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Since laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) is prone to the formation of defects during the building process, a fundamental requirement for widespread application is to find ways to assure safety and reliability of the additively manufactured parts. A possible solution for this problem lies in the usage of in-situ thermographic monitoring for defect detection. In this contribution we investigate possibilities and limitations of the VIS/NIR wavelength range for defect detection. A VIS/NIR camera can be based on conventional silicon-based sensors which typically have much higher spatial and temporal resolution in the same price range but are more limited in the detectable temperature range than infrared sensors designed for longer wavelengths. To investigate the influence, we compared the thermographic signatures during the creation of artificially provoked defects by local parameter variations in test specimens made of a nickel alloy (UNS N07208) for two different wavelength ranges (~980 nm and ~1600 nm).
Es wird eine Studie zur Charakterisierung eines anisotropen Stahls vorgestellt, bei der Ultraschalluntersuchungen mit Mikrostrukturanalysen verbunden werden. Das Material weist hohe Festigkeit und Korrosionsbeständigkeit auf, zugleich ist mit anisotropen Eigenschaften die mechanischen und betrieblichen Eigenschaften beeinflussen zu rechnen. Vorläufige Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass weitere Untersuchungen notwendig sind, um die Fähigkeiten und Grenzen des Materials genau zu bestimmen. Es wird ein systematischer Ansatz mit Array- Prüfköpfen, Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Technik und mikrostrukturellen Untersuchungen angewendet, um die Wechselwirkung zwischen Anisotropie und Mikrostruktur des Stahls zu analysieren. Ultraschallprüfungen mit der TOFD-Technik und in Tauchtechnik liefern Einblicke in das anisotrope Verhalten des Werkstoffes, einschließlich entsprechenden Kornorientierung, Dämpfung und Schallgeschwindigkeitsvariation. Diese Messungen führen in Verbindung mit mikrostrukturellen Analysen zu einem tieferen Verständnis des Materialverhaltens. Unser Hauptziel ist es, ein Framework zu erstellen, welches die Ultraschallantwort anisotroper Materialien mit ihren mikroskopischen Struktureigenschaften verbindet. Die vorgestellte Methodik ermöglicht eine zerstörungsfreie und zügige Bewertung der Materialintegrität, was besonders bei der Anwendung von Hochleistungsmaterialien relevant ist. Durch diesen integrativen Ansatz werden verschiedener Charakterisierungsmethoden kombiniert, um ein umfassenderes Materialverständnis zu erreichen.
Components produced using additive manufacturing can be marked for unique identification and secure authentication [1,2]. Serial numbers and machine-readable codes can be used to identify the component, and link digital product-related data (i.e., a digital product passport) to the actual components. The most prevailing solution consists of local process manipulation, such as printing a quick response (QR) code [3] or a set of blind holes on the surface of the internal cavity of hollow components. However, local manipulation of components may alter the properties, and external tagging features can be altered or even removed by post-processing treatments. This work therefore aims to provide a new methodology for identification, authentication, and traceability of additively manufactured (AM) components using microstructural features that are unique to each part. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was employed to image the microstructural features of AlSi10Mg parts. Based on size and geometry, the most prominent features were selected to create a unique digital authenticator. We implemented a framework in Python using open-access modules that can successfully create a digital object authenticator using the segmented microstructure information from XCT. The authenticator is stored as a QR code, along with the 3D information of the selected features.
The integration of additive manufacturing with traditional processes, termed hybrid additive manufacturing, has expanded its application domain, particularly in the repair of gas turbine blade tips. However, process-related defects in additively manufactured materials, interface formation, and material property mismatches in dual-material structures can significantly impact the fatigue performance of components. This investigation examines the low cycle fatigue and fatigue crack growth behaviors in dual-material specimens of nickel-based alloys, specifically the additively manufactured STAL15 and the cast alloy 247DS, at elevated temperatures. Low cycle fatigue experiments were conducted at temperatures of 950 °C and 1000 °C under a range of strain levels (0.3%–0.8%) and fatigue crack growth tests were conducted at 950 °C with stress ratios of 0.1 and −1. Fractographic and microscopic analyses were performed to comprehend fatigue crack initiation and crack growth mechanisms in the dual-material structure. The results consistently indicated crack initiation and fatigue fracture in the additively manufactured STAL15 material. Notably, fatigue crack growth retardation was observed near the interface when the crack extended from the additively manufactured STAL15 material to the perpendicularly positioned interface. This study highlights the importance of considering yield strength mismatch, as well as the potential effects of residual stresses and grain structure differences, in the interpretation of fatigue crack growth behavior at the interface.
Mit der zunehmenden Relevanz der additiven Fertigung in Fertigungsbereiche mit hohen Anforderungen an Bauteilqualität, wird eine gute Prozessüberwachung unausweichlich. Eine Methode, die bereits gute Korrelation mit Bauteilfehlern gezeigt hat, ist die Temperaturüberwachung mithilfe von thermografischen Methoden. Allerdings unterliegt die Bestimmung der Realtemperaturen vielen unterschiedlichen Problemen. Ein Ansatz mit den Herausforderungen umzugehen, stellt der multispektrale Ansatz dar, der im Projekt QT-LPA untersucht und hier vorgestellt wird.
The first Non-destructive testing (NDT) method which evolved in the industrial age was radiographic testing (RT). Among all NDT methods, RT is no exception, so there are still many issues for optimizations even today. One of them is the measurement of the focal spot of X-ray tubes. The size of the focal spot is critical for imaging, because it determines the spatial resolution in the X-ray image. The classical way to evaluate focal spots of X-ray tubes is by pinhole imaging using a camera obscura. But this method has a natural lower limit, which is defined by the diameter of the pinhole used (today min. 10 µm). Therefore, focal spot sizes lower than 50 µm diameter cannot be imaged and measured correctly. An alternative approach, which permits this, was investigated here using the edge unsharpness of holes much larger than the focal spot size. The results of both methods were compared using 3 different X-ray tubes.
Additive manufacturing techniques, such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB), are well known for their exceptional freedom in part design. However, these techniques are also characterized by the development of large thermal gradients during production and thus residual stress (RS) formation in produced parts. In this context, neutron diffraction enables the non-destructive characterization of the bulk RS distribution. By control of the thermal gradients in the powder-bed plane by scan strategy variation we study the impact of in-process scan strategy variations on the microstructure and the three-dimensional distribution of RS. Microstructural analysis by means of electron backscatter diffraction reveals sharp microstructure transitions at the interfaces ranging from 100-200 µm. The components of the RS tensor are determined by means of neutron diffraction and the principal stress directions and magnitudes are determined by eigenvalue decomposition. We find that the distribution of RS in the powder-bed plane corresponds to the underlying scan strategy. When the alternating scan vectors align with the x- and y sample coordinate axes, the principal stress directions co-align. In the present geometry, nearly transverse isotropic stress states develop when the scan vectors are either aligned 45° between x and y or continuously rotated by 67° between each layer.
Bei der Versorgung von Zähnen mit dentalen Kronenrestaurationen entsteht ein Kronen-Zement-Zahn-Komplex (KZZK). Dentale Werkstoffe überzeugen mit besten Materialeigenschaften, aber wie funktionieren sie im Verbund? Unsere zentrale Annahme lautet, dass die Alterung des KZZK eine zentrale Rolle bei Misserfolgen spielt. Präsentiert werden die Methodik und Bilder der ersten Arbeitsphase.
Many modern ultrasonic methods in the fields of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) require simulations in research. Researchers either use simulation data initially during development to investigate certain aspects, or the simulation process is directly part of the research task. Examples of the second case are inverse methods for parameter estimation, model-assisted probability of detection analysis or the generation of training data for AI algorithms. All these applications require algorithms that are as efficient as possible. For methods based on explicit time-step methods, a significant increase in efficiency can be achieved if a so-called lumped mass matrix can be used, which approximates the consistent mass matrix but is easier to invert.
The finite element method has been the subject of many studies on approximations of the mass matrix. In contrast, the lumped mass matrix in the context of the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) is a current field of research [1,2]. In the time domain, the semi-analytical SBFEM is notable for its flexibility to be applied to polygonal meshes. In particular, image-based mesh generation using a quadtree algorithm is possible. In general, polygonal meshes have the same flexibility as triangular meshes, but polygonal meshes can have additional advantages such as greater tolerance to distortion.
In this contribution, the SBFEM formulation based on bubble functions [3] for the time domain is presented for two-dimensional elastic waves. The adjustments necessary for a good approximating lumped mass matrix are emphasized. Several grid generation methods for polygonal elements are shown. Figure 1 depicts the difference between the consistent mass matrix and the lumped mass matrix for a normal polygonal mesh. Finally, the accuracy of mass lumping for linear, quadratic and cubic shape functions is presented and the computational efficiency is demonstrated using exemplary waveguide geometries.
Additive manufacturing (AM, also known as 3D printing) of metals is becoming increasingly important in industrial applications. Reasons for this include the ability to realize complex component designs and the use of novel materials. This distinguishes AM from conventional manufacturing methods such as subtractive manufacturing (turning, milling, etc.). The most widely used AM process for metals is laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M, also known as selective laser melting SLM). Currently, it has the highest degree of industrialization and the largest number of machines in use. In PBF-LB/M, the feedstock is present as metal powder in an inert gas atmosphere inside a process chamber where a laser melts it locally. By repeatedly lowering the build platform, applying a new layer of powder, and then selectively melting it with the laser, a component is built up layer by layer. The local temperature distributions that occur during this process determine not only the properties of the finished component, but also the possible formation of defects such as pores and cracks. Due to the high relevance of the thermal history for precise geometries and defect formation, a temporally and spatially resolved measurement of quantitative (or real/actual) temperatures would be optimal. Quantitative values would ensure comparability and repeatability of the AM process which would also positively affect the quality and safety of the manufactured component. Furthermore, it would also contribute to the validation of simulations and to a deeper understanding of the manufacturing process itself.
At present, however, only qualitative monitoring of the thermal radiation is performed (e.g., by monitoring the melt pool using a photodiode), and safety-relevant components must be inspected ex situ afterwards which is time-consuming and costly. A reason for the lack of quantitative temperature data from the process are the challenging conditions of the PBF-LB/M process with high scanning speeds and a small laser spot diameter. Furthermore, the emissivity of the surface changes at high dynamics (temporally/spatially) as well as with temperature and wavelength. This specifically makes contactless temperature determination based on emitted infrared radiation challenging for PBF-LB/M. Although classical thermography offers very good qualitative insights, it is not sufficient for a reliable quantitative temperature determination without a complex temperature calibration including image segmentation and assignment of previously determined emissivities.
For this reason, this publication presents the hyperspectral thermography approach for the PBF-LB/M process: The emitted infrared radiation is measured simultaneously at many adjacent wavelengths. In this study, this is realized via a fast hyperspectral line camera that operates in the short-wave infrared range. The thermal radiation of a line on the target is spectrally dispersed and detected to measure the radiant exitance along that line. If the melt pool of the PBF-LB/M process moves through this line at a sufficient frame rate, a spatial reconstruction of an effective melt pool is possible.
One approach to determine the desired emissivities and the quantitative temperature from this hyperspectral data are temperature-emissivity separation (TES) methods. A major problem is that n spectral measurements are available, but n+1 parameters are required for each image pixel (n emissivity values + one temperature value). TES methods offer the possibility to approximate this mathematically underconstrained problem in a reliable and traceable way by analytically parameterizing the spectral emissivity with a few degrees of freedom. Using this approach, setup and method are applied to a research machine for PBF-LB/M, called SAMMIE (Sensor-based Additive Manufacturing Machine). First results under AM process conditions are shown which form the basis for the determination of quantitative temperatures in the PBFLB/M process. This marks an important contribution to improving the comparability and repeatability of production, validating simulations, and understanding the process itself. When fully developed and validated, the presented method can also provide reference measurements to evaluate and optimize other, more practical monitoring methods, such as melt pool monitoring or optical tomography. In the long run, this will help to increase confidence in the safety of AM products.
Die additive Fertigung (Additive Manufacturing AM, auch als 3D Druck bekannt) von Metallen nimmt einen stetig wachsenden Stellenwert in industriellen Anwendungen ein. Gründe dafür sind u.a. die Möglichkeit der Umsetzung komplexer Bauteildesigns und die Nutzung neuartiger Werkstoffe. Damit hebt sich AM von konventionellen Fertigungsmethoden wie der subtraktiven Fertigung (Drehen, Fräsen, etc.) ab. Das für Metalle am weitesten verbreitete AM-Verfahren ist das Laser-Pulverbettschweißen (Laser Powder Bed Fusion PBF-LB/M, auch als Selective Laser Melting SLM bekannt). Es besitzt aktuell den höchsten Industrialisierungsgrad und die größte Anzahl an eingesetzten Maschinen. Bei PBF-LB/M liegt der metallische Ausgangswerkstoff unter Inertgasatmosphäre innerhalb einer Prozesskammer in einem Bett als Pulver vor und ein Laser schmilzt dieses lokal auf. Durch wiederholtes Auftragen einer neuen Pulverschicht und anschließendes selektives Schmelzen mit Hilfe des Lasers findet der lagenweise Aufbau eines Bauteils statt. Die dabei auftretenden lokalen Temperaturverteilungen bestimmen sowohl die Eigenschaften des gefertigten Bauteils als auch das mögliche Auftreten von Defekten wie Poren oder Risse. Durch diese Relevanz der thermischen Historie wäre die Aufzeichnung der auftretenden Realtemperaturen in zeitlicher und räumlicher Abhängigkeit optimal. Mit quantitativen Werten wären Vergleichbarkeit und Wiederholbarkeit des AM-Prozesses gegeben, was sich auch positiv auf Qualität und Sicherheit des gefertigten Bauteils auswirkt. Außerdem wäre ein Beitrag zur Validierung von Simulationen sowie zur Gewinnung eines tieferen Verständnisses des Fertigungsprozesses gegeben.
Jedoch findet aktuell lediglich ein qualitatives Monitoring statt (bspw. mittels Überwachung des Schweißbades durch eine Photodiode) und sicherheitsrelevante Bauteile müssen zeit- und kostenaufwändig im Nachgang ex-situ geprüft werden. Grund dafür sind auch die herausfordernden Bedingungen des PBF-LB/M-Prozesses mit hohen Scangeschwindigkeiten bei geringem Durchmesser des Laserspots. Des Weiteren erschweren die auftretenden Emissionsgradänderungen mit hoher Dynamik (zeitlich, räumlich) und den gegebenen Abhängigkeiten (temperatur-/wellenlängenabhängig) eine berührungslose Temperaturbestimmung basierend auf emittierter Infrarotstrahlung deutlich. Klassische Thermografie bietet zwar sehr gute qualitative Einblicke, ist dabei jedoch ohne eine aufwändige Temperaturkalibrierung inklusive Bildsegmentierung und Zuweisung von vorher ermittelten Emissionsgraden für eine verlässliche Bestimmung der Realtemperatur nicht ausreichend. Aus diesem Grund wird in dieser Veröffentlichung der Ansatz der hyperspektralen Thermografie für den PBF-LB/M Prozess vorgestellt: Die emittierte Infrarotstrahlung wird gleichzeitig bei einer Vielzahl von benachbarten Wellenlängenbereichen gemessen. Dies wird in dieser Untersuchung mittels einer selbst zusammengestellten hyperspektralen Linienkamera, die im kurzwelligen Infrarotbereich arbeitet, realisiert. Hierbei wird die thermische Strahlung einer Linie auf dem Messobjekt spektral aufgespalten und detektiert, sodass die spektrale spezifische Ausstrahlung entlang dieser Linie vermessen werden kann. Bewegt sich das Schmelzbad des PBF-LB/M Prozesses bei ausreichender Bildfrequenz durch diese Linie, ist eine räumliche Rekonstruktion eines effektiven Schmelzbades möglich.
