas turbine blades feature voids for cooling, which have to be bridged when using PBF-LB/M. In this work, different concepts for bridging voids are developed for future application in gas turbine blade repair. For this purpose, a test geometry is derived from the tip area of a gas turbine blade as a reference. By changing the initial geometry of the reference body, different designs for bridging voids are developed based on the PBF-LB/M requirements. Subsequently, these distinct designs are manufactured by PBF-LB/M. The different approaches are compared with respect to their volume increase. In addition, the specimens are visually inspected for warpage, shrinkage and imperfections by overheating. Out of the seven concepts developed, three concepts can be recommended for gas turbine blade repair based on low volume increase, distortion and shrinkage.
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.
With regard to efficient production, it is desirable to combine the respective advantages of additively and conventionally manufactured components. Particularly in the case of large-volume components that also include filigree or complex structures, it makes sense to divide the overall part into individual elements, which afterwards have to be joined by welding.
The following research represents a first step in fundamentally investigating and characterizing the joint welding of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) components made of Inconel 718. For this purpose, bead-on-plate welds were performed on plates manufactured using the L-PBF process and compared with the conventionally manufactured material. Conventional laser beam welding was used as welding process. The weld geometry was investigated as a function of the L-PBF build-up orientation. It was found that the welding depth and weld geometry differ depending on this orientation and in comparison to the conventional material.
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.
In this talk, a numerical study of the heat accumulation during LPBF based manufacturing of 316L steel parts is presented. For the simulation, a computationally efficient FEM model is used, where several layers are simultaneously exposed to a volumetric heat source. For the validation of the model, the temperature field from simulation is compared with emissivity-corrected temperature measurements, which are obtained using thermography during experiments.
Laser welding is an appropriate technique for joining Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) parts together and to conventional wrought ones. The potential consists of profiting from synergies between additive and conventional manufacturing methods and overcoming the existing limitations of both. On the one hand, L-PBF is a widely spread metal-based additive manufacturing technique suitable for generating complex parts which can present intrinsic designed cavities, conformal cooling channels, and filigree structures contributing to sustainable manufacturing and efficiency-oriented designs. On the other hand, chamber sizes for producing L-PBF parts are limited, and the process is time-consuming. Thus, its employment is not for every geometry justified. Additionally, they are in most cases individual elements of a larger assembly and need to be joined together to conventionally fabricated parts.
The present research suggests laser welding parameters to adequately bond pairs of wrought and L-PBF processed plates and two L-PBF plates of Inconel 718 in butt position. L-PBF samples are printed in three different build-up orientations. Additionally, the influence of as-built L-PBF roughness qualities and usual pre-weld preparations such as edge milling are examined. The effect of normed pre-weld heat treatments is also contemplated. Identified cracks are analyzed by means of EDS in order to confirm the present phases on the areas of interest. EBSD is also employed to obtain a clear depiction of the crystallographic texture and distribution of the hot cracks.
The quality of the weldment was examined according to existing standards. Substantial differences in seam geometry and microstructure across different edge’s surface qualities and build directions of stress relieved L-PBF parts have not been detected. Nevertheless, even if no other irregularities are present in the seam, variability in liquation cracking susceptibility has been confirmed. This defect is prone to happen when parts made of this nickel-based superalloy are welded together when not enough precautions are taken. It has been determined that grain size and ductility of the material before welding play a crucial role and mitigating or intensifying these imperfections. Moreover, recommendations are presented to avoid this potential welding defect.
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.
Heat accumulation during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of metallic build parts can adversely affect their microstructure and mechanical properties. To study the heat accumulation during 316L steel based parts manufactured by LPBF, a finite element method (FEM) based numerical study is carried out. For the investigation, a computationally efficient FEM based model, where the whole layer is simultaneously exposed to a heat source, is used. The simulation results are compared with experimental results to validate the numerical model. While considering different influencing factors such as volumetric energy density (VED) and inter-layer time (ILT), the FEM model is shown to successfully simulate the process of heat accumulation during LPBF based manufacturing of a cuboidal shaped geometry. It is shown that ILT and VED have a significant effect on heat accumulation. The validated numerical model provides a good basis for the optimization of processing parameters and geometries for a future investigation of a reduction of heat accumulation effects. Furthermore, it can be used to quickly provide preheating boundary conditions for detailed investigations by different model approaches at a finer scale for future studies.
In order to find a resource efficient approach for the fatigue lifetime prediction of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processed AlSi10Mg material, results of tensile and fatigue tests were compared. The specimens were manufactured with three different L-PBF machines and studied in different heat treatment conditions (as-built, annealed, T6 heat treated). The investigations showed that the high attainable tensile strength properties after the manufacturing process are not beneficial in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime. In contrast, the applied heat treatments, which lead typically to a decrease of ultimate tensile strength, improved dramatically the fatigue behavior. Additionally, a clear correlation between the elongation at fracture and HCF resistance has been found for individual heat treatment conditions. This empiric relationship provides an estimation of the fatigue resistance in the presence of material defects and can be implemented in part and process approvals.
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.
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.
