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In manufacturing, fusion welding processes use a lot of resources, which presents an opportunity to reduce environmental impact. While there is a general understanding of the environmental impact of these processes, it is difficult to quantitatively assess key parameters. This study introduces a welding-specific methodology that uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of fusion welding technologies. Our approach analyses the main parameters that affect the environmental performance of different welding techniques, including traditional methods and additive manufacturing through the Direct Energy Deposition-Arc (DED-Arc) process. We integrate real-time resource usage data to offer an innovative framework for directly deriving environmental impacts. This research contributes to optimising welding processes by providing a precise and quantifiable measure of their ecological impact, facilitating the advancement of sustainable manufacturing practices.
Life cycle assessment of fusion welding processes considering upstream and downstream process steps
(2023)
In manufacturing, fusion welding processes consume significant resources, presenting a significant opportunity for reducing environmental impact. Although there is a qualitative understanding of the environmental implications of these processes, a quantitative assessment of key parameters remains complex. This study introduces a welding-specific methodology that employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantitatively evaluate the environmental footprint of fusion welding technologies. Our approach identifies and analyses the principal parameters affecting the environmental performance of various welding techniques, including traditional joint welding and additive manufacturing via the Direct Energy Deposition-Arc (DED-Arc) process. Real-time resource usage data is integrated to offer an innovative framework for directly deriving environmental impacts. This research contributes to optimising welding processes by providing a precise and quantifiable measure of their ecological impact. This facilitates the advancement of sustainable manufacturing practices.
Additive manufacturing (AM) processes enable the efficient production of advanced constructions. New developments in topology optimization are leading to weight-optimized designs of increasing complexity. Direct energy deposition processes (DED) such as wire and arc-based additive manufacturing are an important method of additive manufacturing. The wire filler metals enable a wide range of materials, while the arc process provides a high deposition rate compared to laser and powder-based processes. Combined with the use of high-strength steels, the thickness of walls or components can be significantly reduced in the context of lightweight construction, which results in significant savings in energy, costs, time and resources. Suitable high-strength steel filler metals are commercially available for DED-arc AM processes. However, guidelines and quantitative knowledge about welding stresses and cold cracking issues during component production and service are lacking. This limits the industrial application considerably. In a joint project of BAM and Chemnitz University of Technology, the main influences and complex interactions of material, production process, design and processing steps on the residual stress level are investigated. The aim is to develop processing recommendations and a cold cracking test for economical processing and stress-related design of high-strength steels with DED-arc. This study focuses on residual stress analysis by neutron diffraction (ND) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) on defined test specimens. The ND analysis were performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute- Villigen, Switzerland (PSI) and the XRD analysis at BAM. The study shows a quantitative and qualitative comparison of the residual stress magnitudes and distribution between the component bulk (ND) and surface (XRD) analyses. The ND analysis reveals that in DED-arc AM walls the residual stresses dominate in the direction of welding and are negligibly small in each case transverse to the direction of welding. The topology of the analyzed residual stresses shows almost identical residual stress maps compared to XRD. In addition, the residual stresses are significantly influenced by the solid phase transformation of the material due to low cooling times and less post heat treatment cycles of following AM layers in the area of the top layer.
Residual stresses Analysis in Additively Manufactured alloys using neutron diffraction (L-PBF)
(2023)
An overview of recent progress at BAM of residual stress analysis in additively manufactured, in particular Laser Powder Bed Fusion of metallics materials, using neutron diffraction will be presented. This will cover important topics of the stress-free reference, the diffraction elastic moduli and principal stress determination.
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.
New developments in nickel-based superalloys and production methods, such as the use of additive manufacturing (AM), can result in innovative designs for turbines. It is crucial to understand how the material behaves during the AM process to advance industrial use of these techniques. An analytical model based on reaction-diffusion formalism is developed to better explain the solidification behavior of the material during laser metal deposition (LMD). The well-known Scheil-Gulliver theory has some drawbacks, such as the assumption of equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface, which is addressed by this method. The solidified fractions under the Scheil model and the pure equilibrium model are calculated using CALPHAD simulations. Differential scanning calorimeter is used to measure the heat flow during the solid-liquid phase transformation, the result of which is further converted to solidified fractions. The analytical model is compared with all the other models for validation.
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.
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.