Ein Ansatz, um aus diesen hyperspektralen Daten die gesuchten Emissionsgrade sowie die Realtemperatur zu ermitteln, sind Methoden der Temperatur-Emissionsgrad-Separation (TES). Ein Hauptproblem besteht darin, dass n spektrale Messungen verfügbar sind, jedoch n+1 Kenngrößen für jeden Bildpixel gesucht werden (n Emissionsgrade + eine Temperatur). TES-Methoden liefern die Möglichkeit, dieses mathematisch unterbestimmte Problem verlässlich und nachvollziehbar zu approximieren, indem der spektrale Emissionsgrad mit wenigen Freiheitsgraden analytisch parametriert wird. Mit Hilfe dieses Ansatzes werden Setup und Methoden an SAMMIE (Sensor-based Additive Manufacturing Machine), einer Forschungsmaschine für PBF-LB/M, angewendet. Erste Ergebnisse unter AM-Prozessbedingungen werden gezeigt, welche die Grundlage für die Bestimmung von Realtemperaturen im PBF-LB/M-Prozess bilden. Dies leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag zur verbesserten Vergleichbarkeit und Wiederholbarkeit der Fertigung, zur Validierung von Simulationen sowie zum Verständnis des Prozesses selbst. Das unterstützt langfristig dabei das Vertrauen in die Sicherheit von AM-Produkten zu stärken.
This work provides an investigation of the influence of low temperature heat treatments on the fatigue behavior of a PBF-LB AlSi10Mg alloy. Fatigue specimens are produced in form of round bars on a build platform preheated at 200 ◦C. The specimens have been tested in three different conditions: as-built, and after heat treatments at 265 ◦C for 1 h and 300 ◦C for 2 h. Prior to the fatigue testing, the defect distribution is analyzed by means of micro computed tomography. Subsequently, the peak over threshold method is successfully applied to provide a prediction of the size of killer defect. The defect population was of gas porosity type. No clear improvement of the fatigue performance is observed after the heat treatments. The fatigue strength predicted using fracture mechanics-based approaches is in good agreement with the experimental data. Among the studied approaches, short crack models provided the most conservative predictions.
This article presents a method to use the dispersive behavior of ultrasonic guided waves and neural networks to determine the isotropic elastic constants of plate-like structures through dispersion images. Therefore, two different architectures are compared: one using convolutions and transfer learning based on the EfficientNetB7 and a Vision Transformer-like approach. To accomplish this, simulated and measured dispersion images are generated, where the first is applied to design, train, and validate and the second to test the neural networks. During the training of the neural networks, distinct data augmentation layers are employed to introduce artifacts appearing in measurement data into the simulated data. The neural networks can extrapolate from simulated to measured data using these layers. The trained neural networks are assessed using dispersion images from seven known material samples. Multiple variations of the measured dispersion images are tested to guarantee the prediction stability. The study demonstrates that neural networks can learn to predict the isotropic elastic constants from measured dispersion images using only simulated dispersion images for training and validation without needing an initial guess or manual feature extraction, independent of the measurement setup. Furthermore, the suitability of the different architectures for generating information from dispersion images in general is discussed.
Defects are still common in metal components built with Additive Manufacturing (AM). Process monitoring methods for laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) are used in industry, but relationships between monitoring data and defect formation are not fully understood yet. Additionally, defects and deformations may develop with a time delay to the laser energy input. Thus, currently, the component quality is only determinable after the finished process.
Here, active laser thermography, a nondestructive testing method, is adapted to PBF-LB/M, using the defocused process laser as heat source. The testing can be performed layer by layer throughout the manufacturing process. We study our proposed testing method along experiments carried out on a custom research PBF-LB/M machine using infrared (IR) cameras.
Our work enables a shift from post-process testing of components towards in-situ testing during the AM process. The actual component quality is evaluated in the process chamber and defects can be detected between layers.
In the approval process of dangerous goods packagings, drop tests onto a flat, essentially unyielding surface are used to assess resistance against mechanical damage. International adopted regulations like ADR and RID define filling good dependent drop heights and filling degrees whilst the user needs to define the maximum gross mass to be tested and approved. Maximum packaging gross mass is defined conservatively and not reached in practice. To meet the defined gross mass in testing, using additives is permitted. However, in some cases, additives are not desirable due to packaging design or filling substance properties. This leads to deviations from the initial gross mass definition. Hence, a certain drop height adjustment is necessary to achieve the required impact loading. Laboratories frequently adjust drop height assuming a perfectly elastic collision which is inaccurate. Appropriate adjustment is not trivial due to energy conversion processes, e.g., plastic deformation. In this work, a test stand is developed for measuring the change in kinetic energy of different packaging designs and filling substances in regulative drop tests. The experimental results are used to validate finite-element (FE) models so that packaging properties can be varied in simulated drop test scenarios. The findings intend to describe the appropriate drop height adjustment of the respective packaging with same design but deviating gross mass to produce comparable mechanical response. The results are highly beneficial for testing laboratories, approval issuing authorities and packaging institutes confronted with the problem of testing packages with gross masses other than those to be approved.
The stress–strain behavior of certain ceramics, such as aluminum titanate (AT, Al2TiO5), has features that are unusual for brittle material. In particular, a substantial nonlinearity under uniaxial tension, and load–unload hysteresis caused by the increase of the incremental stiffness at the beginning of unloading. These features are observed experimentally and attributed to microcracking. In this study, we investigate the mechanical response of an AT material at room and high temperature. Microstructure and microcracking are analyzed by means of electron microscopy, and both synchrotron micro computed tomography (µCT) and refraction radiography (SXRR). Synchrotron refraction radiography is combined with in-situ heating at high-temperatures (up to 1400°C) to be able to monitor the relative closure of microcracks as a function of increasing/decreasing temperatures.
In der automatisierten Ultraschallprüfung von Komponenten mit komplexen Oberflächengeometrien werden zur Führung des Prüfkopfes zunehmend 6-Achsen-Roboter erprobt. Diese stellen die notwendige Automatisierbarkeit und Flexibilität bereit, um die lokal senkrechte Einschallung sicherzustellen. Durch den Einsatz von linearen Arrays und bildgebenden Verfahren können die Bilder oder die daraus extrahierten Merkmale zu einer Rekonstruktion in 3D zusammengesetzt werden. Die Anforderungen an die Prüfbahnen für die bildgebende Array-Ultraschallprüfung gehen dabei über konventionellen Bahnplanungsprogramme hinaus. Es wird ein Prozess vorgestellt, der Roboterbahnen auf der Grundlage des 3D-Modells von Körpern mit doppelt gekrümmter Oberfläche unter Berücksichtigung der Prüfparameter erzeugt. Hierbei wird zum einen die senkrechte Prüfkopfstellung und zum anderen eine optimale Abdeckung der Oberfläche realisiert. Dabei wird die lokale Oberflächengeometrie beachtet, da diese das Reflexionsverhalten beeinflusst und sich daher auf die optimale Verteilung und Orientierung der Prüfpositionen auswirkt. Damit einhergehend erfolgt eine Ablösung von konventionellen Konzepten, die auf linearen Prüfbahnen basieren, welches spannende neue Prüfstrategien eröffnet.
The stress–strain behavior of certain ceramics, such as aluminum titanate (AT, Al2TiO5), has features that are unusual for brittle material. In particular, a substantial nonlinearity under uniaxial tension, and load–unload hysteresis caused by the increase of the incremental stiffness at the beginning of unloading. These features are observed experimentally and attributed to microcracking. In this study, we investigate the mechanical response of an AT material at room and high temperature. Microstructure and microcracking are analyzed by means of electron microscopy, and both synchrotron micro computed tomography (µCT) and refraction radiography (SXRR). Synchrotron refraction radiography is combined with in-situ heating at high-temperatures (up to 1400°C) to be able to monitor the relative closure of microcracks as a function of increasing/decreasing temperatures.
Additive manufacturing is one of the most promising techniques for industrial production and maintenance, but the specifics of the layered structure must be considered. The Direct Energy Deposition-Arc process enables relatively high deposition rates, which is favourable for larger components. For this study, specimens with different orientations were prepared from one AISI316 steel block – parallel and orthogonal to the deposition plane. Quasistatic tensile loading tests were carried out, monitored by an infrared camera. The obtained surface temperature maps revealed structural differences between both orientations. The consideration of surface temperature transients yields more details about the behaviour of the material under tensile loading than the conventional stress-strain-curve. These preliminary investigations were supplemented by thermographic fatigue trials. Although the anisotropy was also observed during fatigue loading the fatigue behaviour in general was the same, at least for both inspected specimens. The presented results demonstrate the abilities and the potential of thermographic techniques for tensile tests.
Im Rahmen des Projektes MRO2.0, das sich mit der digitalen Transformation des Servicezyklus von modernen Gasturbinenschaufeln beschäftigt, wurde gezeigt, wie sich automatisiert und flächendeckend die (Rest-)Wanddicke an variabel gekrümmten Prüfgeometrien bestimmen lässt. Es wurde ein Roboterarm verwendet, der ein lineares Ultraschallarray in Tauchtechnik führt und Prüfdaten aufnimmt, die mit einer adaptierten TFM (Total Focusing Method) zu Rekonstruktionen der Außen- und Innenoberfläche verarbeitet werden. In der aktuellen zweiten Projektphase wird die Methode für Werkstoffe erweitert, die anisotrope akustische Eigenschaften aufweisen. In diesem Beitrag wird eine Methode vorgestellt, wie sich die Kristallausrichtung bzw. die richtungsabhängige Schallgeschwindigkeit mittels eines linearen Ultraschallarrays bestimmen lässt. Für den Sendefall eines Randelements in Kontakttechnik können dabei Wellen identifiziert werden, die sich parallel zur Prüfkopfapertur im Prüfobjekt ausbreiten und mit der richtungsabhängigen Schallgeschwindigkeit skalieren. Die ermittelte Schallgeschwindigkeitsverteilung kann dann verwendet werden, um die lokale Wanddickenbestimmung für die Anisotropie zu adaptieren.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) of objects with complex geometries often requires the use of a robotic arm to position the probe perpendicular to the local surface. Using immersion makes it possible to test these objects with standard ultrasonic linear array probes. Here, the probe positions and orientations provided by the robot are used for merging the locally acquired image data into a 3D-reconstruction. The quality of this reconstruction is highly dependent on the alignment of the tool center point (TCP) of the physical probe with the TCP used in the digital model. For common industrial tools, the TCP is usually acquired using geometric features of the tools. However, for ultrasonic arrays in immersion, there is a water standoff between the probe and the test object, therefore the TCP is in free space in front of the array and cannot be acquired with the common method. To overcome this challenge, we propose a method that allows the robotic ultrasonic system to automatically self-adjust the positioning of the UT probe using a test block made of steel with defined geometric features as a target for referencing. For each of the six degrees of freedom, a scan and adjustment routine are established using the data acquired by the UT probe to update the TCP’s position and orientation in the robot control. Given a coarse pre-definition of the TCP and the known target test block, no human interaction is required while the system determines the optimum tool position and orientation. Part of this work will be used to improve and extend standards for robotic ultrasonic test systems, e.g. ISO 24647.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) is a layer wise metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology, which enables significant advancements of component design, leading to potential efficiency and performance improvements. However, the thermal cycles inherent to the process comprising large localized thermal gradients and repeated melting and solidification cycles leads to the generation of high magnitude residual stresses. These residual stresses can be detrimental both during manufacturing of components and in subsequent application. Therefore, a deep understanding of the influence of process parameters on the residual stresses are crucial for efficient manufacturing and safe application. The experimental characterization of these residual stresses is therefore crucial and can provide a reliable baseline for simulations of both the process and applications.
Diffraction-based methods for residual stress analysis using penetrating neutrons and high energy X-rays enable non-destructive spatially resolved characterization of both surface and bulk residual stresses. However, the unique microstructural features inherent to the process can challenge some of our assumptions when using these methods. These challenges include the determination of a stress-free reference, the use of correct elastic constants (both SCEC and DEC) and the influence of surface roughness, texture, and porosity on residual stresses.
This presentation will detail recent insights and recommendations for the characterization of residual stresses in a range of PBF-LB/M metallic alloys (Fe, Ni, Al and Ti)
The determination of residual stress in additively manufactured materials is a challenge, even after decades from the establishment of the basics of residual stress analysis. This is due to the peculiar microstructure of such materials. In fact, researchers have discovered that conventional methods for the determination of RS in materials do not properly work for AM materials. In this tutorial, the basics of RS analysis will be explained, together with the basics of AM manufacturing techniques. The microstructure of the peculiar materials (AM) dealt with here will be elucidated. Successively, the necessary modifications to the conventional approaches to RS analysis will be explained and case studies will be displayed, for the attendant to touch with hands the peculiarities of the approaches. Finally, a few experimental and theoretical tips will be given on dos and don’ts for a correct determination of RS in AM materials.
Due to the advantages of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), i.e., design freedom and the possibility to manufacture parts with filigree structures, and the considerable amount of knowledge available for 316L in its conventional variant, the mechanical behavior, and related microstructure-property relationships of PBF-LB/316L are increasingly subject of research. However, many aspects regarding the - application-relevant - mechanical behavior at high temperatures are not yet fully understood. Here, we present the results of an experimental study on the LCF behavior of PBF-LB/316L featuring a low defect population, which makes this study more microstructure-focused than most of the studies in the literature. The LCF tests were performed between room temperature (RT) and 600 °C. The mechanical response is characterized by strain-life curves, and hysteresis and cyclic deformation curves. The damage and deformation mechanisms are studied with X-ray computed tomography, and optical and electron microscopy. The PBF-LB/M/316L was heat treated at 450 °C for 4 h, and a hot‑rolled (HR) 316L variant with a fully recrystallized equiaxed microstructure was tested as a reference. Besides, selected investigations were performed after a subsequent heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h. The PBF-LB/316L exhibits higher cyclic stresses than HR/316L for most of the fatigue life, especially at room temperature. At the smallest strain amplitudes, the fatigue lives of PBF-LB/M/316L are markedly shorter than in HR/316L. The main damage mechanisms are multiple cracking at slip bands (RT) and intergranular cracking (600 °C). Neither the melt pool boundaries nor the gas porosity have a significant influence on the LCF damage mechanism. The cyclic stress-strain deformation behavior of PBF-LB/M/316L features an initial hardening followed by a continuous softening. The additional heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h led to decreased cyclic stresses, and a longer fatigue life.
