35 research outputs found

    Influence of Elastomer Layers in the Quality of Aluminum Parts on Finishing Operations

    Get PDF
    In finishing processes, the quality of aluminum parts is mostly influenced by static and dynamic phenomena. Different solutions have been studied toward a stable milling process attainment. However, the improvements obtained with the tuning of process parameters are limited by the system stiffness and external dampers devices interfere with the machining process. To deal with this challenge, this work analyzes the suitability of elastomer layers as passive damping elements directly located under the part to be machined. Thus, exploiting the sealing properties of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), a suitable flexible vacuum fixture is developed, enabling a proper implementation in the manufacturing process. Two different compounds are characterized under axial compression and under finishing operations. The compression tests present the effect of the feed rate and the strain accumulative effect in the fixture compressive behavior. Despite the higher strain variability of the softer rubber, different milling process parameters, such as the tool feed rate, can lead to a similar compressive behavior of the fixture regardless the elastomer hardness. On the other hand, the characterization of these flexible fixtures is completed over AA2024 floor milling of rigid parts and compared with the use of a rigid part clamping. These results show that, as the cutting speed and the feed rate increases, due to the strain evolution of the rubber, the part quality obtained tend to equalize between the flexible and the rigid clamping of the workpiece. Due to the versatility of the NBR for clamping different part geometries without new fixture redesigns, this leads to a competitive advantage of these flexible solutions against the classic rigid vacuum fixtures. Finally, a model to predict the grooving forces with a bull-nose end mill regardless of the stiffness of the part support is proposed and validated for the working range.This research was funded by Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza) under the ELKARTEK Program, SMAR3NAK project, grant number KK-2019/00051

    Hardness, grainsize and porosity formation prediction on the Laser Metal Deposition of AISI 304 stainless steel

    Get PDF
    The presented numerical model solves the heat and mass transfer equations in the Laser Metal Deposition process and based on the evolution of the thermal field predicts the grainsize, the resulting hardness and evaluates the pores formation probability in an AISI 304 stainless steel. For this purpose, in a first step, the model calculates the shape of the deposited material and the variations of the temperature field. In a second step, and based on the evolution of the thermal field, the model calculates the resulting hardness of the deposited material, the grainsize and the porosity formation probability after the deposition process. Numerical results are experimentally validated, and good agreement is obtained. Consequently, besides predicting the geometry of the resulting part and the evolution of the thermal field, the developed model enables to evaluate the quality of the deposited material. Therefore, the optimum process conditions and strategy when depositing AISI 304 stainless steel can be determined without initial trial-and-error tests.“LaCaixa” foundation . In addition, this work has been founded by the H2020- FoF13-2016 PARADDISE project (contract No.: 723440). This work has been also carried out in the framework of the DPI2016-79889-R – INTEGRADDI project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Competitiveness

    Laser Dissimilar Joining of Al7075T6 with Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide Composite

    Get PDF
    Dissimilar joining between metal and composite sheets is usually carried out by mechanical or adhesive joining. Laser dissimilar joining between metal and composite sheets could be an alternative to these methods, as it is a cost-effective and versatile joining technique. Previously, textured metallic and composite parts have been held together and heated with a laser beam while pressure is applied to allow the melted polymer to flow into the cavities of the metal part. The main issue of this process relates to reaching the same joint strength repetitively with appropriate process parameters. In this work, both initial texturing and laser joining parameters are studied for Al 7075-T6 and glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 composite. A groove-based geometry was studied in terms of depth-to-width aspect ratio to find an optimal surface using a nanosecond fiber laser for texturing. Laser joining parameters were also studied with different combinations of surface temperature, heating strategy, pressure, and laser feed rate. The results are relatively good for grooves with aspect ratios from 0.94 to 4.15, with the widths of the grooves being the most critical factor. In terms of joining parameters, surface reference temperature was found to be the most influential parameter. Underheating does not allow correct material flow in textured cavities, while overheating also causes high dispersion in the resulting shear strength. When optimal parameters are applied using correct textures, shear strength values over 26 kN are reached, with a contact area of 35 × 45 mm2.This research was funded by the Basque Government grant number KK-2017/00088

    Characteristics of Fe-, Ni- and Co-based Powder Coatings Fabricated by Laser Metal Deposition without Preheating the base Material