High-strength steels offer great potential in weight-optimised modern steel structures. Additive manufacturing processes, such as Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), enable near-net-shape manufacturing of complex structures and more efficient manufacturing, offering significant savings in costs, time, and resources. Suitable filler materials for WAAM are already commercially available. However, the lack of knowledge or technical guidelines regarding welding residual stresses during manufacturing and operation in connection with cold cracking risk limit their industrial application significantly. In a project of BAM and TU Chemnitz, the influences and complex interactions of material, manufacturing process, design and processing steps on residual stress evolution are investigated. By developing process recommendations and a special cold cracking test, economic manufacturing, and stress-appropriate design of high-strength steel WAAM components are main objectives.
The present study focuses on determining the influence of heat control (interpass temperature, heat input, cooling time) and the design aspects of the components on the hardness and residual stresses, which are analysed by X-ray diffraction. Defined reference specimens, i.e., hollow cuboids, are automatically welded with a special WAAM solid wire. The influences of wall length, wall thickness and wall height on the residual stresses are analysed. Geometric properties can be selectively adjusted by wire feed and welding speed but cannot be varied arbitrarily. This was addressed by adapted build-up strategies. The results indicate a significant influence of the heat control and the wall height on the residual stresses. The interpass temperature, wall thickness and wall length are not significant. These analyses allow recommendations for standards and manufacturing guidelines, enabling a safe and economic manufacturing of high-strength steel components.
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.
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.
With the introduction of a hydrogen-based energy and national economy, safety-relevant components for hydrogen technologies are becoming increasingly important. Characteristic of hydrogen technologies are, for example, harsh environmental conditions such as cryogenic or high-pressure storage, corrosion issues in fuel cells and electrolyzers, turbines, and many more. Additive manufacturing of components is becoming increasingly important and irreplaceable for the production of complex technical systems. Using the case studies of burners for gas turbines and electrodes and membranes for polymer (PEMFC) and solid oxide (SOFC) fuel cells, this article shows the potential of additive manufacturing of components. At the same time, however, the challenge of considering divergent mechanical properties depending on the direction of assembly in a "hydrogen-compatible" manner is also highlighted. Finally, the challenges posed by additive manufacturing and hydrogen for materials testing are highlighted under scenarios that are as realistic as possible.
Design methodology of vessel produced by L PBF stainless steel using representative specimens
(2022)
This work presents the preliminary results of an ongoing project with a double objective: on the one hand, the characterisation of the mechanical properties against fatigue damage of an additively manufactured 316 stainless steel produced by laser powder bed-based (L-PBF) technology; on the other hand, the implementation of numerical simulation techniques able to predict the mechanical behaviour of the material in order to optimise and reduce the design costs of vessels used in the chemical sector. The current state of the work developed in this research framework allows showing the first batch of experimental results of crack propagation rate (FCGR) and high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests. The geometry of the vessels studied presents three clearly differentiated regions, either in terms of thickness (11-15 mm) or concerning the inclination of the walls to the direction of manufacturing (0º - 45º). The experimental campaign carried out so far allows identifying the differences in behaviour when comparing different extraction locations around the vessel. This is due to the variations in thermal cycles that the deposited material undergoes during the manufacturing process. Therefore, this causes variations in the microstructure which lead to changes in the response of the material. In this work, these differences are analysed qualitatively and quantitatively from the results of FCGR and HCF, thus allowing to locate the regions with the highest risk in terms of structural integrity against fatigue. This preliminary phase together with the numerical simulation of the additive manufacturing process are key to achieving a reliable description and modelling of the material. The latter will make it possible to address the priority aim of this project, involving the manufacture of independent samples whose properties are representative of the original material extracted from the reference vessels. It is, therefore, a comprehensive methodology for the design of additively manufactured components based on the localised fatigue mechanical properties of representative specimens.
Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) are characterized by layer wise construction, which enable advancements of component design, with associated potential gains in performance and efficiency. However, high magnitude residual stresses (RS) are often a product of the rapid thermal cycles typical of the layerwise process. Therefore, a deep understanding of the formation of RS, the influence of process parameters on their magnitude and the impact on mechanical performance is crucial for widespread application. The experimental characterisation of these RS is essential for safety related engineering application and supports the development of reliable numerical models. Diffraction-based methods for RS analysis using neutrons and high energy X-rays enable non-destructive spatially resolved characterisation of both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components. This presentation will provide an overview of recent research by the BAM at large scale facilities for the characterization of residual stresses in LPBF metallic alloys as a function of process parameters. In addition, the challenges posed by the textured and hierarchical microstructures of LPBF materials on diffraction-based RS analysis in AM materials will be discussed. This will include the question of the d0 reference lattice spacing and the appropriate choice of the diffraction elastic constants (DECs) to calculate the level of RS in LPBF manufactured alloys.
