Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (22) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (22) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Residual stresses (9)
- Ultrasonic-assisted milling (7)
- Surface integrity (5)
- Additive manufacturing (4)
- High-strength steels (4)
- Welding (4)
- Alloy 36 (3)
- Creep-resistant steel (3)
- GMA welding (3)
- Process parameters (3)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 9.2 Versuchsanlagen und Prüftechnik (22) (entfernen)
Paper des Monats
- ja (2)
AbstractThe sustainable and resource-efficient production of wind energy plants requires the use of modern high-strength fine-grain structural steels. This applies to both foundation and erection structures, like mobile or ship cranes. During the assembly of steel structures, unacceptable defects can occasionally be found in the weld area. In most cases, the economical solution would be local thermal gouging of the affected areas and re-welding. Due to the high shrinkage restraint of the joint groove in the overall structure, the superposition of global and local welding-induced stresses may lead to crack formation and component failure, particularly in interaction with the degradation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength steels during the repair process. However, manufacturers hardly have any information about these issues and there is a lack of recommendations and guidelines to take these safety-relevant aspects into account in adequate repair concepts. The aim of this research is to derive recommendations for repair concepts appropriate to the stresses and materials involved providing a basis for standards and guidelines to avoid cold cracking, damage and expensive reworking especially for high-strength steels. Part 1 of this study involves systematic investigations of influences of shrinkage restraint during repair welding of two high-strength steels S500MLO for offshore application and S960QL for mobile crane structures. The quantification of the shrinkage restraint of repair weld joints was achieved by means of experimental and numerical restraint intensity analysis. In welding experiments with self-restrained slot specimens, restraint intensity and introduction of hydrogen via the welding arc using anti spatter spray were varied systematically to analyse the effect on welding result, residual stresses and cold cracking. It could be shown that increasing restraint intensities result in significantly higher transverse residual stress levels. In the case of hydrogen introduction S500MLO showed no cold cracking independent of the restraint conditions. However, S960QL was found to be considerably cold cracking sensitive if hydrogen is introduced. With increasing restraint intensity length and number of cold cracks increases significantly. Part 2 [1] of this study is focussed on microstructure and residual stresses due to gouging and stress optimization via adequate heat control parameters in repair welding.
Wear behavior of innovative niobium carbide cutting tools in ultrasonic-assisted finishing milling
(2023)
The resources of niobium exceed the ones of tungsten by an order of magnitude. With 92%, Brazil is today the main global producer of niobium. Hence, niobium carbides (NbC) are a sustainable and economic alternative to conventionally used cutting materials, especially tungsten carbides (WC). Moreover, NbC can be used in Ni alloy matrix and thus offer significant advantages by substituting WC in Co matrix as cutting materials in terms of health risks and raw material price and supply risk. Based on recent studies which found an increased performance of NbC compared to WC cutting tools in machining higher strength steels, the composition NbC12Ni4Mo4VC was chosen for finish machining of a high-strength steel S960QL in this study. The experiments were carried out on an ultrasonic-assisted 5-axis milling machine using NbC tools specially made to benchmark them with commercially available coated WC cutting inserts. In addition, the influence of a coating system for the NbC inserts is tested and evaluated for its performance in the cutting process. Tool wear and cutting force analyses are implied to identify optimal parameter combinations as well as tool properties for the novel NbC tool. Together with the oscillation of ultrasonic-assisted milling, the loads on the component surface and the tool can be reduced and the wear behavior of the novel NbC tool can be refined. These milling tests are accompanied by standardized wear tests, i.e., pin-on-disc, between the aforementioned material combinations, and the results are correlated with each other. Finally, the behavior when using hard-to-cut materials such as Ni alloys, or innovative materials such as iron aluminide is also being tested, as these are constantly in the focus of machining optimization. With this strategy, comprehensive knowledge is achievable for future efficient application of NbC for milling tools, which have already been researched for decades using WC.