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 implantation aims at reducing friction and wear on highly stressed surfaces in forming processes. Especially the hot stamping process that is used as a resource efficient process for manufacturing geometrical complex and high-strength structures, exhibits severe wear and high friction during the forming operation. The laser implantation process addresses this problem by combining two different approaches (surface modification and surface structuring) in surface technology by creating elevated, highly wear-resistant micro-features to influence the tribological performance. Pure TiB2 implants have shown to reduce tool-sided wear significally and improve the part formability by reducing local necking in deep drawing tests. Within the scope of this work, TiB2-TiC and TiB2-TaC hard material mixtures are implanted on X38CrMoV5-3 hot work tool steel. The aim is to investigate how the implant material properties can be influenced by the application of different mixing ratios of hard material mixtures under the specific variation of the process parameters. Distinct implant formations are tested on a novel test apparatus to examine the influence on the tribological properties.
From the analyses of the implant properties by hardness measurements, light microscopic images, EDX and XRD analyses process parameter ranges are identified to produce defect-free dome- and ring-shaped implants. The specific process parameters (pulse power, pulse duration, mixing ratio and coating thickness) can be used for the determination of the implant geometry (height, width and depth). The tribological tests exhibit improved friction and wear properties. Based on these results, a tribosystem manufactured by this additive surface treatment technology shows great potential to enhance the effectiveness of the hot stamping process.
In order to find a resource efficient approach for the fatigue lifetime prediction of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processed AlSi10Mg material, results of tensile and fatigue tests were compared. The specimens were manufactured with three different L-PBF machines and studied in different heat treatment conditions (as-built, annealed, T6 heat treated). The investigations showed that the high attainable tensile strength properties after the manufacturing process are not beneficial in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime. In contrast, the applied heat treatments, which lead typically to a decrease of ultimate tensile strength, improved dramatically the fatigue behavior. Additionally, a clear correlation between the elongation at fracture and HCF resistance has been found for individual heat treatment conditions. This empiric relationship provides an estimation of the fatigue resistance in the presence of material defects and can be implemented in part and process approvals.
Within the scope of this work, a laser implantation process has been used, in order to improve the tribological performance of hot stamping tools. This surface engineering Technology enables the generation of dome-shaped, elevated and highly wear resistant microfeatures on tool surfaces in consequence of a localized dispersing of hard ceramic particles via pulsed laser radiation.
As a result, the topography and material properties of the tool and thus the tribological interactions at the blank-die interface are locally influenced. However, a suitable selection of hard ceramic particles is imperative for generating defect-free surface features with a high share of homogenously disturbed particles. For this purpose, different niobium (NbB2 and NbC) as well as titanium-based (TiB2 and TiC) materials were embedded on hot working tool specimens and subsequently analyzed with regard to their resulting shape and mechanical properties. Afterwards, modified pin-on-disk tests were carried out by using conventional and laser-implanted tool surfaces, in order to evaluate the wear and friction behavior of both tooling systems.
Additive manufacturing processes are increasingly being used in industrial applications. Especially powder bed fusion processes are of high interest due to their capability to economically produce individual, highly complex and functionally integrated components in small batches.
However, the quality assurance of these components remains a challenge. Internal defects and undesirable microstructures and surface conditions can deteriorate the mechanical properties. Especially for use in safety-relevant applications, new design and inspection concepts are needed that take these factors into account.
This talk presents typical defects and microstructure phenomena resulting from the laser powder bed fusion process and identifies challenges and opportunities for non-destructive testing from a manufacturing engineering perspective. In particular, the possibility of a process-integrated quality control is shown based on current research results.
Within the group of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for metals, laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) has a leading position. Nevertheless, reproducibility of part properties has not reached sufficient maturity hindering the use for industrial applications especially for safety-relevant components. This article presents the results of various experimental tests performed with the aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg identifying reasons for the high deviations in mechanical properties. Herein, it is discussed how microstructure is influenced by different process parameters (laser power, scanning speed, energy density, building height) and how it can be adjusted by suitable post process heat treatments. The impact of resulting changes in microstructure is shown by monotonic tensile and cyclic fatigue tests considering specimens manufactured with different L-PBF machines.
Within the group of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for metals, laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) has a leading position. Nevertheless, reproducibility of part properties has not reached sufficient maturity hindering the use for industrial applications especially for safety-relevant components. This article presents the results of various experimental tests performed with the aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg identifying reasons for the high deviations in mechanical properties. Herein, it is discussed how microstructure is influenced by different process parameters (laser power, scanning speed, energy density, building height) and how it can be adjusted by suitable post process heat treatments. The impact of resulting changes in microstructure is shown by monotonic tensile and cyclic fatigue tests considering specimens manufactured with different L-PBF machines.
In the automotive industry, hot stamping has been established as a key technology for manufacturing safety-relevant car body components with high strength-to-weight ratio. However, hot stamping tools are stressed by cyclic thermo-mechanical loads, which leads to severe wear and high friction during the forming operation. Consequently, the quality of the parts, the durability of the tools and the efficiency of the process are negatively affected. Within the scope of this work, a promising approach named laser implantation process has been investigated for improving the tribological behavior of hot stamping tools. This technique enables the fabrication of highly wear resistant, separated and elevated micro-features by embedding hard ceramic particles into the tool via pulsed laser radiation. Hence, highly stressed tool areas can be modified, which influences the thermal and tribological interactions at the blank-die interface. To clarify these cause-effect relations, numerical simulations, quenching tests as well as tribological investigations have been conducted. In this context, laser-implanted tools reveal a significantly improved tribological performance while offering the possibility to adjust the thermal properties within hot stamping. Based on these results, a tailored tool modification can be pursued in future research work, in order to enhance the effectiveness of hot stamping tooling systems.
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. Auf diese Weise konnten intrinsische Vorerwärmungstemperaturen während der Bauteilfertigung lagenweise extrahiert werden. 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.
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.
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.
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.