Joining processes for components in hydrogen technologies: Current need and future importance
(2022)
This presentation gives an overview on the importance of joining processes for component fabrication in hydrogen technologies. For that reason, the current need and future research and developement activites are highlighted for the three technological fields: hydrogen storage, transport and use (in terms of the emerging field of additive manufacturing). Finally, some remarks are given for necessary changes in the standardization.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming increasingly important in engineering applications due to the possibility of producing components with a high geometrical complexity allowing for optimized forms with respect to the in-service functionality. Despite the promising potential, AM components are still far from being used in safety-relevant applications, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the feedstock-process-properties-performance relationship. This work aims at providing a full characterization of the fatigue behavior of the additively manufactured AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel and a direct comparison with the fatigue performance of the wrought steel. To this purpose, a set of specimens has been produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and subsequently heat treated at 900 °C for 1 hour for complete stress relief, whereas a second set of specimens has been machined out of hot-rolled plates. Low cycle fatigue (LCF) and high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests have been conducted for characterizing the fatigue behavior. The L-PBF material had a higher fatigue limit and better finite life performance compared to wrought material. Both, LCF and HCF-testing revealed an extensive cyclic softening.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components that find space in aerospace, automotive, biomedical and military applications. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the building process, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit an ultra-fine microstructure that leads to superior mechanical properties in the as-built condition compared to conventional cast Al-Si materials. Nevertheless, L-PBF processing induces high thermal gradients, leading to deleterious residual stress levels that must be considered to avoid part distortion and unpredicted failures. In order to relax detrimental residual stress and to increase the ductility, post-processing stress relief treatments are generally performed. In as-built condition the hypoeutectic AlSi10Mg microstructure consist of fine α-Al cells containing uniformly dispersed silicon nanoparticles, which are, in addition, surrounded by a eutectic Si network. Above 260°C the silicon interconnectivity starts to breakdown into spheroidized particles and to coarsen. At the same time, the heating residual stresses are relieved.
The objective of the contribution is to investigate, under different heat treatment conditions, the evolution of microstructure and residual stresses in view of optimizing the fatigue performance of the alloy. To this purpose various heat treatments in a range of temperatures between 265°C and 300°C for a duration between 15 minutes and 2 hours are performed. The microstructure modifications are analysed using a scanning electron microscope and the residual stress state is measured by laboratory X-ray diffraction.
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process for materials which inherently tends to yield various degrees of metastable hierarchical microstructures, defects and high residual stresses in the as-built condition depending on the process parameters. The understanding of the evolution of these typical features during heat treatment and subsequent thermal and mechanical ageing is crucial for the wider acceptance for safety critical structures. A multi-disciplinary research project at BAM studying the development of the microstructure, defects, residual stresses typical of LPBF 316L and their evolution during thermal and mechanical ageing has led to insights into the stability of these inherent features. This presentation aims to give a broad overview of the project with a few specific cases of investigation. Firstly, the formation of residual stresses, the nature of the initial microstructure, the tensile properties and a modelling approach to understand the anisotropy will be presented. This will be followed by examples of studies of their evolution during heat treatment, long term thermal exposure, and room temperature and high temperature mechanical testing compared to a baseline of conventional wrought variant of the same alloy.
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are experiencing an exceedingly rapid growth, driven by their potential through layer wise deposition for transformational improvements of engineering design, leading to efficiency and performance improvements. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an Additive Manufacturing (AM) method which permits the fabrication of complex structures that cannot otherwise be produced via conventional subtractive manufacturing methods. Nevertheless, the rapid cooling rates associated with this process results in the formation of significant and complex residual stress (RS) fields. A large body of both experimental and simulation research has been dedicated in recent years to the control and mitigation of RS in AM. In order to validate simulations with the end goal of being able to model the residual stress state in AM components and to devise strategies for their reduction during manufacturing, experimental methods need to be able to accurately determine 3D residual stresses fields in complex geometries. Several destructive and non-destructive methods can be used to analyze the RS state, the choice of which depends on the geometry and the information required. Diffraction-based methods using penetrating neutron and synchrotron X-rays at large scale facilities offer the possibility to non-destructively spatially resolve both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components and track their changes following applied thermal or mechanical loads. This presentation will overview the success stories of using large scale facilities by the BAM for the characterization of residual stresses in additively manufactured metallic alloys. In particular, the study of the influence of process parameters on the residual stress state and the relaxation of these stresses through heat treatment will be presented. However there remains challenges to overcome particularly of the hypotheses underlying the experimental determination of residual stresses, which will be discussed.