The strength of age-hardenable aluminum alloys is based on the controlled formation of nm-sized precipitates, which represent obstacles to dislocation movement. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is generally used to identify precipitate types and orientations and to determine their size. This geometric quantification (e.g., length, diameter) is often performed by manual image analysis, which is very time consuming and sometimes poses reproducibility problems. The present work aims at the digital representation of this characterization method by proposing an automatable digital approach. Based on DF-TEM images of different precipitation states of alloy EN AW-2618A, a modularizable digital workflow is described for the quantitative analysis of precipitate dimensions. The integration of this workflow into a data pipeline concept is also presented. The semantic structuring of data allows data to be shared and reused for other applications and purposes, which enables interoperability.
The determination of residual stress in additively manufactured materials is a challenge, even after decades from the establishment of the basics of residual stress analysis. This is due to the peculiar microstructure of such materials. In fact, researchers have discovered that conventional methods for the determination of RS in materials do not properly work for AM materials. In this tutorial, the basics of RS analysis will be explained, together with the basics of AM manufacturing techniques. The microstructure of the peculiar materials (AM) dealt with here will be elucidated. Successively, the necessary modifications to the conventional approaches to RS analysis will be explained and case studies will be displayed, for the attendant to touch with hands the peculiarities of the approaches. Finally, a few experimental and theoretical tips will be given on dos and don’ts for a correct determination of RS in AM materials.
The experimental determination of residual stress becomes more complicated with increasing complexity of the structures investigated. Unlike the conventional and most of the additive manufacturing (AM) fabrication techniques, laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) allows the production of complex structures without any additional manufacturing step. However, due to the extremely localized melting and solidification, internal stress-induced deformation and cracks are often observed. In the best case, significant residual stress is retained in the final structures as a footprint of the internal stress during manufacturing.
Here we report solutions to the most prevalent challenges when dealing with the diffraction-based determination of residual stress in AM structures, in particular the choice of the correct diffraction elastic constants. We show that for Nickel-based alloys, the diffraction elastic constants of AM material significantly deviate from their conventional counterparts. Furthermore, measurement strategies to overcome the hurdles appearing when applying diffraction-based techniques to complex-shaped lattice structures are presented: a) proper sample alignment within the beam, b) the proper determination of the residual stress field in a representative part of the structure (i.e., with an engineering meaning). Beyond the principal stress magnitude, the principal direcions of residual stress are discussed for different geometries and scan strategies, as they are relevent for failure criteria.
We show that the RS in the lattice struts can be considered to be uniaxial and to follow the orientation of the strut, while the RS in the lattice knots is more hydrostatic. Additionally, we show that strain measurements in at least seven independent directions are necessary for the correct estimation of the principal stress directions. The measurement directions should be chosen according to the sample geometry and to an informed choice on the possible strain field (i.e., reflecting the scan strategy).
We finally show that if the most prominent direction is not measured, the error in the calculated stress magnitude increases in such a manner that no reliable assessment of RS state can be made.
The determination of residual stress in additively manufactured materials is a challenge, even after decades from the establishment of the basics of residual stress analysis. This is due to the peculiar microstructure of such materials. In fact, researchers have discovered that conventional methods for the determination of RS in materials do not properly work for AM materials. In this tutorial, the basics of RS analysis will be explained, together with the basics of AM manufacturing techniques. The microstructure of the peculiar materials (AM) dealt with here will be elucidated. Successively, the necessary modifications to the conventional approaches to RS analysis will be explained and case studies will be displayed, for the attendant to touch with hands the peculiarities of the approaches. Finally, a few experimental and theoretical tips will be given on dos and don’ts for a correct determination of RS in AM materials.
Defect reconstruction is essential in non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring with guided ultrasonic waves. This paper presents an algorithm for reconstructing notches in steel plates, which can be seen as artificial defects representing cracks by comparing measured results with those from a simulation model. The model contains a parameterized notch, and its geometrical parameters are to be reconstructed. While the algorithm is formulated and presented in a general notation, a special case of guided wave propagation is used to investigate one of the simplest possible simulation models that discretizes only the cross section of the steel plate. An efficient simulation model of the plate cross section is obtained by the semi-analytical scaled boundary finite element method. The reconstruction algorithm applied is gradient-based, and algorithmic differentiation calculates the gradient. The dedicated experimental setup excites nearly plane wave fronts propagating orthogonal to the notch. A scanning laser Doppler vibrometer records the velocity field at certain points on the plate surface as input to the reconstruction algorithm. Using two plates with notches of different depths, it is demonstrated that accurate geometry reconstruction is possible.
Additively manufactured components are characterized by heterogeneous mechanical properties due to variations of the microstructure, flaws and residual stresses resulting from the inhomogeneous fabrication process. The large number of influencing factors poses a further challenge in understanding the correlation between material properties, process parameters and component geometry. Therefore, the qualification of components based on witness specimens produced within the same job is questionable. This work aims to present a new strategy for the characterization of PBF-LB/M components based on representative specimens. The key assumption is the feasibility of a transfer of the thermal history from a component to a specimen. It is assumed that similar material properties are determined for components and specimens produced adopting a similar thermal history. After the definition of a region of interest in the component, a combination of thermal analyses by means of finite elements and in-situ experimental determination of the thermal history through infrared thermography is used to produce test coupons with a similar thermal history. The effectiveness of the procedure is demonstrated on a pressure vessel for applications in the chemical industry.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) of AISI 316L stainless steel has gained popularity due to its exceptional capacity to produce complex geometries and hierarchical microstructures, which can increase the yield strength while maintaining good ductility. Nevertheless, owing to high thermal gradients encountered during the process, the as printed 316L stainless steel often exhibit microstructural heterogeneities and residual stresses, which can limit its performance in demanding environments. Hence, employing heat treatments which balance the reduction of residual stresses while retaining improved static strength may be beneficial in various scenarios and applications. This study investigates the impact of post-processing heat treatments on the microstructure of 316L stainless steel manufactured via PBF-LB/M, along with its correlation with micro-hardness properties. To this end, 6 different heat treatments, i.e., 450 °C for 4h, 700 °C for 1h, 700 °C for 3h, 800 °C for 1h, 800 °C for 3h, and 900 °C for 1h, were applied to different specimens and Vickers hardness measurements (HV1) were performed in all states. At 800 °C, although the cellular structure appears to be retained, there is an observable increase in cellular size. However, while treatments exceeding 900 °C indicate no significant grain growth compared to other conditions, the cellular structure is entirely dissolved, which leads to a reduced Vickers hardness. The effect of the heat treatments on other microstructural features such as grain size and morphology, melt pool boundaries (MPB), crystallographic texture, chemical segregation, dispersoids and phase stability are also discussed in the present work
The general term additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses processes that enable the production of parts in a single manufacturing step. Among these, laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) is one of the most commonly used to produce metal components. In essence, a laser locally melts powder particles in a powder bed layer-by-layer to incrementally build a part. As a result, this process offers immense manufacturing flexibility and superior geometric design capabilities compared to conventional processes. However, these advantages come at a cost: the localized processing inevitably induces large thermal gradients, resulting in the formation of large thermal stress during manufacturing. In the best case, residual stress remains in the final parts produced as a footprint of this thermal stress. Since residual stress is well known to exacerbate the structural integrity of components, their assessment is important in two respects. First, to optimize process parameter to minimize residual stress magnitudes. Second, to study their effect on the structural integrity of components (e.g., validation of numerical models). Therefore, a reliable experimental assessment of residual stress is an important factor for the successful application of PBF-LB. In this context, diffraction-based techniques allow the non-destructive characterization of the residual stress. In essence, lattice strain is calculated from interplanar distances by application of Braggs law. From the known lattice strain, macroscopic stress can be determined using Hooke’s law. To allow the accurate assessment of the residual stress distribution by such methods, a couple of challenges in regard of the characteristic PBF-LB microstructures need to be overcome.
This presentation highlights some of the challenges regarding the accurate assessment of residual stress in PBF-LB on the example of the Nickel-based alloy Inconel 718. The most significant influencing factors are the use of the correct diffraction elastic constants, the choice of the stress-free reference, and the consideration of the crystallographic texture. Further, it is shown that laboratory X-ray diffraction methods characterizing residual stress at the surface are biased by the inherent surface roughness. Overall, the impact of the characteristic microstructure is most significant for the selection of the correct diffraction elastic constants. In view of the localized melting and solidification, no significant gradients of the stress-free reference are observed, even though the cell-like solidification sub-structure is known to be heterogeneous on the micro-scale.
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
Laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) of metallic alloys is a layer-wise additive manufacturing process that provides significant scope for more efficient designs of components, benefiting performance and weight, leading to efficiency improvements for various sectors of industry. However, to benefit from these design freedoms, knowledge of the high produced induced residual stress and mechanical property anisotropy associated with the unique microstructures is critical. X-ray and neutron diffraction are considered the benchmark for non-destructive characterization of surface and bulk internal residual stress. The latter, characterized by the high penetration power in most engineering alloys, allows for the use of a diffraction angle close to 90° enabling a near cubic sampling volume to be specified. However, the complex microstructures of columnar growth with inherent crystallographic texture typically produced during PBF-LB/M of metallics present significant challenges to the assumptions typically required for time efficient determination of residual stress. These challenges include the selection of an appropriate set of diffraction elastic constants and a representative lattice plane suitable for residual stress analysis. In this contribution, the selection of a suitable lattice plane family for residual stress analysis is explored. Furthermore, the determination of an appropriate set of diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure is addressed.
In-situ loading experiments have been performed at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source with the main scope to study the deformation behaviour of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718. Cylindrical tensile bars have been subjected to an increasing mechanical load. At pre-defined steps, neutron diffraction data has been collected. After reaching the yield limit, unloads have been performed to study the accumulation of intergranular strain among various lattice plane families.
Metallbasierte additive Fertigungsverfahren werden zunehmend industriell zur Anfertigung von komplex geformten Komponenten eingesetzt. In diesem Zusammenhang ist das Laser-Pulverbettschweißen von Metall (PBF-LB/M) ist ein weitläufig genutztes Verfahren. Im PBF-LB/M-Prozess werden lagenweise aufgetragene Metallpulverschichten selektiv mittels eines Lasers aufgeschmolzen. Die Entstehung von internen Fehlstellen (bspw. Porosität, Lunker oder Risse) während des Fertigungsvorgangs stellt ein ernstzunehmendes Risiko für die Bauteilsicherheit und somit für die weitere industrielle Etablierung des Verfahrens dar. Die Entstehung von Fehlstellen hängt eng mit lokalen Änderungen der thermischen Historie des Bauteils zusammen. Mit Hilfe von thermografischen Kameras zur Prozessüberwachung kann die thermische Historie bereits während der Fertigung erfasst werden. Damit eröffnet sich die Möglichkeit, die Entstehung von Fehlstellen anhand der thermografischen Daten vorherzusagen und somit potenziell Kosten für eine nachgelagerte Qualitätssicherung einzusparen.
In diesem Beitrag soll die Modellierung der Fehlstellenvorhersage anhand thermografischer Prozessdaten diskutiert werden. Hierbei liegt ein Schwerpunkt auf der Fragestellung, mit welcher Genauigkeit unterschiedliche Formen von Fehlstellen, im speziellen Anbindungsfehler und Keyhole-Porosität, auf lokaler Bauteilebene vorhergesagt werden können. Weiterhin werden verschiedenen Modelltypen aus dem Bereich des Maschinellen Lernens auf ihre Eignung für die Fehlstellenvorhersage verglichen. Ein weiterer zentraler Aspekt in diesem Zusammenhang ist die Untersuchung der Eingangsdaten des Modells auf ihre Relevanz für das Vorhersageergebnis.
Als Datengrundlage für die durchgeführten Untersuchungen dienen die Fertigungsprozesse von zwei identischen Haynes-282-Bauteilen (Nickel-Basislegierung), welche mit Hilfe einer im kurzwelligen Infrarotbereich arbeitenden Thermografiekamera überwacht wurden. Das Bauteildesign umfasste lokale Bereiche, in denen mit Hilfe einer Parametervariation die Entstehung von Fehlstellen forciert wurde. Um die Position und Größe der entstandenen Defekte zu quantifizieren, wurden beide Bauteile nach erfolgter Fertigung mittels Computertomografie (CT) geprüft. Im Rahmen der Datenvorbereitung für die Modellierung erfolgte eine Reduzierung der erhobenen Thermogramme zu physikalisch-interpretierbaren Merkmalen (bspw. Schmelzbadfläche oder Zeit-über-Schwellwert). Weiterhin erfolgte eine Registrierung der thermografischen Daten mit den Fehlstellen-Referenzdaten der CT, um eine exakte örtliche Überlagerung von thermischer Information und lokalem Fehlstellenbild zu erzielen. Zur Ermöglichung einer lokalen Fehlstellenvorhersage wurden die thermografischen Daten schichtweise in kleinteiligen Volumina angeordnet, welche als Eingangsgröße für die genutzten ML-Algorithmen dienten.
Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen zeigen, dass sich die Porosität auf Bauteilschichtebene mit einer hohen Genauigkeit vorhersagen lässt. Eine Vorhersage der Porosität auf lokaler Bauteilebene erweist sich noch als herausfordernd. Die erprobten ML-Algorithmen zeigen vergleichbare Ergebnisse, obwohl ihnen unterschiedliche Modellierungsannahmen zugrunde liegen und sie variierende Komplexität aufweisen. Mit Hilfe der erzielten Erkenntnisse eröffnet sich die Möglichkeit, Rückschlüsse auf die gewählte Prozessüberwachungshardware und Datenvorverarbeitung zu ziehen und somit langfristig die Leistungsfähigkeit von Modellen zur Fehlstellenvorhersage zu verbessern.
Quantitative microstructural analysis of XCT 3D images is key for quality assurance of materials and components. In this paper we implement a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) architecture to segment a complex Al-Si Metal Matrix composite XCT volume (3D image). We train the model on a synthetic dataset and we assess its performance on both synthetic and experimental, manually-labeled, datasets. Our simple GCNN shows a comparable performance, measured via the Dice score, to more standard machine learning methods, but uses a greatly reduced number of parameters (less than 1/10 of parameters), features low training time, and needs little hardware resources. Our GCNN thus achieves a cost-effective reliable segmentation.
