42 research outputs found
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Integrating UC and FDM to Create a Support Materials Deposition System
Currently there is no automated deposition system available for support materials in
Ultrasonic Consolidation. Support materials are important to the UC technology because of the
benefits that can be geometrically achieved. Without an integrated support materials system
many geometries and features will be impossible to create. This paper describes the approach
taken to integrate UC and FDM in order to automatically deposit materials as a support in a UC
machine. This includes the process setup, design, and planning. Finally a build process
integrating the two machines is shown to demonstrate that automated support material deposition
in UC is possible.Mechanical Engineerin
Expanding the Applicability of FDM-type Technologies Through Materials Development
Currently, the most common form of additive manufacturing is material extrusion 3D
printing (ME3DP) based on fused deposition modeling (FDM®) technology which relies upon a
thermoplastic monofilament as a base material for the fabrication of three dimensional objects.
The dependence on thermoplastics as a feedstock by ME3DP platforms limits the applicability of
this additive manufacturing method. A clear-cut path towards greater applicability is the
introduction of novel materials with diverse physical properties which maintain compatibility
with 3D printing platforms based on FDM® technology. The work in this paper presents efforts
in the development of polymer matrix composites (PMC)s and polymer blends based on
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC), two thermoplastic materials
commonly used by FDM®-type platforms. Mechanical testing and fractography via scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) were the two main metrics used to characterize these new material
systems. Overcoming barriers to the manufacturing of these novel 3D-printable materials
systems is also presented.Mechanical Engineerin
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Cooperative Fabrication Methodology for Embedding Wireon Corved Surfaces
In conventional additive manufacturing (AM), an object is fabricated by depositing material in a
layer by layer fashion. Typically, this process is retained so that deposition can occur on flat
surfaces and motion can be constrained to requiring only three degrees of freedom (DOF) in a
Cartesian coordinate system. When incorporating wire in three-dimensional (3D) objects, there is
sometimes a need for placement along curved surfaces on which positions are defined not only
by 3D Cartesian coordinates but also angular ones. Therefore, a minimum of two additional
DOFs are required allowing movement to be generated at the build platform as well as of the
extrusion head. This paper addresses a method for trajectory planning of both systems, that is,
the extrusion head and the movable build platform, allowing for cooperative and harmonic
motion between the two.Mechanical Engineerin
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Comparison of Microstructures and Mechanical Properties for Solid Cobalt-Base Alloy Components and Biomedical Implant Prototypes Fabricated by Electron Beam Melting
The microstructures and mechanical behavior of simple, as-fabricated, solid
geometries (with a density of 8.4 g/cm3), as-fabricated and fabricated and annealed
femoral (knee) prototypes all produced by additive manufacturing (AM) using electron
beam melting (EBM) of Co-26Cr-6Mo-0.2C powder are examined and compared in this
study. Microstructures and microstructural issues are examined by optical metallography,
SEM, TEM, EDS, and XRD while mechanical properties included selective specimen
tensile testing and Vickers microindentation (HV) and Rockwell C-scale (HRC) hardness
measurements. Orthogonal (X-Y) melt scanning of the electron beam during AM
produced unique, orthogonal and related Cr23C6 carbide (precipitate) cellular arrays with
dimensions of ~2ÎĽm in the build plane perpendicular to the build direction, while
connected carbide columns were formed in the vertical plane, parallel to the build
direction.Mechanical Engineerin
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Microstructure Architecture Development in Metals and Alloys By Additive Manufacturing Using Electron Beam Melting
The concept of materials with controlled microstructural architecture (MCMA) to
develop and fabricate structural materials with novel and possibly superior properties and
performance characteristics is a new paradigm or paradigm extension for materials science and
engineering. In the conventional materials science and engineering paradigm, structure
(microstructure), properties, processing, and performance features are linked in the development
of desirable materials properties and performance through processing methodologies which
manipulate microstructures. For many metal or alloy systems, thermomechanical treatment
combining controlled amounts of plastic deformation with heat treatment or aging cycles can
achieve improved mechanical properties beyond those attainable by conventional processing
alone (such as rolling or forging for example) through controlled microstructure development. In
this paper we illustrate a new concept involving the fabrication of microstructural architectures
by the process development and selective manipulation of these microstructures ideally defining
material design space. This allows for the additional or independent manipulation of material
properties by additive manufacturing (AM) using electron beam melting (EBM). Specifically we
demonstrate the novel development of a carbide (M23C6) architecture in the AM of a Co-base
alloy and an oxide (Cu2O) precipitate-dislocation architecture in the AM of an oxygen-containing Cu. While more conventional processing can produce various precipitate
microstructures in these materials, EBM produces spatial arrays of precipitate columns or
columnar-like features often oriented in the build direction. These microstructural architectures
are observed by optical microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
Prospects for EBM architecture development in precipitation-hardenable Al alloys is also
discussed. In the EBM build process using precursor powders, the electron beam parameters
(including beam focus, scan speed and sequencing) produce localized, requisite thermodynamic
regimes which create or organize the precipitate-related spatial arrays. This feature demonstrates
the utility of AM not only in the fabrication of complex components, but also prospects for
selective property design using CAD for MCMA development: a new or extended processing-microstructure-property-performance paradigm for materials science and engineering in
advanced manufacturing involving solid free-form fabrication (SFF).Mechanical Engineerin