Metal Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) enable the fabrication of complex structures, giving rise to potential improvements in component and manufacturing efficiency. However, the processes are typically characterized by the generation of high magnitude residual stress (RS) which can have detrimental consequences for subsequent applications. Therefore, the characterization of these RS fields and the understanding of their formation and mitigation through optimized processing is crucial for the wider uptake of the technology. Due to the potential complex nature and high value of components manufactured by LPBF, it is important to have suitable characterisation methods which can determine the spatial variations of RS in a non-destructive manner. Neutron diffraction is considered to be the best suited for these requirements. However, the microstructures developed in the complex thermal cycles experience in the production can pose challenges to the ND method for RS analysis. The BAM has conducted significant research over the past years to overcome these obstacles, enabling higher confidence in the RS determined in LPBF materials by neutron diffraction. This contribution will overview some of these advancements made recently at European neutron sources including on Stress-Spec at FRM2/MLZ.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the building process, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit an ultra-fine microstructure that leads to superior mechanical properties in the as-built condition compared to conventional cast Al-Si materials. Nevertheless, L-PBF processing induces high thermal gradients, leading to deleterious residual stress. In order to relax detrimental residual stress and to increase the ductility, post-processing stress relief treatments are performed. The objective of the contribution is to investigate, under different heat treatment condition, the evolution of microstructure and residual stresses in view of optimizing the fatigue performance of the alloy. To this purpose various heat treatments in a range of temperatures between 265°C and 300°C for a duration between 15 minutes and 2 hours are performed.
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.
Creep and fracture behavior of conventionally and additively manufactured stainless steel 316L
(2020)
A critical task within the frame of establishing process-structure-property-performance relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is producing reliable and well-documented material behavior’s data and knowledge regarding the structure-property correlation, including the role of defects. After all, it represents the basis for developing more targeted process optimizations and more reliable predictions of performance in the future. Within this context, this contribution aims to close the actual gap of limited historical data and knowledge concerning the creep behavior of the widely used austenitic stainless steel 316L, manufactured by Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF). To address this objective, specimens from conventional hot-rolled and AM material were tested under application-relevant conditions according to existing standards for conventional material, and microstructurally characterized before and after failure. The test specimens were machined from single blocks from the AM material. The blocks were manufactured using a standard scan and build-up strategy and were subsequently heat-treated. The creep behavior is described and comparatively assessed based on the creep lifetime and selected creep curves and characteristic values. The effect of defects and microstructure on the material’s behavior is analyzed based on destructive and non-destructive evaluations on selected specimens. The AM material shows shorter creep lives, reaches the secondary creep stage much faster and at a lower strain, and features lower creep ductility compared to its conventional counterpart. The creep damage behavior of the AM material is more microstructure than defect controlled and is characterized by the formation and accumulation of single intergranular damage along the whole volume. Critical features identified are the grain morphology and the grain-boundary as well as the dislocation’s density. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) proves to be an alternative to metallography to analyze the creep damage.
Rapid cooling rates and steep temperature gradients are characteristic of additively manufactured parts and important factors for the residual stress formation. This study examined the influence of heat accumulation on the distribution of residual stress in two prisms produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) of austenitic stainless steel 316L. The layers of the prisms were exposed using two different border fill scan strategies: one scanned from the centre to the perimeter and the other from the perimeter to the centre. The goal was to reveal the effect of different heat inputs on samples featuring the same solidification shrinkage. Residual stress was characterised in one plane perpendicular to the building direction at the mid height using Neutron and Lab X-ray diffraction. Thermography data obtained during the build process were analysed in order to correlate the cooling rates and apparent surface temperatures with the residual stress results. Optical microscopy and micro computed tomography were used to correlate defect populations with the residual stress distribution. The two scanning strategies led to residual stress distributions that were typical for additively manufactured components: compressive stresses in the bulk and tensile stresses at the surface. However, due to the different heat accumulation, the maximum residual stress levels differed. We concluded that solidification shrinkage plays a major role in determining the shape of the residual stress distribution, while the temperature gradient mechanism appears to determine the magnitude of peak residual stresses.
Directed energy deposition is a metal additive manufacturing process that builds parts by joining material in a layer-by-layer fashion on a substrate. Those parts are exposed to rapid thermo-cycles which cause steep stress gradients and the layer-upon-layer manufacturing fosters an anisotropic microstructure, therefore stress relief heat treatment is necessary. The numerical simulation can be used to find suitable parameters for the heat treatment and to reduce the necessary efforts to perform an effective stress relieving. Suitable validation Experiments are necessary to verify the results of the numerical simulation.