    Get PDF
    The objective of this work was to select the best material from Fe-, Ni- and Co-based alloy powder for coating, by Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) the filets of a hardened 42CrMoS4 extrusion screw without preheating process. Even though most of the articles recommended preheating the base material as a condition for a crack free coating, the time wasted in the process decrease the productivity and distortions can be also generated in the part. In this work, a comparison of the main characteristics of the coatings done on preheated and non-preheated base material has been made. The relationships between the relevant LMD parameters (feed rate, laser power, and powder feeding rate) and the main geometrical characteristics of a single clad (height, width, dilution, deposition rate, efficiency, etc.) were examined. In addition, different characteristics of overlapped clads in a preheated, non-preheated and a hardened base material have been also analyzed. All the study was made in the Ibarmia ZVH 45/1600 Add+Process hybrid machine with a high power Yb-Fiber laser (3 kW) and discrete coaxial LMD head. Coatings with thickness from 1.2 to 0.76 were created without cracks and other defects except in the case of Ni-based coating. The microstructural features of these coatings were studied using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were determined using microhardness measurements and a pin on disk tribometer.The authors acknowledge the European Commission for support of Project "PARADDISE: a Productive, Affordable and Reliable solution for large scale manufacturing of metallic components by combining laser-based ADDItive and Subtractive processes with high Efficiency” (Grant Agreement 723440),which is an initiative of the Photonics and Factories of the Future Public Private Partnership

    Vibrations characterization in milling of low stiffness parts with a rubber-based vacuum fixture

    Get PDF
    Fixtures are a critical element in machining operations as they are the interface between the part and the machine. These components are responsible for the precise part location on the machine table and for the proper dynamic stability maintenance during the manufacturing operations. Although these two features are deeply related, they are usually studied separately. On the one hand, diverse adaptable solutions have been developed for the clamping of different variable geometries. Parallelly, the stability of the part has been long studied to reduce the forced vibration and the chatter effects, especially on thin parts machining operations typically performed in the aeronautic field, such as the skin panels milling. The present work proposes a commitment between both features by the presentation of an innovative vacuum fixture based on the use of a vulcanized rubber layer. This solution presents high flexibility as it can be adapted to different geometries while providing a proper damping capacity due to the viscoelastic and elastoplastic behaviour of these compounds. Moreover, the sealing properties of these elastomers provide the perfect combination to transform a rubber layer into a flexible vacuum table. Therefore, in order to validate the suitability of this fixture, a test bench is manufactured and tested under uniaxial compression loads and under real finish milling conditions over AA2024 part samples. Finally, a roughness model is proposed and analysed in order to characterize the part vibration sources.Financial support from the Basque Government under theELKARTEK Program (SMAR3NAK project, grant numberKK-2019/00051) is gratefully acknowledged by the authors

    Latest Developments in Industrial Hybrid Machine Tools that Combine Additive and Subtractive Operations

    Get PDF
    Hybrid machine tools combining additive and subtractive processes have arisen as a solution to increasing manufacture requirements, boosting the potentials of both technologies, while compensating and minimizing their limitations. Nevertheless, the idea of hybrid machines is relatively new and there is a notable lack of knowledge about the implications arisen from their in-practice use. Therefore, the main goal of the present paper is to fill the existing gap, giving an insight into the current advancements and pending tasks of hybrid machines both from an academic and industrial perspective. To that end, the technical-economical potentials and challenges emerging from their use are identified and critically discussed. In addition, the current situation and future perspectives of hybrid machines from the point of view of process planning, monitoring, and inspection are analyzed. On the one hand, it is found that hybrid machines enable a more efficient use of the resources available, as well as the production of previously unattainable complex parts. On the other hand, it is concluded that there are still some technological challenges derived from the interaction of additive and subtractive processes to be overcome (e.g., process planning, decision planning, use of cutting fluids, and need for a post-processing) before a full implantation of hybrid machines is fulfilledSpecial thanks are addressed to the Industry and Competitiveness Spanish Ministry for the support on the DPI2016-79889-R INTEGRADDI project and to the PARADDISE project H2020-IND-CE-2016-17/H2020-FOF-2016 of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program

    Analysis of the Influence of the Use of Cutting Fluid in Hybrid Processes of Machining and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD)

    Get PDF
    Hybrid manufacturing processes that combine additive and machining operations are gaining relevance in modern industry thanks to the capability of building complex parts with minimal material and, many times, with process time reduction. Besides, as the additive and subtractive operations are carried out in the same machine, without moving the part, dead times are reduced and higher accuracies are achieved. However, it is not clear whether the direct material deposition after the machining operation is possible or intermediate cleaning stages are required because of the possible presence of residual cutting fluids. Therefore, different Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) tests are performed on a part impregnated with cutting fluid, both directly and after the removal of the coolant by techniques such as laser vaporizing and air blasting. The present work studies the influence of the cutting fluid in the LMD process and the quality of the resulting part. Resulting porosity is evaluated and it is concluded that if the part surface is not properly clean after the machining operation, deficient clad quality can be obtained in the subsequent laser additive operation.This study was supported by the H2020 FoF13 PARADDISE Project (Grant Agreement No. 723440)

    Strategies to Reduce Porosity in Al-Mg WAAM Parts and Their Impact on Mechanical Properties