Nickel alloys are cost intensive materials and generally classified as difficult-to-cut material. However, machining of these materials is needed especially in case of alloy 36 (1.3912), which is commonly used in mould construction for the production of fibre-reinforced composites. With regard to repair, modification and manufacturing of such components, additive manufacturing offers significant economic advantages. Nevertheless, subsequent machining steps are needed to achieve the final component contour and defined surface conditions. Dependent on the material and machining process conditions, detrimental tensile residual stresses may be the result on the machined surface, having negative impact on the component performance and safety. In this investigation, machining experiments were carried out on wire arc additive manufactured components made of alloy 36, varying the cutting speed and the feed rate. In addition, the conventional milling process (CM) was compared with a modern, hybrid machining process, the ultrasonic-assisted milling (US). The cutting forces and the surface-near residual stresses were analysed using X-ray diffraction. A significant improvement of the machinability as well as the surface integrity by using the ultrasonic assistance was observed, especially at low cutting speeds. The CM induced mainly tensile residual stresses, the US mainly compressive residual stresses.
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) enables the efficient production of weight-optimized modern engineering structures. Further increases in efficiency can be achieved by using high-strength structural steels. Commercial welding consumables for WAAM are already available on the market. Lack of knowledge and guidelines regarding welding residual stress and component safety during production and operation leads to severely limited use for industry applications. The sensitive microstructure of high-strength steels carries a high risk of cold cracking; therefore, residual stresses play a crucial role. For this reason, the influences of the material, the WAAM process, and the design on the formation of residual stresses and the risk of cold cracking are being investigated. The material used has a yield strength of over 800 MPa. This strength is adjusted via solid solution strengthening and a martensitic phase transformation. The volume expansion associated with martensite formation has a significant influence on the residual stresses. The focus of the present investigation is on the additive welding parameters and component design on their influence on hardness and residual stresses, which are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). Reference specimens (hollow cuboids) are welded fully automated with a systematic variation of heat control and design. Welding parameters and AM geometry are correlated with the resulting microstructure, hardness, and residual stress state. Increased heat input leads to lower tensile residual stresses which causes unfavorable microstructure and mechanical properties. The component design affects heat dissipation conditions and the intensity of restraint during welding and has a significant influence on the residual stress.
Alloy 36 (1.3912), also known as “Invar,” is an alloy with 36% nickel. The alloy has a remarkably low thermal expansion coefficient in certain temperature ranges. This peculiarity is called the invar effect, which was discovered in 1896 by the Swiss physicist Charles Édouard Guillaume. Therefore, it is used in applications in which dimensional stability is critical, such as molding tools for composite materials in aerospace, automotive applications, or liquified natural gas (LNG) cargo tanks. Moreover, increasingly complex structures and the optimization of resource efficiency also require additive manufacturing steps for the production or repair of components. Additively manufactured components have a heterogeneous microstructure and anisotropic mechanical properties. In addition, the manufactured components require subsequent machining surface finishing, like finish milling, to achieve their final contour. Nickel iron alloys are difficult to machine. Additionally, inhomogeneous microstructure may lead to unstable cutting forces and conditions. In part I of this investigation, the initial alloy 36 is modified with the elements Ti, Zr, and Hf up to a maximum of 0.33 wt.-%. The influence of the modification elements on the microstructure as well as on the hardness of the AM components is examined. Furthermore, one modification is applied to metal arc welding process and investigated. Part II focuses on the effect of the alloy modifications on machinability as well as on the surface integrity of plasma-transferred-arc-welded (PTA) and finish milled invar components.
Commercial high-strength fller metals for wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) are already available. However, widespread industrial use is currently limited due to a lack of quantitative knowledge and guidelines regarding welding stresses and component safety during manufacture and operation for WAAM structures. In a joint research project, the process- and material-related as well as design infuences associated with residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking are being investigated. For this purpose, reference specimens are welded fully automated with defned dimensions and systematic variation of heat control using a special, high-strength WAAM fller metal (yield strength>790 MPa). Heat control is varied by means of heat input (200–650 kJ/m) and interlayer temperature (100–300 °C). The ∆t8/5 cooling times correspond with the recommendations of fller metal producers (approx. 5–20 s). For this purpose, additional thermo-physical forming simulations using a dilatometer allowed the complex heat cycles to be reproduced and the resulting ultimate tensile strength of the weld metal to be determined. Welding parameters and AM geometry are correlated with the resulting microstructure, hardness, and residual stress state. High heat input leads to a lower tensile stress in the component and may cause unfavorable microstructure and mechanical properties. However, a sufciently low interlayer temperature is likely to be suitable for obtaining adequate properties at a reduced tensile stress level when welding with high heat input. The component design afects heat dissipation conditions and the intensity of restraint during welding and has a signifcant infuence on the residual stress. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation. The aim is to provide easily applicable processing recommendations and standard specifcations for an economical, appropriate, and crack-safe WAAM of high-strength steels.