In this paper, a 3D coupled thermo-mechanical model is used to simulate the heat treatment of an additive manufactured component to investigate the application of a C-ring geometry for the distortion-based validation of the numerical simulation.
Therefore, the C-ring samples were 3D scanned using a structured light 3D scanner to quantify the distortion after each process step.
The understanding of process-microstructure-property-performance (PMPP) relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is highly necessary to achieve wide-spread industrial application and replace conventionally manufactured parts, especially regarding safety-relevant applications. To achieve this understanding, reliable data and knowledge regarding material’s microstructure-property relationships (e.g. the role of defects) is needed, since it represents the base for future more targeted process optimizations and more reliable calculations of performance. However, producing reliable material data and assessing the AM material behaviour is not an easy task: big challenges are e.g. the actual lack of standard testing methods for AM materials and the occasional difficulties in finding one-to-one comparable material data for the conventional counterpart.
This work aims to contribute to end this lack of reliable material data and knowledge for the low cycle fatigue behaviour of the most used titanium alloy in aerospace applications (Ti-6Al-4V). For this purpose, two sets of test specimens were investigated. The first set was manufactured from cylindrical rods produced by an optimized DED-L process and the second was manufactured from a hot formed round bar. The test specimens were cyclically loaded until failure in the low-cycle-fatigue (LCF) regime. The tests were carried out according to ISO 12106 between 0.3 to 1.0 % axial strain amplitude from room temperature up to 400°C. The LCF behaviour is described and compared between materials and with literature values based on cyclic deformation curves and strain-based fatigue life curves. Besides, the parameters of Manson-Coffin-Basquin relationship were calculated. The microstructures (initial and after failure) and fracture surfaces were comparative characterized. Thereby, the focus lied on understanding the role of grain morphology and defects on the failure mechanisms and fatigue lifetimes. For this latter characterization, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro computed tomography (µCT) were used.
In additive manufacturing (AM) Laser Metal Deposition (LMD), parts are built by welding layers of powder feedstock onto a substrate. Applications for steel powders include forging tools and structural components for various industries. For large parts, the choice of tool-paths influences the build-rate, the part performance and the distortions in a highly geometry-dependent manner. With weld-path lengths in the range of hundreds of meters, a reliable, automated tool path generation is essential for the usability of LMD processes.
In this contribution, automated tool-path generation approaches are shown and their results are discussed for arbitrary geometries. The investigated path strategies are the classical approaches: “Zig-zag-” and “contour-parallel-strategies”. After generation, the tool-paths are automatically formatted into g-code for experimental build-up and ASCII for a numerical simulation model. Finally, the tool paths are discussed in regards to volume-fill, microstructure and porosity for the experimental samples.
This work presents a part of the IGF project 18737N “Welding distortion simulation” (FOSTA P1140)
The laser-based direct energy deposition (DED) as a technology for additive manufacturing allows the production of near net shape components. Industrial applications require a stable process to ensure reproducible quality. Instabilities in the manufacturing process can lead to faulty components which do not meet the required properties.
The DED process is adjusted by various parameters such as laser power, velocity, powder mass flow and spot diameter, which interact with each other. A frequently used comparative parameter in welding is the energy per unit length and is calculated from the laser power and the velocity in laser welding. The powder per unit length comparative parameter in the DED process has also be taken into account, because this filler material absorbs energy in addition to the base material.
This paper deals with the influence of mass energy as a comparative parameter for determining the properties of additively manufactured parts. The same energy per unit length of 60 J/mm as well as the same powder per unit length of 7.2 mg/mm can be adjusted with different parameter sets. The energy per unit length and the powder per unit length determine the mass energy. The laser power is varied within the experiments between 400 W and 900 W. Energy per unit length and powder per unit length are kept constant by adjusting velocity and powder mass flow. Using the example of Inconel 718, experiments are carried out with the determined parameter sets. In a first step, individual tracks are produced and analyzed by means of micro section. The geometry of the tracks shows differences in height and width. In addition, the increasing laser power leads to a higher dilution of the base material. To determine the suitability of the parameters for additive manufacturing use, the individual tracks are used to build up parts with a square base area of 20x20 mm². An investigation by Archimedean principle shows a higher porosity with lower laser power. By further analysis of the micro sections, it can be seen that at low laser power, connection errors occur between the tracks.