    Get PDF
    Open AccessFeature PaperArticle Strategies to Reduce Porosity in Al-Mg WAAM Parts and Their Impact on Mechanical Properties by Maider Arana 1,2,* [OrcID] , Eneko Ukar 2, Iker Rodriguez 1, Amaia Iturrioz 1 [OrcID] and Pedro Alvarez 1 [OrcID] 1 LORTEK Technological Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20240 Ordizia, Spain 2 Mechanical Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48013 Bilbao, Spain * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Academic Editor: Eric Hug Metals 2021, 11(3), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11030524 Received: 1 March 2021 / Revised: 16 March 2021 / Accepted: 18 March 2021 / Published: 23 March 2021 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Energy Deposition of Metal Alloys) Download PDF Browse Figures Review Reports Citation Export Abstract With the advent of disruptive additive manufacturing (AM), there is an increasing interest and demand of high mechanical property aluminium parts built directly by these technologies. This has led to the need for continuous improvement of AM technologies and processes to obtain the best properties in aluminium samples and develop new alloys. This study has demonstrated that porosity can be reduced below 0.035% in area in Al-Mg samples manufactured by CMT-based WAAM with commercial filler metal wires by selecting the correct shielding gas, gas flow rate, and deposition strategy (hatching or circling). Three phase Ar+O2+N2O mixtures (Stargold®) are favourable when the hatching deposition strategy is applied leading to wall thickness around 6 mm. The application of circling strategy (torch movement with overlapped circles along the welding direction) enables the even build-up of layers with slightly thicker thickness (8 mm). In this case, Ar shielding gas can effectively reduce porosity if proper flow is provided through the torch. Reduced gas flows (lower than 30 Lmin) enhance porosity, especially in long tracks (longer than 90 mm) due to local heat accumulation. Surprisingly, rather high porosity levels (up to 2.86 area %) obtained in the worst conditions, had a reduced impact on the static tensile test mechanical properties, and yield stress over 110 MPa, tensile strength over 270 MPa, and elongation larger than 27% were achieved either for Ar circling, Ar hatching, or Stargold® hatching building conditions. In all cases anisotropy was lower than 11%, and this was reduced to 9% for the most appropriate shielding conditions. Current results show that due to the selected layer height and deposition parameters there was a complete re-melting of the previous layer and a thermal treatment on the prior bottom layer that refined the grain size removing the original dendritic and elongated structure. Under these conditions, the minimum reported anisotropy levels can be achieved.This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and innovation of the Spain Government through the program “Ayudas Destinadas a Centros Tecnológicos de Excelencia CERVERA Año 2019” from CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial) in the frame of the CEFAM Project, grant CER-20191005

    Numerical Model for Predicting Bead Geometry and Microstructure in Laser Beam Welding of Inconel 718 Sheets

    Get PDF
    A numerical model was developed for predicting the bead geometry and microstructure in laser beam welding of 2 mm thickness Inconel 718 sheets. The experiments were carried out with a 1 kW maximum power fiber laser coupled with a galvanometric scanner. Wobble strategy was employed for sweeping 1 mm wide circular areas for creating the weld seams, and a specific tooling was manufactured for supplying protective argon gas during the welding process. The numerical model takes into account both the laser beam absorption and the melt-pool fluid movement along the bead section, resulting in a weld geometry that depends on the process input parameters, such as feed rate and laser power. The microstructure of the beads was also estimated based on the cooling rate of the material. Features such as bead upper and bottom final shapes, weld penetration, and dendritic arm spacing, were numerically and experimentally analyzed and discussed. The results given by the numerical analysis agree with the tests, making the model a robust predictive tool.Thanks are addressed to H2020-FoF13-2016 PARADDISE project (contract number 723440). Special thanks are addressed to the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) for the funding support received from the contracting call for the training of research staff in UPV-EHU 2015

    Study of the flexural behaviour and bonding strength of WC-Co metal matrix composite coatings produced by Laser Directed Energy Deposition

    Get PDF
    Surface coatings enable more durable and sustainable solutions to face the degradation of the functional surfaces of high-added-value components. Particularly, metal matrix composites (MMC) are known to mitigate friction efficiently. However, the bonding strength of MMCs severely limits their durability. Hence, it is not sufficient to focus on wear performance. In this work, the flexural strength and interfacial bonding of Stellite 6/WC MMCs produced by Laser Directed Energy Deposition were investigated. The manufactured coatings exhibited a strong bond to the substrate regardless of the WC content, as no delamination was observed. Additionally, all MMC coatings produced under different processing conditions and with the same composition showed similar elastoplastic behaviour, while specimens containing a higher WC% failed prematurely. This was ascribed to the local embrittlement of the reaction layer surrounding the WC particles, which were found to be crack initiation sites.Authors would like to acknowledge the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza) in call IT 1573-22 for the financial support of the research group
    corecore