Alloy 36 (1.3912) is an alloy with 36% nickel and 64% iron and is generally classified as a difficult-to-cut material. Increasingly complex structures and the optimization of resource efficiency are making additive manufacturing (AM) more and more attractive for the manufacture or repair of components. Subsequent machining of AM components is unavoidable for its final contour. By using modern, hybrid machining processes, e.g., ultrasonic-assisted milling (US), it is possible to improve the cutting situation regarding the resulting surface integrity as well as the cutting force. Part I deals with the influence of the alloying elements Ti, Zr, and Hf on the microstructure and the hardness of the initial alloy 36. Part II focusses on the effect of the alloy modifications and the ultrasonic assistance on machinability as well as on the surface integrity after finish-milling. The results show a highly significant influence of the ultrasonic assistance. The cutting force during the US is reduced by over 50% and the roughness of approx. 50% compared to conventional milling (CM) for all materials investigated. Moreover, the US causes a defect-free surface and induces near-surface compressive residual stresses. CM leads to a near-surface stress state of approx. 0 MPa.
The importance of high-temperature materials made of iron aluminides (FeAl) has been increasing in light weight applications, e.g., airplane turbines, due to the high material’s specific strength. However, the highly economic production by means of permanent mold casting involves special microstructures for Fe26Al4Mo0.5Ti1B alloy components leading to difficult machinability for subsequent finishing milling and low surface qualities. Major effects of tool and machining parameter variation incorporating ultrasonic assistance on the milling process and surface integrity are shown. Loads for tool and component surface are significantly adjustable to enable an economic process chain regarding the surface integrity of safety-relevant components.
Co-Cr alloys are frequently used for highly stressed components, especially in turbine and plant construction, due to their high resistance to thermal and mechanical stress, as well as to corrosive and abrasive loads. Furthermore, they are classified as difficult-to-cut materials because of their high strength and toughness as well as their low thermal conductivity. However, for Co, an increased cost and supply risk can be observed in recent years. Therefore, additive manufacturing (AM) offers significant economic advantages due to higher material efficiency regarding repair, modification, and manufacturing of such components. Concerning inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the microstructure and properties as well as manufacturing-related stresses, a lot of knowledge is still necessary for the economic use of additive welding processes in SMEs. In addition, subsequent machining, particularly contour milling, is essential to generate the required complex contours and surfaces. Hence, additive and machining manufacturing processes need to be coordinated in a complementary way, especially due to additional challenges arising in milling of heterogeneous hard-to-cut microstructures. Recently, it has been shown that modern, hybrid cutting processes, such as ultrasonic-assisted milling (US), can improve the cutting situation. In this investigation, the Co-Cr initial alloy is additionally modified with Ti and Zr up to 1 wt% with the aim to enhance the homogeneity of the microstructure and, thus, the machinability. Hence the investigation includes finish milling tests of the AM components and the comparison of US and conventional machining. Both the modifications and the ultrasonic assistance exhibit a significant effect on the machining situation; for example US causes a higher surface integrity of the finish milled surfaces compared to conventional milling.