Development of representative test specimens by thermal history transfer in laser powder bed fusion
(2024)
The use of components manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) and subjected to fatigue loading is still hampered by the uncertainty about the homogeneity of the process results. Numerous influencing factors including the component’s geometry contribute to the risk of process instability and resulting inhomogeneity of properties. This drastically limits the comparability of different built parts and requires expensive full component testing. The thermal history as the spatiotemporal temperature distribution has been identified as a major cause for flaw formation. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that a similar thermal history between components and test specimens enhances their comparability. Following this assumption, a strategy is developed to transfer the intrinsic preheating temperature as a measure of comparability of thermal histories from a region of interest of a complex component to a simple test specimen. This transfer concept has been successfully proved by the use of FEM-based macroscale thermal simulations, validated by calibrated infrared thermography. An adoption of the specimen manufacturing process by the adjustment of the inter layer times was established to manufacture specimens which are representatives of a specific region of a large-scale component in terms of the thermal history similarity criterion. The concept is schematically illustrated in Figure 1 and was demonstrated using a pressure vessel geometry from the chemical industry.
Direct energy deposition additive manufacturing technologies that utilize an electric arc have great potential for generating large volume metal components. However, selecting process parameters that yield the desired near net shape design and requested mechanical component behavior is not a trivial task due to the complex relationship between all process parameters and material characteristics. This presentation exemplifies the application of a newly developed solid welding wire doped with TiB to enhance grain refinement in the deposited metal for additive manufacturing based on DED-Arc of high-strength precipitation hardening AlMgSi-aluminum alloys. It is worth noting that the solid wire is the result of our preliminary metallurgical studies on grain refinement in aluminum weld metal.
Consequently, research focuses on the correlation between process parameters and component quality to understand the underlying mechanisms. This is crucial for evaluating a robust process parameter space that yields component quality in line with corresponding standards which are mainly taken from welding technology.
Specifically, we examine component quality by analyzing pore size and distribution, as well as grain morphology. To enhance the mechanical properties of the deposited metal, a post-weld heat treatment was conducted, comprising of solution treatment, quenching, and artificial aging. The study also evaluates the effects of various heat treatment strategies on the final mechanical properties of the material.
To demonstrate the applicability of 3D metal printing of high-strength aluminium alloys, a more complex demonstrator was created. It has been shown that DED-Arc can produce high-volume aluminium parts with the same quality as the corresponding subtractive processing strategy.
Additionally, the entire additive manufacturing chain has been digitally integrated, enabling traceability of all relevant process steps, which is essential for reliable subsequent quality assessment.
Die metallische additive Fertigung hat in den letzten Jahren in der industriellen Fertigung zunehmend an Bedeutung gewonnen. Hierbei dominiert das Laser-Pulverbettschweißen von Metallen (PBF/LB-M) die Fertigung von kleinformatigen Bauteilen mit hoher Oberflächengüte. Die anspruchsvolle und kostspielige Qualitätssicherung stellt aber weiterhin ein Hindernis für eine breitere und kostengünstigere Anwendung der additiven Fertigung dar. Dies resultiert teilweise aus fehlenden zuverlässigen In-situ-Monitoringsystemen. Belastbarere Prozessüberwachungsdaten würden eine oft erforderliche teure nachgelagerte Prüfung mittels Computertomografie entbehrlich machen. Die Aufzeichnung der thermischen Signaturen des Aufbauprozess mittels Thermografie-Kameras zeigen hier vielversprechende Ergebnisse. Eine Korrelation zu auftretender Porosität, Delaminationen und Deformationen scheinen möglich. Die geringe räumliche Auflösung und die hohen Anschaffungskosten für thermografische Kamerasysteme stehen jedoch einer größeren industriellen Nutzung im Wege.
Ein bereits industriell angewendeter Ansatz zur in-Situ Überwachung des PBF-LB/M Prozesses ist die Optische Tomografie (OT). Hierbei wird die emittierte Prozessstrahlung jeder Bauteilschicht mittels einer hochauflösenden günstigen Kamera für den sichtbaren Wellenlängenbereich in einer Langzeitbelichtung dokumentiert. Die zeitliche Information der emittierten Strahlung geht hierbei verloren. Der gesamte Bauprozess kann jedoch in einem vergleichsweise kleinen Datensatz dokumentiert werden (ein Bild pro Schicht). Eine direkte Korrelation zu auftretenden Defekten gestaltet sich aufgrund der reduzierten thermischen Informationsdichte jedoch schwierig.
In diesem Beitrag soll deshalb das Prinzip der Multispektralen Optischen Tomografie (MOT) vorgestellt und erste Messergebnisse an der Forschungsanlage SAMMIE diskutiert werden. Bei der MOT handelt es sich um eine Übertragung des Prinzips der Quotientenpyrometrie auf das etablierte Verfahren der Optischen Tomografie. Die auftretende Prozessstrahlung wird in mehreren Wellenlängenbereichen ortsaufgelöst über die gesamte Bauplattform erfasst und zeitlich in einer Langzeitbelichtung integriert. Hierbei kommen günstige Kamerasysteme für den sichtbaren Wellenlängenbereich zum Einsatz.
Das erfasste Signal I jedes Bildpixels für jeden separat erfassten Wellenlängenbereich kann als Maß für das zeitliche Integral der spezifischen Ausstrahlung M des Schmelzbades in diesem Wellenlängenbereich gesehen werden. Nach dem Stefan-Boltzmann-Gesetz hängt die abgestrahlte thermische Leistung P eines idealen Schwarzen Körpers in der vierten Potenz von dessen absoluten Temperatur T ab. Wird nur, wie z.B. bei der klassischen OT angewendet, der nahinfrarote Wellenlängenbereich betrachtet, lässt sich mit dem Planck’schen Strahlungsgesetz sogar eine Proportionalität zur siebten Potenz der Temperatur zeigen. Deshalb liegt ein starker Einfluss der maximal auftretenden Oberflächentemperatur Tmax auf das erfasste Messsignal vor.
Das erfasste Signal I wird aber auch durch die spektrale Transmission τ der verwendeten optischen Komponenten des Kamera-Setups, z.B. Filter und Objektive, durch die spektrale Sensitivität S der verwendeten Kamera-Sensoren und den nur sehr schwer zu bestimmenden Emissionsgrad ε der emittierenden (flüssigen) Oberfläche beeinflusst.
In einer ersten Näherung wird das Schmelzbad hier als Graukörper, also ein Körper mit wellenlängenunabhängigem Emissionsgrad ε, betrachtet. Basierend auf dieser Annahme und vermessenen optischen Eigenschaften des verwendeten Systems ist es möglich, eine erste Schätzung der maximalen Oberflächentemperatur Tmax vorzunehmen, selbst ohne genaue Kenntnis des tatsächlichen Emissionsgrades ε. Dies wird durch die Anwendung des Planck‘schen Strahlungsgesetzes und die Quotienten Bildung aus den einzelnen erfassten Signalen I ermöglicht.
Auch bei diesem Verfahren geht die zeitliche Information einer Schicht, also das Aufwärm- und Abkühlverhalten des Schmelzbades, verloren. Zudem sind die Messergebnisse in Hinblick auf tatsächlich gemessene „maximal auftretende Oberflächentemperatur“ mit gebotener Zurückhaltung zu interpretieren. Trotzdem konnten erste Ergebnisse bereits zeigen, dass die MOT-Daten auch in Bereichen mit Doppelbelichtungen (das teilweise notwendige mehrfache Scannen eines Bereiches mittels des Fertigungslasers) im Gegensatz zur klassischen OT erwartbare Maximaltemperaturen liefern. Abbildung 1 zeigt das erfasste Messergebnis für drei aufeinanderfolgende Schichten eines Bauteils einmal mit MOT (links) und einmal mit einfacher OT (rechts). Deutlich zu erkennen ist das durch die doppelte Belichtung hohe Signal bei der OT. Die Daten der MOT zeigen hier keine erhöhten Werte.
Um die ermittelten Temperaturwerte mittels MOT besser einordnen zu können, sind u.a. vergleichende Messungen an Referenzmaterialien geplant. Um die Auswertung der gemessenen Daten zu verbessern, wird zudem der Zeitverlauf des Abkühlens und Aufheizens des Schmelzbades sowie die Einflüsse von Prozessbeiprodukten wie Schmauch und Spritzer näher untersucht. Auch werden Messungen zum Emissionsgrad ε an additiv gefertigten Proben und Metallschmelzen vorgenommen.
Im additiven Fertigungsprozess Laser-Pulverbettschweißen wird Metallpulver lagenweise mittels eines Lasers aufgeschmolzen, um Bauteile zu generieren. Hierbei werden die Eigenschaften der Bauteile zu einem großen Teil durch die im Verlauf des Prozesses vorliegenden Temperaturen bestimmt. Dies beinhaltet unter anderem Materialeigenschaften wie Mikrostruktur, Härte, thermische und elektrische Leitfähigkeiten sowie die Ausbildung von Defekten wie z.B. Anbindungsfehler, Keyhole-Porosität (Gaseinschlüsse) oder auch die Ausbildung von Rissen. Zur Überwachung bzw. Vorhersage dieser Eigenschaften sowie zum Abgleich von Simulationen ist eine orts- und zeitaufgelöste Messung der Temperaturverteilung im Prozess daher von herausragender Bedeutung. In der Industrie kommen optische Verfahren, die auf der Messung der thermischen Strahlung basieren, regelmäßig zum Einsatz. Allerdings dienen diese bislang nur der statistischen Auswertung und der Identifikation von Abweichungen vom Normalprozess. Der quantitativen Auswertung zur Temperaturbestimmung stehen aktuell noch eine Vielzahl von Herausforderungen entgegen. Einerseits stellt der Prozess an sich hohe Anforderungen an die Datenerfassung und -auswertung: der Emissionsgrad verändert sich dynamisch im Prozess und lokale Schmauchbildung sorgt für potenzielle Absorption oder Streuung der thermischen Strahlung oder auch des Fertigungslasers. Weiterhin stellt der hochdynamische Prozess hohe Anforderungen an Orts- und Zeitauflösung der eingesetzten Sensorik (z.B. Kameratechnik). Andererseits erschweren an üblichen kommerziell erhältlichen Fertigungsanlagen praktische Hindernisse wie eine eingeschränkte optische Zugänglichkeit und der fehlende Zugriff auf die Anlagensteuerung sowie fehlende Möglichkeiten der Synchronisation der Messtechnik mit dem Prozess eine eingehende Untersuchung dieser Effekte.
Um letztere Hindernisse zu umgehen, wurde an der BAM die Forschungsanlage SAMMIE (sensor-based additive manufacturing machine) entwickelt. Einerseits bietet das System alle Möglichkeiten, die auch übliche kommerzielle Systeme bieten. Dies beinhaltet die Fertigung ganzer Bauteile (maximale Größe ca. 65mm x 45 mm x 30 mm) und den Einsatz einer Inertgasatmosphäre inkl. gefiltertem Schutzgasstrom. Andererseits bietet es aber auch einen besonders kompakten Bauraum, um die Sensorik möglichst nah an den Prozess führen zu können, sechs optische Fenster zur Prozessbeobachtung aus unterschiedlichen Winkeln und die Möglichkeit der Prozessbeobachtung koaxial zum Fertigungslaser. Des Weiteren besteht eine einfache Austauschbarkeit aller Fenster, Spiegel und Strahlteiler, um den gesamten optischen Pfad der aktuellen Messaufgabe flexibel anzupassen. Die komplette Anlagensteuerung ist eine Eigenentwicklung und bietet daher auch völlige Anpassbarkeit. Eine synchrone und frei konfigurierbare Triggerung diverser Sensoriken und synchrone Datenerfassung bieten maximale Kontrolle über die Sensorsteuerung.
Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Fertigungsanlage SAMMIE. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse sowie laufende Arbeiten an der Anlage werden in weiteren Beiträgen vorgestellt.
Das Ausbreitungsverhalten geführter Ultraschallwellen ermöglicht die großflächige Prüfung von Platten und schalenförmigen Bauteilen wie Rohren und Laminaten auf Fehlstellen von wenigen Prüfpunkten aus. Während die beschränkte Divergenz der geführten Wellen die Ultraschallprüfung begünstigt, erschwert das dispersive und multimodale Verhalten der Lamb-Wellen die Auswertung der Ultraschallsignale. Die dispersive und multimodale Wellenausbreitung verkompliziert die Bestimmung der Fehlerposition bei der Auswertung der Geschwindigkeiten einzelner Wellenpakete. Zudem ist es herausfordernd, einen einfachen Zusammenhang zwischen den Reflexionen der Fehlstelle und deren Größe und Form herzustellen. Eine Möglichkeit zur genauen Bestimmung der Fehlerposition und -geometrie bietet der direkte Vergleich der Messsignale mit den Signalen aus einem Simulationsmodell. Die Nachbildung des Schadens im Simulationsmodell stellt ein inverses Problem dar, das iterativ gelöst werden kann, indem ein Vorwärtsmodell immer weiter optimiert wird. Klassische Ansätze wie die Finite Elemente Methode (FEM) sind für die Simulation von Ultraschallwellen aufgrund der kleinen Wellenlängen im Vergleich zur Bauteilgröße meist ineffizient. Aus diesem Grund basiert das vorgestellte Vorwärtsmodell auf der semi-analytischen Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM), die große Teile der Wellenausbreitung analytisch berechnet. In diesem Beitrag wird die Validierung des zweidimensionalen Modells an Platten mit einer rechteckigen Nut als Ersatzfehler präsentiert und es werden erste Schritte zur Validierung von 3D-Modellen vorgestellt.
Das Ausbreitungsverhalten geführter Ultraschallwellen ermöglicht die großflächige Prüfung von Platten und schalenförmigen Bauteilen wie Rohren und Laminaten auf Fehlstellen von wenigen Prüfpunkten aus. Während die beschränkte Divergenz der geführten Wellen die Ultraschallprüfung begünstigt, erschwert das dispersive und multimodale Verhalten der Lamb-Wellen die Auswertung der Ultraschallsignale. Die dispersive und multimodale Wellenausbreitung verkompliziert die Bestimmung der Fehlerposition bei der Auswertung der Geschwindigkeiten einzelner Wellenpakete. Zudem ist es herausfordernd, einen einfachen Zusammenhang zwischen den Reflexionen der Fehlstelle und deren Größe und Form herzustellen. Eine Möglichkeit zur genauen Bestimmung der Fehlerposition und -geometrie bietet der direkte Vergleich der Messsignale mit den Signalen aus einem Simulationsmodell. Die Nachbildung des Schadens im Simulationsmodell stellt ein inverses Problem dar, das iterativ gelöst werden kann, indem ein Vorwärtsmodell immer weiter optimiert wird. Klassische Ansätze wie die Finite Elemente Methode (FEM) sind für die Simulation von Ultraschallwellen aufgrund der kleinen Wellenlängen im Vergleich zur Bauteilgröße meist ineffizient. Aus diesem Grund basiert das vorgestellte Vorwärtsmodell auf der semi-analytischen Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM), die große Teile der Wellenausbreitung analytisch berechnet. In diesem Beitrag wird die Validierung des zweidimensionalen Modells an Platten mit einer rechteckigen Nut als Ersatzfehler präsentiert und es werden erste Schritte zur Validierung von 3D-Modellen vorgestellt.
