39 research outputs found
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Processing and Microstructure of WC-CO Cermets by Laser Engineering Net Shaping
Submicron-sized tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) powder and nanostructured WC-Co
powder were applied to make thick wall samples by the Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS®)
process. It was found that decomposition and decarburization of WC was limited during laser
deposition because of the features of the LENS® process: high cooling rate, short heating time,
and low oxygen concentration. The effects of working distance, as well as laser power, powder
feed rate, and traverse speed on microstructure were studied in this paper. Thermal behavior
leading to the observed microstructures that result from the variations in the processing
parameters was investigated in detailMechanical Engineerin
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On the Interface Between LENS® Deposited Stainless Steel 304L Repair Geometry and Cast or Machined Components
Laser Engineered Net Shaping™ (LENS®) is being evaluated for use as a metal component
repair/modification process. A component of the evaluation is to better understand the characteristics of
the interface between LENS deposited material and the substrate on which it is deposited. A processing
and metallurgical evaluation was made on LENS processed material fabricated for component
qualification tests. A process parameter evaluation was used to determine optimum build parameters
and these parameters were used in the fabrication of tensile test specimens to study the characteristics of
the interface between LENS deposited material and several types of substrates. Analyses of the
interface included mechanical properties, microstructure, and metallurgical integrity. Test samples
were determined for a variety of geometric configurations associated with interfaces between LENS
deposited material and both wrought base material or previously deposited LENS material. Thirteen
different interface configurations were fabricated for evaluation representing a spectrum of deposition
conditions from complete part build, to hybrid substrate-LENS builds, to repair builds for damaged or
re-designed housings. Good mechanical properties and full density were observed for all configurations.
When tested to failure, fracture occurred by ductile microvoid coalescence. The repair and hybrid
interfaces showed the same metallurgical integrity as, and had properties similar to, monolithic LENS
deposits.Mechanical Engineerin
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Sacrificial Materials for the Fabrication of Complex Geometries with LENS
Mechanical Engineerin
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Thermal Behavior in the Lens Process
Direct laser metal deposition processing is a promising manufacturing technology which
could significantly impact the length oftime between initial concept and finished part. For
adoption ofthis technology in the manufacturing environment, further understanding is required
to ensure robust components with appropriate properties are routinelyfabricated. This requires a
complete understanding ofthe thermal history.during part fabrication and control ofthis behavior.
This paper will describe our research to understand the thermal behavior for the Laser Engineered
Net Shaping (LENS) process!, where a component is fabricated by focusing a laser beam onto a
substrate to create a molten pool in which powder particles are simultaneously injected to build
each layer. The substrate is moved beneath the l~ser beam to deposit a thin cross section, thereby
creating the desired geometry for each layer. After deposition of each layer, the powder delivery
nozzle and focusing lens assembly is incremented in the positive Z-direction, thereby building a
three dimensional component layer additively.
It is important to control the thermal behavior to reproducibly fabricate parts. The
ultimate intent is to monitor the thermal signatures and to incorporate sensors and feedback
algorithms to control part fabrication. With appropriate control, the geometric properties
(accuracy, surface finish, low warpage) as well as the materials' properties (e.g. strength,
ductility) of a component can be dialed into the part through the fabrication parameters. Thermal
monitoring techniques will be described, and their particular benefits highlighted. Preliminary
details in correlating thermal behavior with processing results will be discussed.Mechanical Engineerin
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New low cost material development technique for advancing rapid prototyping manufacturing technology.
Multi-Material Processing By Lens
During the past few years, solid freeform fabrication has evolved into direct fabrication of
metallic components using computer aided design (CAD) solid models. [1-4] Laser Engineered
Net Shaping (LENS™) is one such technique [5-7] being developed at Sandia to fabricate high
strength, near net shape metallic components. In the past two years a variety of components have
been fabricated using LENS™ for applications ranging from prototype parts to injection mold
tooling. [8]
To advance direct fabrication capabilities, a process must be able to accommodate a wide
range ofmaterials, including alloys and composites. This is important for tailoring certain
physical properties critical to component performance. Examples include graded deposition for
matching coefficient ofthermal expansion between dissimilar materials, layered fabrication for
novel mechanical properties, and new alloy design where elemental constituents and/or alloys are
blended to create new materials. In this paper, we will discuss the development ofprecise
powder feeding capabilities for the LENSTM process to fabricate graded or layered material parts.
