Laser Engineering Net Shaping Method in the Area of Development of Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) for Aero Engine Applications - A Review

Modern aero engine components are subjected to extreme conditions were high wear rate, excessive fatigue cycles, and severe thermal attack are inevitable. These aggressive conditions reduce the service life of components. Its generic effect is magnified in the light of understanding the fact that aero engine parts are highly sensitive to functional and dimensional precision; therefore, repair and replacement are great factors that promote downtime during operation. Hard thermal barrier coatings have been used in recent times due to their optimized properties for maximum load bearing proficiency with high temperature capability to meet performance and durability required. Nevertheless, less emphasis is being given to the coating-substrate interaction. Functionally graded structures have better synergy and flexibility in composition than coatings, giving rise to controlled microstructure and improved properties in withstanding acute state of affairs. Such materials can be fabricated using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™), a laser-based additive manufacturing technique. LENS™ offers a great deal in rapid prototyping, repair, and fabrication of three-dimensional dense structures with superior properties in comparison with traditionally fabricated structures. The manufacture of aero engine components with functionally graded materials, using LENS™, can absolutely mitigate the nuisance of buy-to-fly ratio, lost time in repair and maintenance, and maximize controlled dimension and multi-geometric properties, enhanced wear resistance, and high temperature strength. This review presents an extensive contribution in terms of insightful understanding of processing parameters and their interactions on fabrication of functionally graded stainless steel, which definitely influence the final product quality

Laser Surface Modification — A Focus on the Wear Degradation of Titanium Alloy

Over the years, engineering materials are being developed due to the need for better service performance. Wear, a common phenomenon in applications requiring surface interaction, leads to catastrophic failure of materials in the industry. Hence, preventing this form of degradation requires the selection of an appropriate surface modification technique. Laser surface modification techniques have been established by researchers to improve mechanical and tribological properties of materials. In this chapter, adequate knowledge about laser surface cladding and its processing parameters coupled with the oxidation, wear and corrosion performances of laser-modified titanium has been reviewed

Influence of Rapid Solidification on the Thermophysical and Fatigue Properties of Laser Additive Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Modern industrial applications require materials with special surface properties such as high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance. The performance of material surface under wear and corrosion environments cannot be fulfilled by the conventional surface modifications and coatings. Therefore, different industrial sectors need an alternative technique for enhanced surface properties. The purpose of this is to change or enhance inherent properties of the materials to create new products or improve on existing ones. The most effective and economical engineering solution to prevent or minimize such surface region of a component is done by fiber lasers. Additive manufacturing (AM) is a breaking edge fabrication technique with the possibility of changing the perception of design and manufacturing as a whole. It is well suitable for the building and repairing applications in the aerospace industry which usually requires high level of accuracy and customization of parts which usually employ materials known to pose difficulties in fabrication such as titanium alloys. The current development focus of AM is to produce complex shaped functional metallic components, including metals, alloys and metal matrix composites (MMCs), to meet demanding requirements from aerospace, defense, and automotive industries

The Effects of Rapid Cooling on the Improved Surface Properties of Aluminium Based Coatings by Direct Laser Deposition

The deterioration of materials during industrial application poses a serious threat to the materials structural integrity. A material’s susceptibility to wear and surface damage can be reduced by alteration of its surface chemistry, morphology and crystal structure. Therefore, modification of surface properties plays an important role in optimizing a material’s performance for a given application. Modern industrial applications require materials with special surface properties such as high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance, therefore materials engineers are vital to regularly examine how the microstructure of a material can be altered. Aluminium-based alloys have a wide application in the automotive, domestic and aerospace industries due to their excellent mechanical properties such as good weldability, sound castability and outstanding resistance to corrosion. The purpose of this research is to enhance inherent properties of the materials to create new products or improve on existing ones. The most effective engineering solution to prevent or minimize such surface region of a component is done by fibre lasers. It was concluded that Hypereutectic Al-Si alloys having transition metals are exceptional materials due to their specific properties. The addition of Cu, Fe, Cr, Si, Mg and Ni to Al-based alloys can improve the mechanical properties at both ambient and elevated temperatures

