High power laser beam melting of Ti₆Al₄V on formed sheet metal to achieve hybrid structures

Abstract

Motivated by the desire to combine the advantages of two manufacturing concepts, namely Additive Manufacturing and sheet metal forming, the concept of hybrid processes emerged. Laser Beam Melting process with its characteristic layer by layer fabrication methodology has already been proved to be successful in fabricating fully dense 3D structures with micro sized Ti-6Al-4V powder. The presented research focuses on direct fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V Additive Structures on a thin pre-formed Ti-6Al-4V sheet metal substrate. In the state of the art Laser Beam Melting process, fabrication of solid structures is done on a support structure attached to a thick conventionally manufactured base plate. The state of the art process also uses a 200°C pre-heating of the fabrication platform in order to reduce the effect of heat induced stresses on the fabricated structures. Within the hybrid fabrication concept, 3D structures are directly fabricated on a thin sheet metal and the thermodynamic conditions are significantly different in comparison to the conventional process. The research aims at understanding the fundamental aspects of the interaction between the formed sheet metal and additive structure determines the corresponding mechanical characteristics. The interaction process during the fabrication exposes the alloy locally to non-optimum thermal cycles and the research therefore aims to understand the various influencing factors involved during the fabrication process. The system technology modifications required to achieve the aimed fabrication are also discussed in the presented research.

Effect of Substrate Alloy Type on the Microstructure of the Substrate and Deposited Material Interface in Aluminium Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing

“…Hybrid components, which are manufactured using a combination of conventional processes and an AM one, can benefit from the flexibility of AM without raising the manufacturing cost commonly associated with its low deposition rate. For instance, Ahuja et al [6] showed the potential of hybrid manufacturing using laser beam melting and sheet forming to manufacture Ti6Al4V demonstrators. Additionally, Merklein et al [7] demonstrated the possibility of combining several conventional processes with AM to produce functional gear components.…”

Ti-6Al-4V hybrid structure mechanical properties—Wrought and additive manufactured powder-bed material

“…In recent years, Hybrid AMconventional manufacturing processes are emerging as a viable way to overcome the build limitations of AM, thus enhancing the functionally and expanding reach of the AM technology [18,19]. Hybrid manufacturing processes pose a significant technological advance, allowing for component repairs [20][21][22][23], production of bimaterials [24][25][26][27][28], and manufacturing of large components with intricate designs [29][30][31][32][33]. Hybrid manufacturing techniques, consisting of both powder bed fusion and wire arc AM hold a promise to result in a manufacturing method which marks the benefits of both worlds, i.e.…”

Design for Additive Manufacturing: Trends, opportunities, considerations, and constraints

“…3), molds can be produced by alternating printing and machining operations (Fig. 4), features can be printed on top of formed components [14], and components can be embedded within printed parts ( Fig. 5 and Fig.…”