Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Metal Additive Manufacturing
By Mr. N Malatji
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Introduction
Also referred as 3D printing manufacturing,
components are built layer by layer guided by a
digital 3D model
Net or neat net shape components with complex
geometries are possible to be fabricated
The process eliminate the need of specialized
tooling and increase design freedom. Design
alterations can be
Produces parts with refine microstructures due to
the rapid cooling associated with AM processes
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Applications
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Cont…
(a) Steering
knuckle
(b) Brake caliper
(c) Topology
optimized
bracket
(d) Lightweight
Al structure
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Cont…
(a) GE leap nozzle
(b) GE Turboprop
engine
(c) A350 XWB Wing
bracket
(d) Door hinge
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Cont…
(a) Burner head
(b) Turbine blade
(c) Sealing ring
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Processes
Categorized as Powder-bed and direct energy
deposition
Feedstock include powder and wire
Energy sources include laser, electron and arc
Processing parameters:
Energy density
Powder/wire feed rate
Spot size
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Processes – Powder-Bed
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Steps involved in the process
A substrate is fixed on a build platform
The build chamber is filled with inert gas or
evacuated to reduce oxygen level
A thin layer of metal powder (20 to 200µm) is
laid down on the substrate and leveled to a pre-
determined thickness using a leveling
mechanism
The heat source scans the powder bed surface
following a toolpath pre-calculated from CAD
data of the component being built
The above step is repeated for all the
subsequent layers until the build is complete
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Advantages
Ability to produce complex features
Hollow cooling passages
High precision parts
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Disadvantages
Smaller build envelope
Single material per build
Horizontal layer building
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Direct Energy Deposition
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Cont…
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Steps involved in the process
A substrate or existing part is place on the work
table
The build chamber is filled with inert gas or
evacuated to reduce oxygen level
At the cycle start, the process nozzle with a
concentric heat source beam is focused on the part
surface to create a melt pool. Material delivery is in
the form powder through a coaxial nozzle or
through a wire with a size delivery. The nozzle
moves at a constant speed and follows a
predetermined toolpath created from CAD data. As
the nozzle moves away, melt pool solidifies forming
a layer of metal.
Successive layers follow the same principle and
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Advantages
Larger build envelope
High deposition rate
Multiple materials in a single build
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Advantages
Building hollow cooling passages is limited
Low precision parts
Particle size range
Can repair or remanufacture damaged parts
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Direct Energy Deposition
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Defects
Segregation
Porosity
Cracks
Distortion
Roughness
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Comparison
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Ti-6Al-4V Properties – Microstructure and
Mechanical
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Properties - Mechanical
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Properties - Mechanical
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Economics of AM
Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Plant visit report
Summary/Abstract
Introduction
Detailed process description
Conclusion
References