Determination of residual stress evolution during repair welding of high-strength steel components
(2022)
During the assembly of steel structures, unacceptable weld defects may be found. An economical solution is local thermal gouging of the affected areas and re-welding. Due to high shrinkage restraints of repair weld and sur- rounding structure, high global and local welding stresses superimpose, and may lead to cracking and component failure, especially in connection with the degraded microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength steels during the repair process. Component-related investigations of high-strength steels (FOSTA P1311/ IGF20162N) focus on welding residual stress evolution during local thermal gouging and rewelding. In this study, repair welding of S500MLO (EN 10225) is carried out using in-situ digital image correlation (DIC) and ex- situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyse strains and stresses. Self-restrained slit specimen geometries were identified representing defined rigidity conditions of repair welds of real components, which were quantified using the restraint intensity concept. The specimens were rewelded with constant welding heat control and parameters. Weld specimens exhibited significantly increased transverse residual stresses with higher transverse restraint intensities, in the weld metal, and in the heat affected zone. Transverse stresses along the weld seam decrease at the weld seam ends leading to different stress state during gouging and welding. XRD analysis of the longitudinal and transverse local residual stresses after cooling to RT showed a good comparability with global DIC analyses.
Cobalt chromium alloys are often used in turbine and plant construction. This is based on their high thermal and mechanical stress resistance as well as their high wear resistance to corrosive and abrasive loads. However, cobalt is a cost-intensive material that is difficult to machine. Moreover, increasingly complex structures and the optimisation of resource efficiency also require additive manufacturing steps for the production or repair of components in many sectors. Concerning inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the microstructure and properties as well as manufacturing-related stresses, a lot of knowledge is still necessary for the economic use of additive welding processes in SMEs. As a result of the high stresses on the components
and requirements for a high surface quality, a complementary use of additive and machining manufacturing processes is necessary. Thereby, Co–Cr alloys are extremely challenging for machining with geometrically defined cutting edges because of their low thermal conductivity combined with high strength and toughness. An approach to solve this problem is to refine and homogenise the microstructure. This is achieved by modifying the alloy with elements zirconium and hafnium, which are added up to a maximum of 1 wt.-%. A reduction of the process forces and stresses on the tool and work piece surface is also achievable via hybrid milling processes. There are already studies on the combined use of additive and machining manufacturing processes based on laser technology. However, knowledge based on powder and wire-based arc processes is important, as these processes are more widespread. Furthermore, the effects on the surface zone of additively manufactured components by hybrid finish milling have not yet been a subject of research. The results show that the structural morphology could be significantly influenced with the addition of zirconium and hafnium.
As onshore installation capacity is limited, the increase in the number of offshore wind turbines (OWT) is a major goal. In that connection, the OWTs continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate foundations concepts like monopiles or tripods. These components are typically manufactured from welded mild steel plates with thickness up to 200 mm. The predominant welding technique is submerged arc welding (SAW). In accordance with the standards, the occurrence of hydrogen-assisted cracking is anticipated by either a minimum waiting time (MWT, before non-destructive testing of the welded joint is allowed) at ambient or a hydrogen removal heat treatment (HRHT) at elevated temperatures. The effectiveness of both can be estimated by calculation of the diffusion time, i.e., diffusion coefficients. In this study, these coefficients are obtained for the first time for a thick-walled S420G2+M offshore steel grade and its multi-layer SAW joint. The electrochemical permeation technique at ambient temperature is used for the determination of diffusion coefficients for both the base material and the weld metal. The coefficients are within a range of 1025 to 1024 mm2/s (whereas the weld metal had the lowest) and are used for an analytical and numerical calculation of the hydrogen diffusion and the related MWT. The results showed that long MWT can occur, which would be necessary to significantly decrease the hydrogen concentration. Weld metal diffusion coefficients at elevated temperatures were calculated from hydrogen desorption experiments by carrier gas hot extraction. They are within a range of 1023 mm2/s and used for the characterization of a HRHT dwell-time. The analytical calculation shows the same tendency of long necessary times also at elevated temperatures. That means the necessary time is strongly influenced by the considered plate thickness and the estimation of any MWT/HRHT via diffusion coefficients should be critically discussed.