Influence of rapid solidification on the thermophysical and fatigue properties of laser addictive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Abstract: Modern industrial applications require materials with special surface properties such as high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance. The performance of material surface under wear and corrosion environments cannot be fulfilled by the conventional surface modifications and coatings. Therefore, different industrial sectors need an alternative technique for enhanced surface properties. The purpose of this is to change or enhance inherent properties of the materials to create new products or improve on existing ones. The most effective and economical engineering solution to prevent or minimize such surface region of a component is done by fiber lasers. Additive manufacturing (AM) is a breaking edge fabrication technique with the possibility of changing the perception of design and manufacturing as a whole. It is well suitable for the building and repairing applications in the aerospace industry which usually requires high level of accuracy and customization of parts which usually employ materials known to pose difficulties in fabrication such as titanium alloys. The current development focus of AM is to produce complex shaped functional metallic components, including metals, alloys and metal matrix composites (MMCs), to meet demanding requirements from aerospace, defense, and automotive industries

Geophysical assessment of subsurface conditions at proposed building sites: implications for foundation failure and building collapse

Building collapse has been a recurrent environmental hazard in Nigeria in the last two decades. This is a corollary of inadequate foundation investigation prior to construction, poor government policies, and general lack of awareness on the importance of geophysical and geotechnical investigations. In this study, geological mapping and detailed geophysical investigation using Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were carried out to understand the suitability of proposed building sites at the main campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria for construction. Both Wenner array and dipole-dipole were used for profiling and Schlumberger for sounding. Four transverses and VES were used in each of the three areas investigated. Our results show that the subsurface of the study areas is underlain by Precambrian basement rock of Nigeria. Rocks in the study area include banded gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss, biotite-hornblende granite and quartzite schist. The sounding stations across the three areas and 2D resistivity imaging revealed three principal geoelectric layers, the topsoil, the weathered layer and the fractured/fresh basement with varied resistivity values for each layers. At the VES stations, the three geoelectric layers have resistivity values of 62 to 1182 Ωm, 3.2 to 1360Ωm and 87 to 4680 Ωm. On the 2D resistivity imaging profiles, the resistivity of the three layers varies from 2 to 1182 Ωm, 30to 1360 Ωm, and 40 to 2904 Ωm for the topsoil, the weathered basement, and fractured/fresh bedrock. Our work demonstrates that some of the proposed sites are structurally incompetent for engineering or foundation purposes. Excavation of the topsoil and reinforcement are required to sustain the proposed structures

Computational Dynamics of Anti-Corrosion Performance of Laser Alloyed Metallic Materials

Laser surface alloying (LSA) is a material processing technique that utilizes the high power density available from defocused laser beam to melt both reinforcement powders and a part of the underlying substrate. Because melting occurs solitary at the surface, large temperature gradients exist across the boundary between the underlying solid substrate and the melted surface region, which results in rapid self-quenching and resolidifications. Reinforcement powders are deposited in the molten pool of the substrate to produce corrosion-resistant coatings. These processes influence the structure and properties of the alloyed region. A 3D mathematical model is developed to obtain insights on the behavior of laser melted pools subjected to various process parameters. It is expected that the melt pool flow, thermal and solidification characteristics will have a profound effect on the microstructure of the solidified region

Grey-based taguchi method for multi-weld quality optimization of gas metal arc dissimilar joining of mild steel and 316 stainless steel