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Effect of Build Parameters and Build Geometries on Residual Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Components Built by Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
In this study, involving additive manufacturing (AM) using electron beam melting (EBM), we
have examined build defects which result from beam tripping, porosities (including unmelted or
unsintered zones) due to excursions from optimal build parameters (especially variations in melt
scan beam current and scan speed), and gas bubbles trapped in atomized Ti-6Al-4V starting
powder as well as recycled powder, and retained in the build. At optimized build conditions we
have also examined microstructure-mechanical property (hardness, tensile strength, and
elongation) variations for multiple rake building and multiple melt scans using optical
metallography and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). These
build variances cause cooling rate variances which promote α-phase growth and variations in
dislocation density, as well as α-to-α' (martensite) phase changes, all of which produce some
degree of mechanical property variations. These features (especially α-to-α' phase changes) are
notable on comparing solid builds in comparison with a variety of mesh arrays where strut
dimension and build-element complexities alter the cooling rates in a significant way. We
illustrate these microstructure variations with corresponding variations in microindentation
hardness measurements made directly on fine mesh (strut) structures. Finally, we have examined
Ti-6Al-4V powder chemistries and solid build chemistries which for single-pass melt scans at
optimized build conditions are shown to be relatively constant up to 40 cycles of powder reuse
with the exception of Al content which was reduced by 10 to 15% in solid builds at optimized
conditions. However, Al loss in solid builds approached 25% for multiple (2 and 3) melt scans,
while no changes in Ar gas-bubble density were observed with changes in α-phase (grain) width
which increased from 3 µm for a single melt scan to 4.5 and 6 µm for 2 and 3 melt scans,
respectively. Corresponding Rockwell C-scale (HRC) hardness varied from 37, 36, and 35,
respectively; with ultimate tensile strengths exceeding 1.2 GPa at elongations of 12% or higher
for this melt scan sequence.Mechanical Engineerin
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EXPLORING IN718 ALLOY PRODUCTION WITH BI-DIRECTIONAL RASTER AND STOCHASTIC SPOT MELTING TECHNIQUES USING AN OPEN-SOURCE ELECTRON MELTING SYSTEM
This study compares the fabrication of IN718 alloy using bi-directional raster and stochastic spot melting
techniques with the open-source FreemeltOne Electron Beam Melting (EBM) system. The research aimed to
produce dense parts using both scanning strategies, employing custom Python code for raster melt beam path
generation and PixelMelt software for stochastic spot melting path generation. After optimizing process
parameters, 10mm height builds for each scanning strategy were fabricated, and their microstructure, hardness,
and density were analyzed using optical microscopy and SEM, Vickers microhardness scale, and a pycnometer.
The findings reveal valuable insights into the effects of scanning strategies on the microstructure, hardness, and
density of IN718 alloy components, advancing additive manufacturing knowledge.Mechanical Engineerin
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RESIDUAL STRESS AND DEFORMATION ANALYSIS OF INCONEL 718 ACROSS VARYING OVERHANGS IN LASER POWDER BLOWN DIRECTED ENERGY DEPOSITION
Any metal that is subjected to rapid heat and cooling will undergo the development of
residual stresses. As they experience intense temperature fluctuations, this will consequently alter
the way the material will behave. This issue proves to be of great concern within additive
manufacturing. That said, the presence of temperature fluctuations is more prominent in Directed
energy deposition (DED), whereas other methods of manufacturing are more prominent in the
pre- or post- printing process. This in turn means the deformation, as well as the redistribution of
the residual stresses within pieces, are subject to variance by several process parameters set
during a print. By using the Inconel 718 alloy feedstock in RPMI’s Laser Powder Directed
Energy Deposition (LP-DED) printer, a series of coupons with four different overhang angles
and laser power outputs will determine how these changes thermo-mechanically affect the prints
through the use of FEA simulations and scans.Mechanical Engineerin
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Microstructural and microhardness variations of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additively manufactured Inconel 718 due to machine variability and wall thickness for aerospace applications
This paper reports on a study investigating the microstructure and microhardness of thin walls
fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) from sixteen geometric feature build plates. The
study evaluated any variance in those properties with the variation in thickness by characterizing
the XY and YZ planes of seven thin walls of different thicknesses and the base parts. Electron
Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis with inverse pole figure (IPF) mapping was done for four
samples from four different machine manufacturers. From the EBSD grain boundary map, the
microstructure is composed of equiaxed grains with a lower threshold angle with smaller grains in
the border area. Compositional analysis for both the powders and the resulting fully heat-treated LPBF manufactured material was analyzed for alloy element stability and contaminants using 10 mg
samples. The paper concludes by showing the relationship between composition and
microstructural properties.Mechanical Engineerin
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Fatigue Endurance Investigation of Post-processed Surfaces of LPBF Ti-6Al-4V under Flexural Stress
Numerous research works can be found focusing on fatigue properties of AM components,
however most of this literature is focused on uniaxial testing. Because the very few actual
components under uniaxial loading conditions found in any application, it is also important to
investigate fatigue performance under loads that produce combined stresses, such as bending. This
project investigates the fatigue endurance of LPBF Ti-6Al-4V specimens subjected to four
different surface finishing prost-processes (milled, ground, polished and abrasive media). The test
consisted of a force-controlled cyclic load applied on the specimen in a 4-point bending setup until
fracture. The study incorporated mechanical and optical techniques to measure and quantify the
characteristic surface roughness of the post-processes. Additionally, failure mechanisms are
discussed on fractographs. The data analyses suggested that internal defects commonly present in
additively manufactured parts had a more significant impact on the fatigue life than surface
roughness of post-processed parts.Mechanical Engineerin