We also present preliminary results from chemical and microstructural analysis.Mechanical Engineerin
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Near Net Shape production of metal components using LENS
Rapid Prototyping and Near Net Shape manufacturing technologies are the subject of considerable attention and development efforts. At Sandia National Laboratories, one such effort is LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping). The LENS process utilizes a stream of powder and a focused Nd YAG laser to build near net shape fully dense metal parts. In this process, a 3-D solid model is sliced, then an X-Y table is rastered under the beam to build each slice. The laser 1 powder head is incremented upward with each slice and the deposition process is controlled via shuttering of the laser. At present, this process is capable of producing fully dense metal parts of iron, nickel and titanium alloys including tool steels and aluminides. Tungsten components have also been produced. A unique aspect of this process is the ability to produce components wherein the composition varies at differing locations in the part. Such compositional variations may be accomplished in either a stepped or graded fashion. In this paper, the details of the process will be described. The deposition mechanism will be characterized and microstructures and their associated properties will be discussed. Examples of parts which have been produced will be shown and issues regarding dimensional control and surface finish will be addressed
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Laser engineered net shaping (LENS) for the repair and modification of NWC metal components.
Laser Engineered Net Shaping{trademark} (LENS{reg_sign}) is a layer additive manufacturing process that creates fully dense metal components using a laser, metal powder, and a computer solid model. This process has previously been utilized in research settings to create metal components and new material alloys. The ''Qualification of LENS for the Repair and Modification of Metal NWC Components'' project team has completed a Technology Investment project to investigate the use of LENS for repair of high rigor components. The team submitted components from four NWC sites for repair or modification using the LENS process. These components were then evaluated for their compatibility to high rigor weapons applications. The repairs included hole filling, replacement of weld lips, addition of step joints, and repair of surface flaws and gouges. The parts were evaluated for mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, weldability, and hydrogen compatibility. This document is a record of the LENS processing of each of these component types and includes process parameters, build strategies, and lessons learned. Through this project, the LENS process was shown to successfully repair or modify metal NWC components
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A study of Mo-V and Mo-V-Fe alloys for conductive cermet applications
Molybdenum and alumina cermets are currently being used for small, simple geometry, electrical feed-throughs in insulating alumina ceramic bodies. However, with larger and more complex geometries, high residual stresses and cracking of the alumina ceramic occur due to differences in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between cermet and the surrounding 94% alumina. The difference in CTE is caused by the Mo in the cermet, which lowers the CTE of the cermet relative to the 94% alumina ceramic. A study was conducted at Sandia National Laboratories to develop CTE-matched cermets based on binary Mo-V and ternary Mo-V-X alloy systems. It was found that the CTE of 94% alumina (over the range 1,000 C to room temperature) could be precisely matched by a binary Mo-32.5V alloy. However, to address concerns regarding the selective oxidation of V, Mo-V-X alloys with CTE`s similar to 94% alumina were made with Fe or Co additions. The ternary additions are limited to about 3 wt.% to maintain a single phase BCC alloy, and permit some reduction in the V addition. Powders were fabricated from both Mo-27V and Mo-22V-3Fe, and were evaluated in 3 hr./1,625 C cermet sintering trials. The results of those trials suggest that extensive reaction occurs between the Vanadium component of the alloy and the alumina ceramic. In view of these results the authors have begun to evaluate the feasibility of fabricating Iridium alumina cermets. Iridium is an attractive choice due to its close CTE match to 94% alumina ceramic. Preliminary results indicate there is no detrimental reaction between the Iridium and alumina phases
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Process qualification and testing of LENS deposited AY1E0125 D-bottle brackets.
The LENS Qualification team had the goal of performing a process qualification for the Laser Engineered Net Shaping{trademark}(LENS{reg_sign}) process. Process Qualification requires that a part be selected for process demonstration. The AY1E0125 D-Bottle Bracket from the W80-3 was selected for this work. The repeatability of the LENS process was baselined to determine process parameters. Six D-Bottle brackets were deposited using LENS, machined to final dimensions, and tested in comparison to conventionally processed brackets. The tests, taken from ES1E0003, included a mass analysis and structural dynamic testing including free-free and assembly-level modal tests, and Haversine shock tests. The LENS brackets performed with very similar characteristics to the conventionally processed brackets. Based on the results of the testing, it was concluded that the performance of the brackets made them eligible for parallel path testing in subsystem level tests. The testing results and process rigor qualified the LENS process as detailed in EER200638525A