Welding processes play a significant role in many fabrication and manufacturing industries. Among various welding processes that have been developed over the years, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Metal Inert Gas Welding (MIG) has received a lot of interest due to its ability to weld a variety of metallic materials, easy adaptation for automation, high deposition rate, high efficiency, and low capital requirement. This study focus on the optimization of the multi-performance characteristics of MIG welded butt joint of AISI 1008 mild steel and AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel by hybrid Grey based Taguchi method. L9 Taguchi orthogonal array was adopted for the optimization of the MIG welding current, voltage and gas flow rate. The weld joint integrity has been assessed in terms of the tensile strength, yield strength, percentage elongation and Vickers microhardness of the fusion zone. Welding current of 180 A, voltage of 14 V, and gas flow rate of 19 l/min were obtained as the optimal parameter setting for the MIG welding process. The tensile strength, yield strength, percentage elongation and hardness of 559.25 MPa, 382.22 MPa, 33.34%, and 250.63 HV respectively were obtained at the optimal setting. Voltage was the most significant process parameter with 63.76% contribution for the multi-performance of the weldments. The confirmatory test was performed to validate the optimization process which proved Grey based Taguchi method to be an easy but yet effective method for multi-performance characteristics optimization of welded joints

TIG Welding Methods of Repairing Steel Components with Stainless Steel Coatings

Structural steel components tend to wear when exposed to corrosive and cyclic loading environments. These components can be repaired by welding on failure. This study studied the weld parameters and weld quality (porosity, depth of penetration, and coating thickness), hardness, corrosion, and wear resistance during repair welding. Mild steel samples were weld coated by varying alternating (AC) and direct (DC) currents: 40 A, 50 A, 55 A, 60 A, 65 A, and 70 A. The base material used was AISI 1045 steel, and Castolin 6825 was used as the welding electrode. The results showed that three wear mechanisms were dominant: abrasion, adhesion, and delamination. The porosity in the coated samples increased with increasing currents for both AC and DC. The welding current and current type influenced the coating thickness and penetration depth. When dipped in warm NaCl solution, the corrosion mechanism experienced by both sets of coated samples was pitting corrosion. In both cases (alternating and direct currents), the hardness values increased towards the coating surface from the substrate

The Interplay of Thermal Gradient and Laser Process Parameters on the Mechanical Properties, Geometrical and Microstructural Characteristics of Laser-Cladded Titanium (Ti6Al4V) Alloy Composite Coatings

With the development of laser surface modification techniques like direct laser metal deposition (DLMD), titanium alloy (TI6Al4V) may now have its entire base metal microstructure preserved while having its surface modified to have better characteristics. Numerous surface issues in the aerospace industry can be resolved using this method without changing the titanium alloy’s primary microstructure. As a result, titanium alloy is now more widely used in sectors outside of aerospace and automotive. This is made possible by fabricating metal composite coatings on titanium alloys using the same DLMD method. Any component can be repaired using this method, thereby extending the component’s life. The experimental process was carried out utilizing a 3000 W Ytterbium Laser System at the National Laser Centre of the CSIR in South Africa. Through the use of a laser system, AlCuTi/Ti6Al4V was created. The characterization of the materials for grinding and polishing was performed according to standard methods. There is a substantial correlation between the reinforcement feed rate, scan speed, and laser power components. Due to the significant role that aluminum reinforcement played and the presence of aluminum in the base metal structure, Ti-Al structures were also created. The reaction and solidification of the copper and aluminum reinforcements in the melt pool produced the dendritic phases visible in the microstructures. Compared to the base alloy, the microhardness’s highest value of 1117.2 HV1.0 is equivalent to a 69.1% enhancement in the hardness of the composite coatings. The enhanced hardness property is linked to the dendritic phases formed in the microstructures as a result of optimized process parameters. Tensile strengths of laser-clad ternary coatings also improved by 23%, 46.2%, 13.1%, 70%, 34.3%, and 51.7% when compared to titanium alloy substrates. The yield strengths of laser-clad ternary coatings improved by 19%, 46.7%, 12.9%, 69.3%, 34.7%, and 52.1% when compared to the titanium alloy substrate