High-strength fine-grained structural steels have great potential for weight-optimized, efficient structures in many modern steel applications. Further advances in efficiency can be achieved through additive manufacturing and bionic design. Commercial high-strength filler materials for wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) are already provided by the consumable producers. Today, application would be strictly limited due to absence of quantitative findings or any guidelines for the industry regarding welding-related stresses and component safety during manufacturing and service. Hence, process- and material-related influences and design-related restraint conditions associated with formation of residual stresses and cold cracking risk are investigated. The aim is the accessibility of special WAAM self-restraining cold cracking tests and easy applicable processing recommendations, enabling an economical, fit-for-purpose and crack-safe WAAM of high-strength steels. This first study focuses on determination of interactions between WAAM process parameters, resulting layer geometry, microstructure and residual stresses, analyzed via X-ray diffraction. Defined reference specimens are automated welded using a special WAAM solid wire (yield strength >820 MPa). Geometric properties can be specifically adjusted by wire feed and welding speed, but cannot be varied arbitrarily, since a high heat input causes local overheating, inadmissible changes of microstructure and mechanical properties, defects and comparable high tensile residual stresses.
Modern arc processes, such as the modified spray arc (Mod. SA), have been developed for gas metal arc welding of high-strength structural steels with which even narrow weld seams can be welded. High-strength joints are subjected to increasingly stringent requirements in terms of welding processing and the resulting component performance. In the present work, this challenge is to be met by clarifying the influences on hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) in a high-strength structural steel S960QL. Adapted samples analogous to the self-restraint TEKKEN test are used and analyzed with respect to crack formation, microstructure, diffusible hydrogen concentration and residual stresses. The variation of the seam opening angle of the test seams is between 30° and 60°. To prevent HAC, the effectiveness of a dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) from the welding heat is investigated.
As a result, the weld metals produced at reduced weld opening angle show slightly higher hydrogen concentrations on average. In addition, increased micro- as well as macro-crack formation can be observed on these weld metal samples. On all samples without DHT, cracks in the root notch occur due to HAC, which can be prevented by DHT immediately after welding.
The supply and processing of materials for highly stressed components are usually cost-intensive. Efforts to achieve cost and resource efficiency lead to more complex structures and contours. Additive manufacturing steps for component repair and production offer significant economic advantages. Machining needs to be coordinated with additive manufacturing steps in a complementary way to produce functional surfaces suitable for the demands. Regarding inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the microstructure and properties as well as production-related stresses, a great deal of knowledge is still required for efficient use by small- and medium-size enterprises, especially for the interactions of subsequent machining of these difficult-to-machine materials. Therefore, investigations on these influences and interactions were carried out using a highly innovative cost-intensive NiCrMo alloy (IN725). These alloys are applied for claddings as well as for additive component manufacturing and repair welding using gas metal arc welding processes. For the welded specimens, the adequate solidification morphology, microstructure and property profile were investigated. The machinability in terms of finishing milling of the welded surfaces and comparative analyses for ultrasonic-assisted milling processes was examined focussing on surface integrity. It was shown that appropriate cutting parameters and superimposed oscillating of the milling tool in the direction of the tool rotation significantly reduce the mechanical loads for tool and workpiece surface. This contributes to ensure a high surface integrity, especially when cutting has to be carried out without cooling lubricants.
For higher operational temperatures and pressures required in petrochemical plants, the modified 13CrMoV9-10 steel was developed providing high resistance against creep and compressed hydrogen. Extreme care during the welding procedure is necessary for this steel, attributed to low toughness, high strength in as-welded state, and increased susceptibility to stress relief cracking (SRC) during post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). Previous research of SRC in creep-resistant steels discussed mainly thermal and metallurgical factors. Few previous findings addressed the influences of welding procedure on crack formation during PWHT considering real-life manufacturing conditions. These investigations focus on effects of welding heat control on stresses during welding and subsequent PWHT operations close to realistic restraint and heat dissipation conditions using a special 3D testing facility, which was presented in parts I and II of this contribution. Part III addresses investigations on residual stress evolution affecting crack formation and discusses the transferability of results from large-scale testing to laboratory-scale. Experiments with test set-ups at different scales under diverse rigidity conditions and an assessment of the residual stresses of the weld-specimens using X-ray (surface near) and neutron diffraction analysis (bulk) were performed. This study aims to provide a way of investigating the SRC behaviour considering component-specific residual stresses via small-scale testing concepts instead of expensive weld mock-ups.