The results show that laser power, velocity and powder mass flow have to be considered in particular, because a constant mass energy can lead to different geometric as well as microscopic properties.
Rapid cooling rates and steep temperature gradients are characteristic of additively manufactured (AM) parts and important factors for residual stress formation which have implications on structural integrity. This study examined the influence of heat input on the distribution of residual stresses in two prisms produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of austenitic stainless steel 316L.
The layers of the prisms were exposed using two distinct helix scanning strategies: one scanned from the centre to the perimeter and the other from the perimeter to the centre. Residual stresses were characterised at one plane perpendicular to the building direction at half of its build height using neutron diffraction. In addition, the defect distribution was analysed via micro X-ray computed tomography (µCT) in a twin specimen.
Both scanning strategies reveal residual stress distributions typical for AM: compressive stresses in the bulk and tensile stresses at the surface. However, temperature gradients and maximum stress levels differ due to the different heat input. Regarding the X-ray µCT results, they show an accumulation of defects at the corners where the laser direction turned through 90°.
The results demonstrate that neutron diffraction and X-ray µCT can be successfully used as non-destructive methods to analyse through-thickness residual stress and defect distribution in AM parts, and in the presented case, illustrate the influence of scanning strategies. This approach contributes to deeper assessment of structural integrity of AM materials and components.
Im Rahmen des Themenfeld Projektes „Process Monitoring of AM“ (ProMoAM) evaluiert die BAM gegenwärtig die Anwendbarkeit verschiedenster ZfP-Verfahren, darunter die Thermografie, zur Prozessüberwachung in der additiven Fertigung von Metallen in Hinblick auf die Qualitätssicherung.
In diesem Beitrag werden SWIR-Thermografiemessungen während des Bauprozesses mittels Laser Pulver Auftragsschweißen (LPA) vorgestellt. Eine Herausforderung im Rahmen dieser Messungen liegt in der Positionierung der Kamera, welche entweder fixiert am Schweißarm, also mitbewegt, oder fixiert in der Baukammer, also stationär, erfolgen kann, wobei beide Varianten mit individuellen Vor- und Nachteilen verbunden sind. Eine stationäre Befestigung der Kamera ermöglicht zwar eine einfachere Zuordnung der Messdaten zu der jeweiligen Position im Bauteil, führt jedoch bei komplexeren Geometrien zwangsläufig zu Problemen durch Abschattungen und zu defokussierten Bereichen. Zur Auswertung von Thermogrammen, welche durch eine mit dem Schweißarm mitbewegte Kamera aufgenommen wurden, sind hingegen für jedes Bild akkurate Positionsdaten der Kamera nötig um die Messdaten einer Position im Bauteil zuzuordnen. Da die Positionsdaten des Schweißarmes im allgemeinen Fall durch die Anlagensoftware nicht zur Verfügung gestellt werden, muss diese Information durch zusätzliche Messungen aufgezeichnet werden. Hierzu verwenden wir einen an der Kamera befestigten Beschleunigungssensor. Dieser ermöglicht einen zeitlichen Abgleich mit dem vorprogrammierten Verfahrweg des Schweißarmes, welcher im Allgemeinen noch Unsicherheiten bezüglich genauer Geschwindigkeiten und Beschleunigungen offenlässt. Weiterhin untersuchen wir den Einfluss des empfindlichen Spektralbereiches der IR-Kamera durch den Vergleich von Messungen mit verschiedenen schmalbandigen Bandpassfiltern (25 nm FWHM) in einem Bereich von 1150 nm bis 1550 nm.
By allowing economic on demand manufacturing of highly customized and complex workpieces, metal based additive manufacturing (AM) has the prospect to revolutionize many industrial areas. Since AM is prone to the formation of defects during the building process, a fundamental requirement for AM to become applicable in most fields is the ability to guarantee the adherence to strict quality and safety standards. A possible solution for this problem lies in the deployment of various in-situ monitoring techniques. For most of these techniques, the application to AM is still very poorly understood. Therefore, the BAM in its mission to provide safety in technology has initiated the project “Process Monitoring of AM” (ProMoAM). In this project, a wide range of in-situ process monitoring techniques, including active and passive thermography, optical tomography, optical emission and absorption spectroscopy, eddy current testing, laminography, X-ray backscattering and photoacoustic methods, are applied to laser metal deposition (LMD), laser powder bed fusion and wire arc AM. Since it is still unclear which measured quantities are relevant for the detection of defects, these measurements are performed very thoroughly. In successive steps, the data acquired by all these methods is fused and compared to the results of reference methods such as computer tomography and ultrasonic immersion testing. The goal is to find reliable methods to detect the formation of defects during the building process. The detailed acquired data sets may also be used for comparison with simulations.