Self-healing polymers have been developed to improve durability and reduce costs associated with maintenance during service. The addition of thermoplastics to thermosets to produce mendable polymers appears as a promising selfhealing technique. In this study, poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) was added to epoxy resin and the effects of EMAA addition on epoxy properties were evaluated. Specimens with two different contents of thermoplastic and particles sizes were manufactured. A two-level full factorial experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of particle size and particle content on properties of epoxy modified with addition of EMAA. Tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used and the evaluated responses were tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and glass transition temperature (Tg). X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to investigate particle size and concentration after manufacturing. It was found that the particle concentration has greater effects on stress–strain behavior of epoxy while Tg was not significantly affected by neither of the analyzed entrance variables.
Various software products for the simulation of industrial X-ray radiography have been developed in recent years (e.g., aRTist 2, CIVA CT, Scorpius XLab, SimCT, Wilcore) and their application potential has been shown in numerous works. However, full systematic approaches to characterise a specific CT system for these simulation software products to obtain a truthful digital twin are still missing. In this contribution, we want to present two approaches to obtain realistic grey values in X-ray projections in aRTist 2 simulations based on measured projections. In aRTist 2, the displayed grey value of a pixel is based on the energy density incident on that pixel.
The energy density is calculated based on the X-ray tube spectrum, the attenuation between source and detector as well as an energy-dependent sensitivity curve of the detector. The first approach presented in this contribution uses the sensitivity curve as a free modelling parameter. We measured the signal response at different thicknesses of Al EN-AW6082 at different tube voltages (i.e., different tube spectra). We then regarded the grey values displayed by these projections as a data regression respectively an optimisation problem and obtained the sensitivity curve that is best able to reproduce the measured behaviour in aRTist 2. The resulting sensitivity curve does not necessarily hold physical meaning but is able to simulate the real system behaviour in the simulation software.
The second approach presented in this contribution is to estimate the sensitivity curve based on assumptions about the characteristics of the scintillation detector (e.g., scintillator material, scintillator thickness and signal processing characteristics). For this approach, a linear response function (linear relationship between the deposited energy per pixel and the resulting grey value) is assumed. If the detector characteristics, which affect the simulated deposited energy, are properly modelled, the slope and offset of the response function to match the measured grey values should be the same for different tube spectra. As the offset is constant and given by the grey values measured at no incident radiation, the slope is the remaining parameter to evaluate the success of the detector modelling. We therefore adapted the detector characteristics by changing the detector setup until the slope was nearly the same for all measured tube spectra. We are aware that the resulting parameters of the scintillator material and thickness might not be the real ones, but with those modelling parameters we are able to simulate realistic grey values in aRTist 2. Both of those approaches could potentially be a step forward to a full systematic approach for a digital twin of a real CT system in aRTist 2.
Relation of craze to crack length during slow crack growth phenomena in high‐density polyethylene
(2024)
The craze‐crack mechanism occurring in high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) causing slow crack growth and environmental stress cracking is investigated in detail with respect to the relation of crack length and the related craze zone. This is essential for the understanding of the resulting features of the formed fracture surface and their interpretation in the context of the transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation. It turns out that an already formed craze zone does not inevitably result in formation of a propagating crack, but could also undergo ductile failure. For the examination, the full notch creep test (FNCT) was employed with a subsequent advanced fracture surface analysis that was performed using various imaging techniques: light microscopy, laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray micro computed tomography scan. FNCT specimens were progressively damaged for increasing durations under standard test conditions applying Arkopal, the standard surfactant solution, and biodiesel as test media were used to analyze the stepwise growth of cracks and crazes. From considerations based on well‐established fracture mechanics approaches, a theoretical correlation between the length of the actual crack and the length of the preceding craze zone was established that could be evidenced and affirmed by FNCT fracture surface analysis. Moreover, the yield strength of a HDPE material exposed to a certain medium as detected by a classic tensile test was found to be the crucial value of true stress to induce the transition from crack propagation due to the craze‐crack mechanism to shear deformation during FNCT measurements.
Highlights
- Progress of crack formation in high‐density polyethylene is analyzed by different imaging techniques
- Determined growth rates depend on distinction between craze zone and crack
- The ratio of the present crack to the anteceding craze zone is validated theoretically
- The transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation is identified
- An already formed craze zone may still fail by ductile mechanisms
Confocal micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) spectroscopy facilitates three-dimensional (3D) elemental imaging of heterogeneous samples in the micrometer range. Laboratory setups using X-ray tube excitation render the method accessible for diverse research fields but interpretation of results and quantification remain challenging. The attenuation of X-rays in composites depends on the photon energy as well as on the composition and density of the material. For confocal micro-XRF, attenuation severely impacts elemental distribution information, as the signal from deeper layers is distorted by superficial layers. Absorption correction and quantification of fluorescence measurements in heterogeneous composite samples have so far not been reported. Here, an absorption correction approach for confocal micro-XRF combining density information from microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) data with laboratory X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and synchrotron transmission measurements is presented. The energy dependency of the probing volume is considered during the correction. The methodology is demonstrated on a model composite sample consisting of a bovine tooth with a clinically used restoration material.
Die additive Fertigung von Metallen hat inzwischen einen Reifegrad erreicht, der einen Einsatz in vielen Industriezweigen ermöglicht oder in greifbare Nähe rückt. Die Vorteile liegen vor allem in der Möglichkeit der Fertigung komplexer Bauteile, die sich konventionell nicht oder nur sehr aufwändig produzieren lassen, sowie in der Fertigung von hochindividualisierten Bauteilen in kleinen Stückzahlen. Allerdings ist der additive Fertigungsprozess hoch komplex und fehleranfällig. Um eine insbesondere für sicherheitsrelevante Bauteile notwendige Qualitätskontrolle zu gewährleisten, ist aktuell aufwändige nachgelagerte ZfP der einzelnen Bauteile notwendig. Alternativen könnten die In-situ-Prozessüberwachung und -prüfung bieten, die aktuell aber noch keinen ausreichenden Entwicklungsstand erreicht haben. Industrielle Fertigungsanlagen bieten keine oder nur geringe Flexibilität und Zugänglichkeit, um umfangreiche Untersuchungen auf diesem Gebiet zu ermöglichen. Daher haben wir an der BAM ein System für den Prozess des selektiven Laserschmelzens (PBF-LB/M) entwickelt, genannt SAMMIE. Es bietet eine komplett offene Systemarchitektur mit voller Kontrolle über den Prozess und flexiblem Zugang zur Baukammer, z.B. optisch sowohl direkt als auch koaxial zum Fertigungslaser. In diesem Beitrag stellen wir das System vor und zeigen erste experimentelle Ergebnisse der In-situ-Überwachung und -prüfung: Thermografische Schmelzbadüberwachung, optische Tomografie und In-situ-Laserthermografie. SAMMIE ermöglicht uns grundlegende Untersuchungen, die helfen werden, die In-situ-Prozessüberwachung und -prüfung weiterzuentwickeln, neue Erkenntnisse über die additive Fertigung zu gewinnen und die Sicherheit und Zuverlässigkeit des Prozesses zu verbessern.
For a deep process understanding of the laser powder bed fusion process (PBF-LB/M), recording of the occurring surface temperatures is of utmost interest and would help to pave the way for reliable process monitoring and quality assurance. A notable number of approaches for in-process monitoring of the PBF-LB/M process focus on the monitoring of thermal process signatures. However, due to the elaborate calibration effort and the lack of knowledge about the occurring spectral directional emissivity, only a few approaches attempt to measure real temperatures. In this study, to gain initial insights into occurring in the PBF-LB/M process, measurements on PBF-LB/M specimens and metal powder specimens were performed for higher temperatures up to T = 1290 °C by means of the emissivity measurement apparatus (EMMA) of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE, Wuerzburg, Germany). Also, measurements at ambient temperatures were performed with a suitable measurement setup. Two different materials—stainless steel 316L and aluminum AlSi10Mg—were examined. The investigated wavelength λ ranges from the visible range (λ-VIS = 0.40–0.75 µm) up to the infrared, λ = 20 µm. The influence of the following factors were investigated: azimuth angle φ, specimen temperature TS, surface texture as for PBF-LB/M surfaces with different scan angles α, and powder surfaces with different layer thicknesses t.
For a deep process understanding of the laser powder bed fusion process (PBF-LB/M), recording of the occurring surface temperatures is of utmost interest and would help to pave the way for reliable process monitoring and quality assurance. A notable number of approaches for in-process monitoring of the PBF-LB/M process focus on the monitoring of thermal process signatures. However, due to the elaborate calibration effort and the lack of knowledge about the occurring spectral directional emissivity, only a few approaches attempt to measure real temperatures. In this study, to gain initial insights into occurring in the PBF-LB/M process, measurements on PBF-LB/M specimens and metal powder specimens were performed for higher temperatures up to T = 1290 °C by means of the emissivity measurement apparatus (EMMA) of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE, Wuerzburg, Germany). Also, measurements at ambient temperatures were performed with a suitable measurement setup. Two different materials—stainless steel 316L and aluminum AlSi10Mg—were examined. The investigated wavelength λ ranges from the visible range (λ-VIS= 0.40–0.75 µm) up to the infrared, λ = 20 µm. The influence of the following factors were investigated: azimuth angle φ, specimen temperature TS, surface texture as for PBF-LB/M surfaces with different scan angles α, and powder surfaces with different layer thicknesses t.
This paper explores combining a gimbal-mounted tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensor and a video camera to create a virtual gas camera for methane leak detection. This provides a low-to-zero-cost extension of typical TDLAS gas tomography systems. A prototype setup mounted on a ground robot is evaluated. Results acquired using a simulated methane leak show the feasibility of the virtual gas camera, accurately detecting methane leaks by overlaying concentrations onto a visual image. While the acquisition time is significantly longer than for traditional gas cameras, potential enhancements are discussed. The study concludes that the virtual gas camera is feasible and useful, despite its longer acquisition time. It serves as a valuable software-only addition to typical TDLAS gas tomography systems, offering quickly-available on-site data augmentation for visual leak assessment at low-to-zero cost.
This paper outlines significant advancements in our previously developed aerial gas tomography system, now optimized to reconstruct 2D tomographic slices of gas plumes with enhanced precision in outdoor environments. The core of our system is an aerial robot equipped with a custom-built 3-axis aerial gimbal, a Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensor for CH4 measurements, a laser rangefinder, and a wide-angle camera, combined with a state-of-the-art gas tomography algorithm. In real-world experiments, we sent the aerial robot along gate-shaped flight patterns over a semi-controlled environment with a static-like gas plume, providing a welldefined ground truth for system evaluation. The reconstructed cross-sectional 2D images closely matched the known ground truth concentration, confirming the system’s high accuracy and reliability. The demonstrated system’s capabilities open doors for potential applications in environmental monitoring and industrial safety, though further testing is planned to ascertain the system’s operational boundaries fully.
Early detection of fatigue cracks and accurate measurements of the crack growth play an important role in the maintenance and repair strategies of steel structures exposed to cyclic loads during their service life. Observation of welded connections is especially of high relevance due to their higher susceptibility to fatigue damage. The aim of this contribution was to monitor fatigue crack growth in thick welded specimens during fatigue tests as holistically as possible, by implementing multiple NDT methods simultaneously in order to record the crack initiation and propagation until the final fracture. In addition to well-known methods such as strain gauges, thermography, and ultrasound, the crack luminescence method developed at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), which makes cracks on the surface particularly visible, was also used. For data acquisition, a first data fusion concept was developed and applied in order to synchronize the data of the different methods and to evaluate them to a large extent automatically. The resulting database can ultimately also be used to access, view, and analyze the experimental data for various NDT methods. During the conducted fatigue tests, the simultaneous measurements of the same cracking process enabled a comprehensive comparison of the methods, highlighting their individual strengths and limitations. More importantly, they showed how a synergetic combination of different NDT methods can be beneficial for implementation in large-scale fatigue testing but also in monitoring and inspection programs of in-service structures - such as the support structures of offshore wind turbines.
Es wird eine Studie zur Charakterisierung eines anisotropen Stahls vorgestellt, bei der Ultraschalluntersuchungen mit Mikrostrukturanalysen verbunden werden. Das Material weist hohe Festigkeit und Korrosionsbeständigkeit auf, zugleich ist mit anisotropen Eigenschaften die mechanischen und betrieblichen Eigenschaften beeinflussen zu rechnen. Vorläufige Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass weitere Untersuchungen notwendig sind, um die Fähigkeiten und Grenzen des Materials genau zu bestimmen. Es wird ein systematischer Ansatz mit Array- Prüfköpfen, Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Technik und mikrostrukturellen Untersuchungen angewendet, um die Wechselwirkung zwischen Anisotropie und Mikrostruktur des Stahls zu analysieren. Ultraschallprüfungen mit der TOFD-Technik und in Tauchtechnik liefern Einblicke in das anisotrope Verhalten des Werkstoffes, einschließlich entsprechenden Kornorientierung, Dämpfung und Schallgeschwindigkeitsvariation. Diese Messungen führen in Verbindung mit mikrostrukturellen Analysen zu einem tieferen Verständnis des Materialverhaltens. Unser Hauptziel ist es, ein Framework zu erstellen, welches die Ultraschallantwort anisotroper Materialien mit ihren mikroskopischen Struktureigenschaften verbindet. Die vorgestellte Methodik ermöglicht eine zerstörungsfreie und zügige Bewertung der Materialintegrität, was besonders bei der Anwendung von Hochleistungsmaterialien relevant ist. Durch diesen integrativen Ansatz werden verschiedener Charakterisierungsmethoden kombiniert, um ein umfassenderes Materialverständnis zu erreichen.
This study explores the acceleration of material design in the concrete industry, focusing on improving carbonation resistance, a key factor in the durability of concrete structures. Traditional tests for carbonation resistance are lengthy, but with the construction industry aiming for sustainable production, finding a balance between carbonation resistance and CO2 footprint is crucial. Our research employs two innovative methods: 1. Applying the Sequential Learning App for Materials Discovery (SLAMD), an AI materials design framework, to an extensive dataset of real-world concrete compositions to selectively test materials that meet market demands: maximum durability, optimal eco-durability, and the best cost-durability trade-off. 2. Investigating 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry as a quick alternative for characterizing carbonation behavior, as it saves time compared to traditional tests and assesses the complete material's pore space. Specific NMR features are then integrated into the material design model, with the model's performance compared against traditional approaches. The results of our study are compelling, demonstrating that materials can be precisely tailored to meet specific requirements with minimal data points. This marks a significant stride in the concrete industry, indicating that NMR-based, low-fidelity surrogate characterizations, combined with a focused, data-driven design approach, can substantially accelerate the development of durable, sustainable concrete mixtures.
The stress-induced tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) zirconia phase transformation can provide a certain degree of plasticity to Ceria-stabilized (Ce-TZP) zirconia-based composites. Characterizing and monitoring this phase transition on a millimeter-size range, within the bulk and in-situ remains a challenge. In this work, the mechanical behavior of Ce-TZP based composite was studied in tension, combining microscopy and synchrotron Xray refraction techniques. In contrast with microscopy methods, which only provide surface information, X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR) allowed the visualization of all the transformation bands, over the entire length and thickness of tested specimens, opening up new avenues for in-situ stress-induced t-m transformation studies.