Welding of 13CrMoV9-10 vanadium steel requires care due to an increased susceptibility to stress relief cracking during post weld heat treatment. Previous research into the crack formation in creep-resistant steels has focused on thermal and metallurgical factors; however, little knowledge has been gathered regarding the crack formation during post weld heat treatment considering real-life restraint conditions. This work is subdivided in two parts. Part I showed that an increasing heat input during submerged arc welding under restraint led to an increasing stress level in the joint prior to the post weld heat treatment. The magnitude of stress relief cracking observed in the heat-affected zone after the post weld heat treatment is affected by the heat input. In Part II of this work, the cracks and the associated microstructure which occurred under restraint were studied. The application of a Special acoustic emission analysis indicated that the cracks formed in a temperature range between 300 and 500 °C during the post weld heat treatment. The toughness in the heat-affected zone of the restrained welds was affected by the welding heat input.
Microstructural analyses of all specimens revealed accelerated aging due to precipitation of carbides during post weld heat treatment under restraint.
The avoidance of failures during the fabrication or operation of petrochemical reactors made of creep-resistant, low-alloy steels as 13CrMoV9-10 requires still research despite over 60 years of international investigations in the field of stress relief cracking. The quality of modern base materials and filler metals leads to the fact that previously known crack causes, such as impurities of S or P, recede into the background. Rather, the causes are increasingly to be found in the fabrication process. Investigations on the influence of heat control on the stresses in welded components and thus on the stress relief cracking sensitivity under realistic manufacturing conditions are not yet available. This work is subdivided in two parts. Part 1 of this study focused on the effect of heat control during submerged arc welding on the stresses. For this purpose, a testing facility was applied, which allows to observe the forces and moments accumulating during welding or heat treatment in a component-like specimen under shrinkage restraint. The stress acting in the specimen increases with higher preheat/interpass temperatures and higher heat input. During the heat treatment, the stresses are relieved. Nevertheless, cracks are formed already during heating. The total crack length correlates with the heat input.
High-strength steels are increasingly applied in modern steel constructions to meet today’s lightweight requirements. Welding of these steels demands a profound knowledge of the interactions between the welding process, cooling conditions, heat input, and the resulting metallurgical occurrences in the weld and its vicinity. Additionally, welding stresses may be detrimental for the safety and performance of high-strength steel component welds during fabrication and service, especially due to the high yield ratio. For a development of strategies to adjust welding heat control, all these effects should be considered, to reach a complete exploitation of the high-strength steel potential. In recent researches at BAM, multilayer GMAW experiments were performed with high-strength steels, in which cooling conditions and resulting microstructure were analyzed for varied heat control parameters. The application of a unique 3d-operating testing facility and X-ray diffraction measurements allowed the analysis of local stresses in the weld while welding and cooling under component relevant shrinkage restraints. As a result, correlations between material behavior, welding, and cooling condition and the arising multi-axial stresses and forces were found. Based on this study, statements for the development of adapted heat control concepts were derived, which are presented by means of specific analysis examples.
Residual stresses are crucial when assessing the performance of welded components. The present work deals with the possibilities of transferring the real-life boundary conditions of welding, which influence the residual stress, into the laboratory. The possibilities of a test system specifically developed for this purpose with a maximum capacity of 2 MN are shown. Due to the structural design, global process, geometry and material-dependent stresses are induced, which can be simulated and quantified within the system. Additionally, X-ray diffraction can be applied to determine the resulting local residual stress distribution precisely with high spatial resolution. Two examples are presented how the conditions to be found during production are simulated in the laboratory. It is shown how welding residual stresses in high-strength steels are affected by the heat control. It was possible to clarify why elevated working temperatures significantly increase the bending stresses in the welded joint and therefore the tensile residual stresses in the heat affected zone (HAZ). The effect of a heat treatment applied under mechanical stress resulting from welding is demonstrated by the example of a creep resistant steel. Reheat cracking is significantly increased in this case compared to small scale laboratory based tests.