Here, we show first results of high speed (> 300 Hz) thermographic measurements of the LMD process in the SWIR range using 316L as building material. For these experiments, the camera was mounted fixed to the welding arm of the LMD machine to keep the molten pool in focus, regardless of the shape of the specimen. As the thermograms do not contain any information about the current spatial position during the building process, we use an acceleration sensor to track the movement and synchronize the measured data with the predefined welding path. This allows us to reconstruct the geometry of the workpieces and assign the thermographic data to spatial positions. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the acquisition wavelength on the thermographic data by comparing measurements acquired with different narrow bandpass filters (50 nm FWHM) in a spectral range from 1150 nm to 1550 nm.
This research was funded by BAM within the Focus Area Materials.
As a part of ProMoAM project, we are optimizing a prototype X-ray backscatter to reach NDT requirements, and thereafter to apply it for process monitoring. Moreover, we studied the capability of a radiography approach to detect artificial defects in AM components made by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF).
For metal-based additive manufacturing, sensors and measuring systems for monitoring of the energy source, the build volume, the melt pool and the component geometry are already commercially available. Further methods of optics, spectroscopy and non-destructive testing are described in the literature as suitable for in-situ application, but there are only a few reports on practical implementations.
Therefore, a new BAM project aims to develop process monitoring methods for the in-situ evaluation of the quality of additively manufactured metal components. In addition to passive and active thermography, this includes optical tomography, optical emission and absorption spectroscopy, eddy current testing, laminography, X-ray backscattering and photoacoustic methods. These methods are used in additive manufacturing systems for selective laser melting, laser metal deposition and wire arc additive manufacturing. To handle the sometimes huge amounts of data, algorithms for efficient preprocessing are developed and characteristics of the in-situ data are extracted and correlated to defects and inhomogeneities, which are determined using reference methods such as computer tomography and metallography. This process monitoring and fusion of data of different measurement techniques should result in a significant reduction of costly and time-consuming, destructive or non-destructive tests after the production of the component and at the same time reduce the production of scrap.
Here, first results of simultaneous measurements of optical emission spectroscopy and thermography during the laser metal deposition process using 316L as building material are presented. Temperature values are extracted from spectroscopic data by fitting of blackbody emission spectra to the experimental data and compared with results from a thermographic camera. Measurements with and without powder flow reveal significant differences between welding at a pristine metal surface and previously melted positions on the build plate, illustrating the significant influence of the partial oxidation of the surface during the first welding process on subsequent welding. The measurement equipment can either be mounted stationary or following the laser path. While first results were obtained in the stationary mode, future applications for online monitoring of the build of whole parts in the mobile mode are planned.
This research was funded by BAM within the focus area Material.
The project ProMoAM is presented. The goal of the project is to evaluate which NDT techniques or combination of techniques is suited for in-situ quality assurance in additive manufacturing of metals. To this end, also 3d-data fusion and visualization techniques are applied. Additional ex-situ NDT-techniques are used as references for defect detection and quantification. Feasability studies for NDT-techniques that are presently not applicable for in-situ use are performed as well.
The presentation gives a brief overview of the whole project and the different involved NDT-techniques.
The paper deals with the integration of a light emitting diode (LED) into an additive manufactured metal component. Selective laser melting (SLM) and laser metal deposition (LMD) are used. The material used is the chrome-nickel steel 316L. The basic component is manufactured by means of SLM and consists of a solid body and an area with grid structure. The solid body includes a duct in the shape of a groove with a recess for the positioning of the power cable. The LED is embedded in the grid structure via an inlet from the solid body. In further processing, the groove is filled with LMD. Two strategies with different parameter combinations were investigated. It shows that a high energy input near the power cable leads to its destruction. By using multiple parameter combinations during the manufacturing process, this destruction can be prevented. There was a comparison of both strategies with regard to the necessary number of tracks and duration of welding time.
The paper deals with the integration of a light emitting diode (LED) into an additive manufactured metal component. Selective laser melting (SLM) and laser metal deposition (LMD) are used. The material used is the chrome-nickel steel 316L. The basic component is manufactured by means of SLM and consists of a solid body and an area with grid structure. The solid body includes a duct in the shape of a groove with a recess for the positioning of the power cable. The LED is embedded in the grid structure via an inlet from the solid body. In further processing, the groove is filled with LMD. Two strategies with different parameter combinations were investigated. It shows that a high energy input near the power cable leads to its destruction. By using multiple parameter combinations during the manufacturing process, this destruction can be prevented. There was a comparison of both strategies with regard to the necessary number of tracks and duration of welding time.