Adhesively bonded composite joints can develop voids and porosity during fabrication, leading to stress concentration and a reduced load-carrying capacity. Hence, adhesive porosity analysis during the fabrication is crucial to ensure the required quality and reliability. Ultrasonic-guided wave (UGW)-based techniques without advanced signal processing often provide low-resolution imaging and can be ineffective for detecting small-size defects. This article proposes a damage imaging process for adhesive porosity analysis of bonded composite plates using UGWs measured by scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). To implement this approach, a piezoelectric transducer is mounted on the composite joint specimen to generate UGWs, which are measured over a densely sampled area. The signals obtained from the scan are processed using the proposed signal processing in different domains. Through the utilization of filter banks in frequency and wavenumber domains, along with the root-mean-square calculation of filtered signals, damage images of the adhesive region are obtained. It has been observed that different filters provide information related to different void sizes. Combining all the images reconstructed by filters, a final image is obtained which contains damages of various sizes. The images obtained by the proposed method are verified by radiography results and the porosity analysis is presented. The results indicate that the proposed methodology can detect the pores with the smallest detectable pore area of 2.41 mm^2, corresponding to a radius of 0.88 mm, with an overall tendency to overestimate the pore size by an average of 11%.
This study investigates the room‐ and high‐temperature (650 °C) tensile and low‐cycle‐fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 produced by laser powder bed fusion (PBF‐LB/M) with a four‐step heat treatment and compares the results to the conventional wrought material. The microstructure after heat treatment is characterized on different length scales. Compared to the wrought variant, the elastic and yield properties are comparable at both test temperatures while tensile strength, ductility, and strain hardening capacity are lower. The fatigue life of the PBF‐LB/M variant at room temperature is slightly lower than that of the wrought material, while at 650 °C, it is vice versa. The cyclic stress response for both material variants is characterized by cyclic softening, which is more pronounced at the higher test temperature. High strain amplitudes (≥0.7%) at room temperature and especially a high testing temperature result in the formation of multiple secondary cracks at the transitions of regions comprising predominantly elongated grain morphology and columns of stacked grains with ripple patterns in the PBF‐LB/M material. This observation and pronounced crack branching and deflection indicate that the cracks are controlled by sharp micromechanical gradients and local crystallite clusters.
In this presentation, the results of the determination of the diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 are presented. The analysis is based on high-energy synchrotron diffraction experiments performed at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron. It is shown that the characteristic microstructure of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 impacts the elastic anisotropy and therefore the diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants. Finally, the consequences on the diffraction-based residual stress determination of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718 are discussed.
Ziel des FuE-Vorhabens ist die Entwicklung, Aufbau und Validierung eines gasto-mographischen Messsystems basierend auf stationärer und mobiler Sensorik zum Emissionsmonitoring in kommunalen Kläranlagen. Die Gastomographie basiert hierbei im Wesentlichen auf, aus unterschiedlichen Sichtwinkeln aufgenommenen, integralen Konzentrationsmessungen, anhand derer eine Rekonstruktion der Gasverteilung erfolgt. Das FuE-Projekt kombiniert hierfür stationäre Sensornetzwerke mit luftgestützten und bodengebundenen Robotersystemen in einem System. Letztere werden mit Reflektoren und/oder Gasdetektoren ausgestattet. Hierfür werden Open-Path-Gasmesstechnik basierend auf Tunable Diode Laser Ab-sorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS, primär CH4 in ppm·m) und In-situ-Gassensorik (CH4, ppm) auf Basis von z.B. Infrarot eingesetzt. Dies sind zwei komplementäre Methoden der Gasmessung: Die In-situ-Gassensorik ermöglicht Punktmessungen, wohingegen TDLAS-Sensoren Gaskonzentrationen integral über offene Messstre-cken von bis zu 60 m gegen Oberflächen messen. Die In-situ-Gassensorik wird für Referenzmessungen und ggf. zur Erhöhung der Rekonstruktionsqualität zum Ein-satz kommen. Die wesentlichen Neuheiten des Projekts sind:
• 2D-Gastomographie auf Basis eines mit TDLAS-basierter Open-Path-Gasmesstechnik und Reflektoren ausgestatteten heterogenen Messsystems.
• CT-basierte Rekonstruktionsalgorithmen, adaptiert an die komplexen Rahmenbedingungen.
• Validierung des Messsystems anhand realer Messungen auf Kläranlagen.
Automated Wall Thickness Evaluation for Turbine Blades Using Robot-Guided Ultrasonic Array Imaging
(2024)
Nondestructive testing has become an essential part of the maintenance of modern gas turbine blades and vanes since it provides an increase in both safety against critical failure and efficiency of operation. Targeted repairs of the blade’s airfoil require localized wall thickness information. This information, however, is hard to obtain by nondestructive testing due to the complex shapes of surfaces, cavities, and material characteristics. To address this problem, we introduce an automated nondestructive testing system that scans the part using an immersed ultrasonic array probe guided by a robot arm. For imaging, we adopt a two-step, surface-adaptive Total Focusing Method (TFM) approach.
For each test position, the TFM allows us to identify the outer surface, followed by calculating an adaptive image of the interior of the part, where the inner surface’s position and shape are obtained. To handle the large volumes of data, the surface features are automatically extracted from the TFM images using specialized image processing algorithms. Subsequently, the collection of 2D extracted surface data is merged and smoothed in 3D space to form the outer and inner surfaces, facilitating wall thickness evaluation. With this approach, representative zones on two gas turbine vanes were tested, and the reconstructed wall thickness values were evaluated via comparison with reference data from an optical scan. For the test zones on two turbine vanes, average errors ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm were identified, with a standard deviation of 0.06–0.16 mm.
Ultrasonic guided waves interacting with complex geometrical features are of high interest in the SHM field. For example, investigations into the extent to which a small change in defect geometry affects wave propagation have applications in Probability of Detection and defect reconstruction. These fields have to be supported by numerical tools aiming to retrieve accurate and reliable results and, thus, more realistic modeling.
Due to the short wavelengths of ultrasonic waves and the relatively large domains in which the waves propagate, fine grid resolution for the entire domain is usually not possible due to limited computational resources. One solution is to partition the domain into different subdomains and use a specific, efficient approach for each subdomain.
This contribution shows a combination of methods that aims to study these wave defect interactions in an elastic media. Firstly we introduce high-order 3D meshes that can resolve very fine geometrical details and are based on an Octree discretisation technique that employs special transition shape functions to resolve the hanging nodes that may appear due to the nature of the method. Afterward, the Octree mesh is embedded in a prismatic wave-guide based on the semi-analytical formulation of the SBFEM in 3D. To couple the different domains, we employ the mortar method, which enforces the continuity of the wave field across the internal boundaries of the domains. Examples show the power of the approach especially when it comes to parametric analysis.
For structural health monitoring systems or non-destructive testing, it is crucial to study the interactions of ultrasonic-guided waves with inhomogeneities or damage in structural components. Simulation of these interactions poses a challenge.
After the wave-damage interaction, the numerical model must reproduce features like mode conversion or wave scattering. Mathematically, damages are discontinuities in a computational domain, and each interacts diversely depending on its geometrical features. We propose a quadtree-based meshing in the current contribution to capture these geometrical
characteristics.
This kind of discretisation approach requires special techniques to couple cells of different sizes since, after a quadtree decomposition, the problem of so-called hanging nodes may arise. Transition elements based on high-order transfinite shape functions are used to solve this issue. The advantage is that these elements allow the correct coupling of the cells while retaining a high-order interpolation. Moreover, the reuse of the dynamic stiffness matrices can be exploited based on the similarity of the cells. This procedure renders the approach very efficient.
Examples show the scattering characteristics of different guided wave modes after interacting with inhomogeneities and discontinuities in a plate.
Determination of short carbon fiber orientation in zirconium diboride ceramic matrix composites
(2024)
In fiber-reinforced components, the fiber alignment and orientation have paramount influence on the thermomechanical properties of the resulting composite, for both short and continuous fiber. Here we present the case of an ultra-refractory matrix intended for extreme environment applications, ZrB2, reinforced with 20 vol% and 50 vol% short carbon fibers. In both cases, fibers tend to align perpendicular to the uniaxial pressure applied during shaping and sintering of a pellet, although the fiber tilt across the pellet thickness is difficult to determine. Moreover, for high volume fractions of reinforcement, the spatial distribution of the fibers is heterogeneous and tends to have domains of preferential orientations. We compare the information on the fiber distribution as collected by scanning electron microscopy images, X-ray computed tomography and synchrotron X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR). The three techniques prove to be complementary. Importantly, we demonstrate that SXRR yields the most statistically significant information due to the largest field of view, yet with a sensitivity down to the nanometer, and that can be successfully applied also to heavy matrix materials, such as zirconium boride.
AbstractIn this study, we compare the residual stress state in a laser powder bed fusion (PBF‐LB/M) AlSi10Mg alloy in the as‐built (AB) condition with that after two different heat treatments (265 °C for 1 h, HT1; and 300 °C for 2 h, HT2). The bulk residual stress (RS) is determined using synchrotron X‐ray diffraction (SXRD), and near‐surface profiles are determined using laboratory energy‐dispersive X‐ray diffraction (EDXRD). The EDXRD results do not reveal any notable difference between the conditions at a depth of 350 μm, suggesting that the machining process yields a comparable residual stress state in the near‐surface regions. On the other hand, the SXRD results show that HT1 is more effective in relieving the bulk RS. It is observed that HT1 reduces the RS state in both the aluminium matrix and the silicon network. In addtion, HT2 does not have a significant impact on relaxing the RS as‐built state of the matrix, although it does induce a reduction in the RS magnitudes of the Si phase. It is concluded that the heat treatment stress relieving is effective as long as the Si‐network is not disaggregated.
A new titanium alloy improving the operation of implants additively manufactured and including laterally closed lattice structures is proposed. The new alloy possesses an increased affinity to the bone. The measured bone–interface implant (BII) of less than 10 mm and bone–implant contact (BIC) of 95% demonstrated an excellent osseointegration. Furthermore, since additive manufacturing naturally leads to a high-roughness surface finish, the wettability of the implant is increased. The combination of these factors is pushing ossification beyond its natural limits. In addition, the quality and speed of the ossification and osseointegration in/around laterally closed lattice implants open the possibility of bone spline key of prostheses. This enables the stabilization of the implant into the bone while keeping the possibility of punctual hooks allowing the implant to be removed more easily if required.
Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam (PBF-LB) of high γ’ strengthened Ni-base superalloys, such as CM247LC, is of great interest for high temperature applications in gas turbines. However, PBF-LB of CM247LC is challenging due to the high cracking susceptibility during PBF-LB processing (solidification cracking) and heat treatment (strain age cracking, mostly caused by residual stresses). This study focuses on understanding the impact of process parameters on microstructure, residual stresses and solidification cracking. Laser power (P), speed (v) and hatch spacing (h) were varied while the layer thickness (t) was fixed. The melt pool size and shape were found to be key factors in minimizing solidification cracking. Narrower and shallower melt pools, achieved using a low line energy density (LED = P/v ≤ 0.1 J/mm), gave low crack densities (0.7 mm/mm2). A tight hatch spacing (h = 0.03 mm) resulted in reduced lack of fusion porosity. Electron backscatter diffraction investigations revealed that parameters giving finer microstructure with 〈100〉crystallographic texture had low crack densities provided they were processed with a low LED. Atom probe tomography elucidated early stages of spinodal decomposition in the as-built condition, where Cr and Al cluster separately. The extent of spinodal decomposition was found to be affected by the LED and the hatch spacing. Samples with low LED and small hatch spacing showed higher degrees of spinodal decomposition. X-ray diffraction residual stress investigations revealed that the residual stress is proportional to the volumetric energy density (VED = P/(v. h. t)). Although low residual stresses can be achieved by using low VED, there is a high risk of lack of fusion. Hence, other parameters such as modified scan strategy, build plate pre-heating and pulsed laser mode, must be further explored to minimize the residual stresses to reduce the strain age cracking susceptibility.
The overview of the activity of Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing (BAM, Belin, Germany) in the field material characterization by X-ray imaging is presented. The principle of X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) is explained. The multiple examples of application of quantitative analysis by XCT are reported, such as additive manufacturing, Li-ion battery, concrete research.
Bei der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung verlegter Eisenbahnschienen werden die Rohdaten derzeit in proprietären Datenformaten gespeichert und auf Datenträgern zwischen den Prüfzügen und den auswertenden Stellen versendet. Die proprietären Datenformate sind in der Regel nur den Herstellern der Prüfsysteme bekannt und deren Dokumentation nicht allgemein zugänglich.
Das Forschungsprojekt „Artificial Intelligence for Rail Inspection“ (AIFRI) erfordert den Austausch von Prüfdaten in einem offenen Format sowohl zwischen den Projektpartnern als auch die Veröffentlichung anonymisierter Daten ausgewählter Strecken aus dem Offenen Digitalen Testfeld (ODT). Wir haben uns in dem Projekt für die Verwendung der „Standard Practice for Digital Imaging and Communication in Nondestructive Evaluation“ (DICONDE) entschieden. DICONDE basiert auf dem medizinischen Standard „Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine“ (DICOM) und wurde von ASTM an die ZfP angepasst. DICOM bzw. DICONDE ist nicht nur ein Datenformat, sondern beinhaltet auch Kommunikationsschnittstellen für die Auftragsvergabe, Datenübertragung und Abfrage gespeicherter Datensätze aus einem Archiv.
In dem Vortrag werden DICOM und DICONDE vorgestellt, sowie die Verwendung von DICONDE für die Schienenprüfung im Projekt AIFRI näher erläutert. Es wird gezeigt, wie sich Prüfdaten, Prüfparameter, Streckeninformationen incl. Kilometertafeln und Geokoordinaten und Befunde in DICONDE kodieren lassen.
Die Wirbelstromprüfung ist ein bewährtes Verfahren zur zerstörungsfreien Prüfung elektrisch leitfähiger Objekte im oberflächennahen Bereich. Nach einer Einführung in die Wirkungsweise, Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Wirbelstromprüfverfahrens wird am Beispiel des Schreins der Heiligen Drei Könige gezeigt, wie sich mit dem Wirbelstromprüfverfahren unterschiedliche Metalllegierungen unter einer Vergoldung zerstörungsfrei identifizieren lassen.
Der Schrein der Heiligen Drei Könige wurde um das Jahr 1200 von Nikolaus von Verdun erschaffen, ca. 1750 von Johann Rohr und 1807 von Wilhelm Pollack restauriert. Die Restaurierungsarbeiten wurden jedoch nur unvollständig dokumentiert. Es ist bekannt, dass zu den unterschiedlichen Zeiten unterschiedliche Metalllegierungen als Grundmaterial unter der Vergoldung verwendet wurden. Mit Hilfe von Vergleichsproben aus einer Sammlung der Kölner Dombauverwaltung ließen sich die Akanthus-Prägungen des Schreins den verschiedenen Restaurierungen zuordnen.