Additive manufacturing (AM) opens the route to a range of novel applications. However, the complexity of the manufacturing process poses a challenge to produce defect-free parts with a high reliability. Since process dynamics and resulting microstructures of AM parts are strongly influenced by the involved temperature fields and cooling rates, thermography is a valuable tool for process monitoring. Another approach to monitor the energy input into the part during process is the use of optical tomography.
Common visual camera systems reach much higher spatial resolution than infrared thermography cameras, whereas infrared thermography provides a much higher temperature dynamic. Therefore, the combined application increases the depth of information. Here, we present first measurement results using a laser beam melting setup that allows simultaneous acquisition of thermography and optical tomography from the same point of view using a beam splitter. A high-resolution CMOS camera operating in the visible spectral range is equipped with a near infrared bandpass filter and images of the build plate are recorded with long-term exposure during the whole layer exposing time. Thus, areas that reach higher maximum temperature or are at elevated temperature for an extended period of time appear brighter in the images. The used thermography camera is sensitive to the mid wavelength infrared range and records thermal videos of each layer exposure at an acquisition rate close to 1 kHz.
As a next step, we will use computer tomographic data of the built part as a reference for defect detection.
This research was funded by BAM within the focus area Materials.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers the opportunity to produce easier geometrically complex parts compared to traditional production technologies. An important AM technology for metals is selective laser melting (SLM) where a part is produced by melting and solidifying powder in layers. This technique is known to cause a pronounced texture in the produced AM products due to the specific heat flow and the associated solidification of the material during SLM deposition. In order to evaluate the influence of the deposition hatch length during SLM of nickel based superalloy Inconel 718 samples on the texture and in order to identify any preferred crystallographic direction, we performed monochromatic neutron radiography scans (using wavelength from 1.6 Å to 4.4 Å, step size 0.05 Å) to image the samples while rotating it through 90°. Samples produced with short hatch length showed fine textured columnar grains oriented along the sample building direction in high-resolution radiographs. Whereas processing the sample using a ten-fold longer hatch length reduced the texture. The neutron radiographic experiments were accompanied by scanning electron microscopy including electron back-scattered diffraction to visualize and verify the microstructure and texture.
Having been introduced almost two decades ago, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals has become industrially viable for a large variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive and medicine. Powder bed techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) based on layer-by-layer deposition and laser melt enable numerous degrees of freedom for the geometrical design. Developing during the manufacturing process, residual stresses may limit the application of SLM parts by reducing the load bearing capacity as well as induce unwanted distortion depending on the boundary conditions specified in manufacturing.
The residual stress distribution in IN718 elongated prisms produced by SLM was studied non-destructively by means of neutron (bulk) and laboratory X-ray (surface) diffraction. The samples with different scanning strategies, i.e. hatching length, were measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after removal from the build plate.
The absolute values of all stress components decreased after removal from the build plate. Together with surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM), it is possible to link the stress release to the sample distortion. Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component depending on the thermal gradient in the respective direction.
Having been introduced almost two decades ago, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals has become industrially viable for a large variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive and medicine. Powder bed techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) based on layer-by-layer deposition and laser melt enable numerous degrees of freedom for the geometrical design. Developing during the manufacturing process, residual stresses may limit the application of SLM parts by reducing the load bearing capacity as well as induce unwanted distortion depending on the boundary conditions specified in manufacturing.
The residual stress distribution in IN718 elongated prisms produced by SLM was studied non-destructively by means of neutron (bulk) and laboratory X-ray (surface) diffraction. The samples with different scanning strategies, i.e. hatching length, were measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after removal from the build plate.
The absolute values of all stress components decreased after removal from the build plate. Together with surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM), it is possible to link the stress release to the sample distortion. Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component depending on the thermal gradient in the respective direction.
Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a range of novel applications. However, the manufacturing process is complex and the production of defect-free parts with a high reliability is still a challenge. Thermography is a valuable tool for process surveillance, especially in metal AM processes. The high process temperatures allow one to use cameras usually operating in the visible spectral range. Here, we compare the results of first measurements during the manufacturing process of a commercial laser metal deposition (LMD) setup using a MWIR camera with those from a VIS high-speed camera with band pass filter in the NIR range.