Currently, mandatory requirements and recommendations for the detection of irregularities in laser beam welded joints are based on classic micrographs as set out in the standard ISO 13919-1:2019. Compared to classic micrographs, computed tomography enables a non-destructive, three-dimensional and material-independent mode of operation, which delivers much more profound results. Even in building material testing, methods with limited informative value can be checked and supplemented by CT examinations.
Die Erzeugung rissschließfreier Anrisse in gekerbten bruchmechanischen Proben für anschließende Ermüdungsversuche kann durch eine zyklische Druckbelastung an der Kerbe erfolgen: Bei der Erstbelastung wird eine plastische Verformung an der Kerbspitze erzeugt, welche Zugeigenspannungen und damit eine risstreibende Kraft bei der folgenden zyklischen Druckbelastung hervorruft. Durch das Risswachstum kommt es zu einer Entspannung, bis der Riss schließlich arretiert, weil die effektive risstreibende Kraft auf den Schwellenwert abgesunken ist. Um Kurzrisswachstum in additiv, mittels pulverbettbasiertem Laserstrahlschmelzen (Laser Powder Bed Fusion - LPBF) gefertigtem AISI 316L Stahl und seinem konventionell erzeugten, warmgewalzten Pendant zu untersuchen, wurde dieses Verfahren im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit genutzt. Im Falle des additiv gefertigten Materials kam es zu unerwartet langem Ermüdungsrisswachstum, bevor der Riss arretierte. Zur Ermittlung der Ursache erfolgte eine Messung der Eigenspannungsverteilungen mittels Neutronendiffraktion in der Kerbebene der additiv gefertigten Proben. Anschließend wurde ein Finite-Elemente-Modell zur Simulation des Ermüdungsrisswachstums in konventionellem und additiv gefertigtem Material implementiert. Im Rahmen dieses Vortrages wird insbesondere auf das Vorgehen bei der Simulation und auf die getroffenen Annahmen und Vereinfachungen eingegangen. Die Resultate werden mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen verglichen und das für die Simulation von Risswachstum genutzte Knoten-Freigabe-Verfahren (Node-Release), das Einbringen von Eigenspannungen als initiale Spannungen in der Simulation, und die Rechengrößen zur Quantifizierung der risstreibenden Kraft kritisch diskutiert.
An observation of the fracture process in front of the crack tip inside a dentin sample by means of ex-situ X-ray computed tomography after uniaxial compression at different deformation values was carried out in this work. This ex-situ approach allowed the microstructure and fracturing process of human dentin to be observed during loading. No cracks are observed up to the middle part of the irreversible deformation in the samples at least visible at 0.4μm resolution. First cracks appeared before the mechanical stress reached the compression strength. The growth of the cracks is realized by connecting the main cracks with satellite cracks that lie ahead of the main crack tip and parallel its trajectory. When under the stress load the deformation in the sample exceeds the deformation at the compression strength of dentin, an appearance of micro-cracks in front of the main cracks is observed. The micro-cracks are inclined (~60°) to the trajectory of the main cracks. The further growth of the main cracks is not realized due to the junction with the micro-cracks; we assume that the micro-cracks dissipate the energy of the main crack and suppressed its growth. These micro-cracks serve as additional stress accommodations, therefore the samples do not break apart after the compression test, as it is usually observed under bending and tension tests.
Efficient density evolution during sintering of the as-printed component is vital to reach full densification and required properties of binder jet (BJT) components. However, due to the high porosity and brittle nature of the green compact, analysis of the microstructure development during sintering is very difficult, resulting in lack of understanding of the densification process. Density development from green state (57 ± 1.6 %) up to full density (99 ± 0.3 %) was characterized by high-resolution synchrotron X-Ray computed tomography (SXCT) on BJT 316L samples from ex-situ interrupted sintering tests. Periodicity of density fluctuations along the building direction was revealed for the first time and was related to the layer thickness of ~ 42 μm during printing that decreased down to ~ 33 μm during sintering. Sintering simulations, utilizing a continuum sintering model developed for BJT, allowed to replicate the density evolution during sintering with a mean error of 2 % and its fluctuation evolution from green (1.66 %) to sintered (0.56 %) state. Additionally, simulation of extreme particle size segregation (1 μm to 130 μm) suggested that non-optimized printing could lead to undesirable density fluctuation amplitude rapid increase (~10 %) during sintering. This might trigger the nucleation of defects (e.g., layer delamination, cracking, or excessive residual porosity) during the sintering process.
AbstractHigh-strength aluminum alloys used in aerospace and automotive applications obtain their strength through precipitation hardening. Achieving the desired mechanical properties requires precise control over the nanometer-sized precipitates. However, the microstructure of these alloys changes over time due to aging, leading to a deterioration in strength. Typically, the size, number, and distribution of precipitates for a quantitative assessment of microstructural changes are determined by manual analysis, which is subjective and time-consuming. In our work, we introduce a progressive and automatable approach that enables a more efficient, objective, and reproducible analysis of precipitates. The method involves several sequential steps using an image repository containing dark-field transmission electron microscopy (DF-TEM) images depicting various aging states of an aluminum alloy. During the process, precipitation contours are generated and quantitatively evaluated, and the results are comprehensibly transferred into semantic data structures. The use and deployment of Jupyter Notebooks, along with the beneficial implementation of Semantic Web technologies, significantly enhances the reproducibility and comparability of the findings. This work serves as an exemplar of FAIR image and research data management.
In this work, the thermal properties of ternary Li₃ₓCo₇₋₄ₓSb₂₊ₓO₁₂ solid solutions are studied for different concentrations in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.7. Samples are elaborated at four different sintering temperatures: 1100, 1150, 1200 and 1250 °C. The effect of increasing the content of Li⁺ and Sb⁵⁺, accompanied by the reduction of Co²⁺, on the thermal properties is studied. It is shown that a thermal diffusivity gap, which is more pronounced for low values of x, can be triggered at a certain threshold sintering temperature (around 1150 °C in this study). This effect is explained by the increase of contact area between adjacent grains. Nevertheless, this effect is found to be less pronounced in the thermal conductivity. Moreover, a new framework for heat diffusion in solids is presented that establishes that both the heat flux and the thermal energy (or heat) satisfy a diffusion equation and therefore highlights the importance of thermal diffusivity in transient heat conduction phenomena.
Manufacturing austenitic stainless steels (ASSs) using additive manufacturing is of great interest for cryogenic applications. Here, the mechanical and microstructural responses of a 316L ASS built by laser powder bed fusion were revealed by performing in situ neutron diffraction tensile tests at the low-temperature range (from 373 to 10 K). The stacking fault energy almost linearly decreased from 29.2 ± 3.1 mJm⁻² at 373 K to 7.5 ± 1.7 mJm⁻² at 10 K, with a slope of 0.06 mJm⁻²K⁻¹, leading to the transition of the dominant deformation mechanism from strain-induced twinning to martensite formation. As a result, excellent combinations of strength and ductility were achieved at the low-temperature range.
Laser powder bed fusion of metallic components (PBF-LB/M) is gaining acceptance in industry. However, the high costs and lengthy qualification processes required for printed components create the need for more effective in-situ monitoring and testing methods. This article proposes multispectral Optical Tomography (OT) as a new approach for monitoring the PBF-LB/M process. Compared to other methods, OT is a low-cost process monitoring method that uses long-time exposure imaging to observe the build process. However, it lacks time resolution compared to expensive thermographic sensor systems. Monochromatic OT (1C-OT) is already commercially available and observes the building process layer-wise using a single wavelength window in the NIR range. Multispectral OT (nC-OT) utilizes a similar setup but can measure multiple wavelength ranges per location simultaneously. By comparing the classical 1C-OT and nC-OT approaches, this article examines the advantages of nC-OT (two channel OT and RGB-OT) in reducing the false positive rate for process deviations and approximating maximum temperatures for a better comparison between different build processes and materials. This could ultimately reduce costs and time for part qualification. The main goal of this contribution is to assess the advantages of nC-OT compared to 1C-OT for in-situ process monitoring of PBF-LB/M.
To evaluate the durability of new alternative cement compositions, it is important to examine the internal transport of moisture through these materials. For this purpose, mortars were prepared from different types of cement and capillary suction experiments were carried out. The moisture transport was studied with an NMR tomograph and compared with weight easurements. With the tomograph, the total moisture input could be determined, as well as the moisture content within the samples non-destructively and spatially resolved. This allows precise observation of the moisture fronts. The tomograph was also used to determine the capillary transport
coefficient.
Offshore wind turbines continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate offshore foundations concepts like monopiles, tripods, or jackets. These components are typically constructed using submerged arc welding (SAW) with high-strength thick steel plates like the S420ML. During welding, the occurrence of delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) must be anticipated. HAC is a critical combination of the local hydrogen concentration within a susceptible microstructure under certain mechanical load, i.e., the occurring (welding) residual stresses. The welding sequence of the thick-walled plates complicates the residual stress distribution due to the necessary repeated thermal cycling, i.e., welding seam/layer deposition to fill the joint. For that purpose, SAW with two-wire-technique was used to weld a specially designed and prototype-like mock-up of a real component with a thickness of 50 mm, filled with over 20 passes and a seam length of 1000 mm. Additional welded stiffeners simulated the effect of a high restraint, to achieve critical HAC conditions. The necessity of a minimum waiting time (MWT) before the NDT can be conducted (to exclude HAC) was critically verified by the application of ultrasonic testing of the welded joint at different time-steps of the NDT of up to 48 h after the completion welding. The residual stresses were determined by a robot XRD goniometer. Tensile residual stresses up to the yield limit are found both in the weld metal and in the heat-affected zone. Numerical modeling allowed the qualitative estimation of the hydrogen diffusion in the weld. No noticeable HAC occurrence was identified and confirms the high cracking resistance of the investigated material. Finally, the applicability of the MWT concept should be critically discussed.
The European Commission has identified Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Materials as two of six Key Enabling Technologies (KETs). It is considered that Metrology is a key enabler for the advancement of these KETs. Consequently, EURAMET, the association of metrology institutes in Europe, has strengthened the role of Metrology for these KETs by enabling the creation of a European Metrology Network (EMN) for Advanced Manufacturing. The EMN is comprised of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) from across Europe and was formally established in October 2021. The aim of the EMN is to provide a high-level coordination of European metrology activities for the Advanced Manufacturing community.
The EMN itself is organized in three sections representing the major stages of the manufacturing chain: 1) Advanced Materials, 2) Smart Manufacturing Systems, and 3) Manufactured Components & Products. The EMN for Advanced Manufacturing is engaging with stakeholders in the field of Advanced Manufacturing (large companies & SMEs, industry organisations, existing networks, and academia), as well as the wider Metrology community, including Technical Committees, to provide input for the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on Metrology for Advanced Manufacturing.
This contribution will give an overview about the first version of the SRA prepared by the EMN for Advanced Manufacturing
Laser powder bed fusion is one of the most promising additive manufacturing techniques for printing complex-shaped metal components. However, the formation of subsurface porosity poses a significant risk to the service lifetime of the printed parts. In-situ monitoring offers the possibility to detect porosity already during manufacturing. Thereby, process feedback control or a manual process interruption to cut financial losses is enabled.
Short-wave infrared thermography can monitor the thermal history of manufactured parts which is closely connected to the probability of porosity formation. Artificial intelligence methods are increasingly used for porosity prediction from the obtained large amounts of complex monitoring data. In this study, we aim to identify the potential and the challenges of deep-learning-assisted porosity prediction based on thermographic in-situ monitoring.
Therefore, the porosity prediction task is studied in detail using an exemplary dataset from the manufacturing of two Haynes282 cuboid components. Our trained 1D convolutional neural network model shows high performance (R2 score of 0.90) for the prediction of local porosity in discrete sub-volumes with dimensions of (700 x 700 x 40) μm³.
It could be demonstrated that the regressor correctly predicts layer-wise porosity changes but presumably has limited capability to predict differences in local porosity. Furthermore, there is a need to study the significance of the used thermogram feature inputs to streamline the model and to adjust the monitoring hardware. Moreover, we identified multiple sources of data uncertainty resulting from the in-situ monitoring setup, the registration with the ground truth X-ray-computed tomography data and the used pre-processing workflow that might influence the model’s performance detrimentally.
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 European Commission has identified Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Materials as two of six Key Enabling Technologies (KETs). It is considered that Metrology is a key enabler for the advancement of these KETs. Consequently, EURAMET, the association of metrology institutes in Europe, has strengthened the role of Metrology for these KETs by enabling the creation of a European Metrology Network (EMN) for Advanced Manufacturing. The EMN is comprised of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) from across Europe and was formally established in October 2021. The aim of the EMN is to provide a high-level coordination of European metrology activities for the Advanced Manufacturing community.
The EMN itself is organized in three sections representing the major stages of the manufacturing chain: 1) Advanced Materials, 2) Smart Manufacturing Systems, and 3) Manufactured Components & Products. The EMN for Advanced Manufacturing is engaging with stakeholders in the field of Advanced Manufacturing (large companies & SMEs, industry organisations, existing networks, and academia), as well as the wider Metrology community, including Technical Committees, to provide input for the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on Metrology for Advanced Manufacturing.
This contribution will give an overview about the first version of the SRA prepared by the EMN for Advanced Manufacturing.
Ziel der Untersuchung: Evaluation der Eignung der Refraktions-Tomographie zur Analyse von Alterungserscheinungen innerhalb von adhäsiv verankerten Materialien vor und nach künstlicher Probenalterung.
Material und Methode: Vier humane mittlere Oberkieferfrontzähne wurden wurzelkanalbehandelt und ausgedehnte Klasse IV Defekte der Krone mit einer Aufbaufüllung aus dualhärtendem Komposit (Rebilda DC, VOCO) und einem Glasfaserstift (Rebilda Post, VOCO) restauriert. Alle Proben wurden feucht gelagert und in einer Synchrotron-Einrichtung (BAMline, BESSY II, HZB) mit einer Pixelgröße von 4,08 µm gescannt. Für diese Synchrotron-Refraktions-Tomographie (SXRCT) muss zunächst der Analysatorkristall (AK) zu einer Bragg-Reflexion (Beugung) angeregt werden, um eine SXRCT durchzuführen. Die SXRCT wird mit einer Transmissions-Tomographie (ohne AK) verrechnet. Darauf folgte eine künstliche Probenalterung mit 400.000 Kau- und 3.000 Thermozyklen (50N, 5-55°C). Anschließend wurden die Proben ein weiteres Mal gescannt. Die Datensätze beider SXRCT wurden mittels des „filtered back projection“ Algorithmus rekonstruiert, mit einer Bildanalyse-Software aufeinander registriert und ausgewertet. Hierdurch konnten die Veränderungen initialer Schädigungen analysiert werden.
Ergebnisse: Alle 4 Proben zeigten in den Scans Veränderungen des inneren Gefüges und an Grenzflächen nach Belastung. Es zeigten sich Ansammlungen von Wasser innerhalb eingeschlossener Hohlräume, subkritisches Risswachstum, Ausdehnung des Komposit und Quellung des Glasfaserstiftes um 0,4%. In den SXRCT Aufnahmen waren außerdem Dentintubuli, die bei Auflösungen von 4,08 µm sonst nicht deutlich sichtbar sind darstellbar. Dadurch konnte Eindringen von Wasser in die Tubuli im Anschluss an die Alterung belegt werden.
Zusammenfassung: SXRCT bietet die Möglichkeit, trotz einer vergleichbar geringen Auflösung, kleinste Strukturen und Veränderungen abzubilden. Dies ermöglicht unter anderem die detaillierte Analyse relativ großer Proben, wie eines vollständigen Zahnes in einem Scanvorgang.
Large temperature gradients inherent to additive manufacturing (AM) processes induce large residual stress (RS) in the final part. Because RS can influence the tribological properties, this study focuses on the relationship between wear sliding properties and RS in IN718 coatings. Such coatings were deposited with a Laser metal deposition (LMD) machine using two different scanning strategies.
The wear resistance and RS state were investigated after surface milling. RS were measured before and after wear tests on a reciprocating sliding test apparatus.
Two different X-ray diffraction techniques were employed to measure the surface and subsurface state RS: Laboratory Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (LEDXD) and Synchrotron X-ray Energy Dispersive Diffraction (SXEDD). Due to the milling process, the coatings show similar depth distributions of RS from 22 to 92 μm depth, but exhibit different magnitudes depending on the scanning strategy used. Reciprocating sliding wear tests induced high compressive residual stresses that erased the initial RS state, and a similar wear behavior was observed in the two samples. These samples possess similar texture and grain morphology. This demonstrates that the influence of RS on wear resistance is a second-order effect. Nevertheless, it was observed that RS can still impact the wear performance at the early testing stages of the repaired parts.
This data article introduces a dataset comprising 1630 alkali-activated concrete (AAC) mixes, compiled from 106 literature sources. The dataset underwent extensive curation to address feature redundancy, transcription errors, and duplicate data, yielding refined data ready for further data-driven science in the field of AAC, where this effort constitutes a novelty. The carbon footprint associated with each material used in the AAC mixes, as well as the corresponding CO2 footprint of every mix, were approximated using two published articles. Serving as a foundation for future expansions and rigorous data applications, this dataset enables the characterization of AAC properties through machine learning algorithms or as a benchmark for performance comparison among different formulations. In summary, the dataset provides a resource for researchers focusing on AAC and related materials and offers insights into the environmental benefits of substituting traditional Portland concrete with AAC.
In recent decades, the number of components in concrete has grown, particularly in formulations aimed at reducing carbon footprints. Innovations include diverse binders, supplementary cementitious materials, activators, concrete admixtures, and recycled aggregates. These developments target not only the enhancement of material properties but also the mitigation of the ecological and economic impacts of concrete — the most extensively used material by humankind. However, these advancements also introduce a greater variability in the composition of raw materials. The material’s behavior is significantly influenced by its nanoscale properties, which can pose challenges in accurate characterization. Consequently, there’s an increasing need for experimental tuning of formulations. This is accompanied by a more inconsistent composition of raw materials, which makes an experimental tuning of formulations more and more necessary. However, the increased complexity in composition presents a challenge in finding the ideal formulation through trial and error. Inverse design (ID) techniques offer a solution to this challenge by allowing for a comprehensive search of the entire design space to create new and improved concrete formulations. In this publication, we introduce the concept of ID and demonstrate how our open-source app “SLAMD” provides all necessary steps of the workflow to adapt it in the laboratory, lowering the application barriers. The intelligent screening process, guided by a predictive model, leads to a more efficient and effective data-driven material design process resulting in reduced carbon footprint and improved material quality while considering socio-economic factors in the materials design.
Large-language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 caught the interest of many scientists. Recent studies suggested that these models could be useful in chemistry and materials science. To explore these possibilities, we organized a hackathon. This article chronicles the projects built as part of this hackathon. Participants employed LLMs for various applications, including predicting properties of molecules and materials, designing novel interfaces for tools, extracting knowledge from unstructured data, and developing new educational applications. The diverse topics and the fact that working prototypes could be generated in less than two days highlight that LLMs will profoundly impact the future of our fields. The rich collection of ideas and projects also indicates that the applications of LLMs are not limited to materials science and chemistry but offer potential benefits to a wide range of scientific disciplines.
Offshore-Windenergieanlagen erfordern Gründungskonzepte aus unterpulver-(UP-)geschweißten Dickblechen (bspw. der Güte S420ML). Während der Schweißfertigung kann eine zeitverzögerte wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung auftreten, deren Bewertung aufgrund der Bauteilgröße von Offshore-Strukturen sehr komplex ist. Deswegen wurde eine bauteilähnliche Geometrie (Mock-Up) entwickelt, um reale Steifigkeitsverhältnisse auf den Labormaßstab zu übertragen. Zusätzliche Versteifungen simulieren die Wirkung einer Einspannung bzw. Schrumpfbehinderung der Schweißnaht. Über die Verwendung von Schweißpulvern mit definierter Feuchte wurden zudem ein Extremszenario der Wasserstoffaufnahme simuliert. Entsprechend der vorgegebenen Mindestwartezeit für die ZfP von bis zu 48 h wurde die Schweißnaht zerstörungsfrei mit Phased-Array-Ultraschall-Prüfung (PAUT) geprüft und die Eigenspannungen über Röntgendiffraktometrie (XRD) bestimmt. Zusätzlich wurde die Wasserstoffverteilung in der Schweißverbindung numerisch simuliert. Außer zulässigen Defekten (wie Poren), wurde keine verzögerte Kaltrissbildung in den Mock-Ups festgestellt, was auf hohe Rissbeständigkeit hindeutet.
Structural alloys are largely employed in key industrial sectors and their demand is predicted to rise rapidly for the next decades. Most of these materials require a large amount of energy for extraction and manufacturing, which causes the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Therefore, strategies for improving the sustainability of structural metallic alloys are urgently needed.
Additive Manufacturing (AM), in particular Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M), aims to be a sustainable manufacturing process, as it allows the build-up of complex geometry in near net-shape from 3D models, while minimizing material waste and the energy required for the process and post-process treatments.
Nevertheless, the application of additively manufactured parts in structural safety-relevant applications is still hindered by the poor fatigue performance. The cause of this has been mainly attributed to the presence of manufacturing defects and surface roughness. Therefore, a huge effort has been made to optimize the process parameters and to introduce post-process treatments to minimize the defect content. However, material flaws cannot be fully eliminated, but these can be considered in a damage tolerance framework for the prediction of the fatigue performance of additively manufactured metallic materials, which is essential for part design and qualification.
This work aims at presenting different modelling strategies for the prediction of the fatigue limit of AM metals. Simple empirical models and more complex models based on fatigue short crack propagation are proposed. The investigated material is an AlSi10Mg alloy fabricated by PBF-LB/M and subjected to two different low-temperature heat-treatments (265°C for 1 h and 300°C for 2h). The results show that the models can provide good approximation of the fatigue limits and help in the interpretation of the scatter of fatigue data.
The overview of the activity of Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing (BAM, Belin, Germany) in the field of additively manufacturing material characterization will be presented. The research of our group is focused on the 3D imaging of AM materials by means of X-ray Computed Tomography at the lab and at synchrotron, and the residual stress characterization by diffraction (nondestructive technique). Also, two successful research project in collaboration with CAM2, Sweden are presented.
In the present study, in-situ observation of Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) procedure of laser powder bed fusion manufactured Ti-6Al-4V parts was performed to quantitatively estimate the densifcation rate of the material and the infuence of the defect initial size and shape on such rate. The observations were performed in-situ using the Ultrafast Tomography Paris-Edinburgh Cell and the combination of fast phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray tomography and energy dispersive difraction. With this strategy, we could quantify how the efectiveness of HIP depends on the characteristics of a defect. Smaller defects showed a higher densifcation rate, while the defect shape did not have signifcant efect on such rate.
The industrial sintering process used to produce metallic matrix pads has been altered to diminish the amount of copper used. Unfortunately, replacing a large part of the copper with iron seems to have reached a limit. In the high-energy, emergency-type rail braking used in this study, the materials are put to the very limit of their usage capacity, allowing us to observe the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered, metallic matrix pads. After the braking test, their compressive behaviour was assessed using digital image correlation (DIC), and their microstructure with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The worn material has three flat layers with different microstructures and compressive behaviours. The boom layer seems unmodified. Macroscopic and microscopic cracks run through the intermediate layer (2–15 mm depth). The top layer has stiffened thanks to resolidification of copper. The temperature reaches 1000 °C during the braking test, which also explains the carbon diffusion into iron that result in the weakening of iron–graphite interfaces in the pad. Finally, submicronic particles are detected at many open interfaces of the worn and compressed pad. Associated with the predominant role of graphite particles, this explains the weak compressive behaviour of the pads.
Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) images of extruded pure aluminum were statistically analyzed to investigate creep-induced subgrain structures after applying two different levels of creep stress, corresponding to the power law (PL) and power-law breakdown (PLB) regimes. Kernel average misorientation analysis of EBSD measurements revealed 2D morphologies, which were subdivided by a multi-step segmentation procedure into subgranular arrangements. Various descriptors were employed to characterize the “subgrains” quantitatively, including their size, shape, spatial arrangement, and crystallographic orientation. In particular, the analysis of the orientations of subgrains was conducted by neglecting rotations around the loading axis. This approach facilitated the individual investigation of the {001} and {111} subgrain families with respect to the loading axis for two investigated stress levels plus a reference specimen. For the PL regime, the statistical analysis of subgrain descriptors computed from segmented image data revealed a similar degree of strain accumulation for {111} and {001} subgrains. In contrast, for the PLB regime, the analyzed descriptors indicate that {111} subgrains tend to accumulate significantly more strain than {001} ones. These observations suggest that the mechanisms leading to PLB may be associated with strain localization dependent on intergranular stress, hindering the recovery process within {111} grains.
Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are a key factor of the sustainable energy generation of tomorrow. The continuously increasing installation depths and weight of the OWTs require suitable foundation concepts like monopiles or tripods. Typically, mild steels like the S420ML are used with plate thicknesses up to several hundreds of mm causing high restraints in the weld joints. Due to the large plate thickness, submerged arc welding (SAW) with multiple wires is the state-of-the-art welding procedure. As a result of the very high stiffness of the construction, a certain susceptibility for time-delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) may occur. The evaluation of crack susceptibility is very complex due to the component size and stiffness of real offshore structures. For this purpose, a near-component test geometry was developed to transfer the real stiffness conditions to laboratory (i.e., workshop) scale. The investigated mock-up, weighing 350 kg, comprised heavy plates (thickness 50 mm, seam length 1,000 m) joined by a 22-pass submerged arc weld. Additional stiffeners simulated the effect of high restraint or shrinkage restraint of the weld. Extreme scenarios of hydrogen absorption during welding were simulated via the use of welding fluxes in dry (HD < 5 ml/100g Fe) and moisture condition (HD > 15 ml/100g Fe). The residual stresses were determined by a robot X-ray diffractometer. Areas of critical tensile residual stress (at the level of the yield strength) were found in the weld metal and heat affected zone. To identify possible delayed cracking, the welds were tested by phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) after 48 h. Summarized, no significant occurrence of HAC was detected, indicating the high crack resistance of the welded joint, i.e., a suitable combination of base material, welding consumable and welding parameters.
The capability to produce complexly and individually shaped metallic parts is one of the main advantages of the laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) process. Development of material and machine specific process parameters is commonly based on results acquired from small cubic test coupons of about 10 mm edge length. Such cubes are usually used to conduct an optimization of process parameters to produce dense material. The parameters are then taken as the basis for the manufacturing of real part geometries. However, complex geometries go along with complex thermal histories during the manufacturing process, which can significantly differ from thermal conditions prevalent during the production of simply shaped test coupons. This may lead to unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities of the microstructure and defect distribution in the final part and it is a root cause of reservations against the use of additive manufacturing for the production of safety relevant parts. In this study, the influence of changing thermal conditions on the resulting melt pool depth of 316L stainless steel specimens is demonstrated. A variation of thermo-graphically measured intrinsic preheating temperatures was triggered by an alteration of inter layer times and a variation of cross section areas of specimens for three distinct sets of process parameters. Correlations between the preheating temperature, the melt pool depth, and occurring defects were analyzed. The limited expressiveness of the results of small density cubes is revealed throughout the systematic investigation. Finally, a clear recommendation to consider thermal conditions in future process parameter optimizations is given.
Monitoring and maintenance of civil infrastructure are of great importance, as any undetected damage can cause high repair costs, unintended deadtime, or endanger structural integrity. The inspection of large concrete structures such as bridges and parking lots is particularly challenging and time-consuming. Traditional methods are mostly manual and involve mapping a grid of measurement lines to record the position of each measurement. Current semi-automated methods, on the other hand, use GPS or tachymeters for localization but still require trained personnel to operate. An entirely automated approach using mobile robots would be more cost- and time-efficient. While there have been developments in using GPS-enabled mobile robots for bridge inspection, the weak signal strength in indoor areas poses a challenge for the automated inspection of structures such as parking lots. This paper aims to develop a solution for the automated inspection of large indoor concrete structures by addressing the problem of robot localization in indoor spaces and the automated measurement of concrete cover and rebar detection.
The capability to produce complexly and individually shaped metallic parts is one of the main advantages of the laser powder bed fusion (PBF LB/M) process. Development of material and machine specific process parameters is commonly based on results acquired from small cubic test coupons of about 10 mm edge length. Such cubes are usually used to conduct an optimization of process parameters to produce dense material. The parameters are then taken as the basis for the manufacturing of real part geometries. However, complex geometries go along with complex thermal histories during the manufacturing process, which can significantly differ from thermal conditions prevalent during the production of simply shaped test coupons. This may lead to unexpected and unpredicted local inhomogeneities of the microstructure and defect distribution in the final part and it is a root cause of reservations against the use of additive manufacturing for the production of safety relevant parts. In this study, the influence of changing thermal conditions on the resulting melt pool depth of 316L stainless steel specimens is demonstrated. A variation of thermo-graphically measured intrinsic preheating temperatures was triggered by an alteration of inter layer times and a variation of cross section areas of specimens for three distinct sets of process parameters. Correlations between the preheating temperature, the melt pool depth, and occurring defects were analyzed. The limited expressiveness of the results of small density cubes is revealed throughout the systematic investigation. Finally, a clear recommendation to consider thermal conditions in future process parameter optimizations is given.
This study was carried out to investigate the neutron transmission signal as a function of sample temperature during a welding process. A theoretical description that includes the Debye-Waller factor was used to describe the temperature influence on the neutron crosssections. Neutron imaging using a monochromatic beam helps to observe transmission variations related to the material temperature. In-situ neutron imaging of welding experiments show the distribution of the temperature in bulk steel samples. The performed finite element modelling of expected temperature distributions shows good agreement with the obtained experimental data.