scholarly journals Additive Manufacturing and Mechanical Performance of Trifurcated Steel Joints for Architecturally Exposed Steel Structures

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1901
Author(s):  
Pengfei He ◽  
Wenfeng Du ◽  
Longxuan Wang ◽  
Ravi Kiran ◽  
Mijia Yang

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology has unique advantages in producing complex joints in architecturally exposed steel structures. This article focuses on the process of manufacturing and investigating the mechanical properties of a reduced scale model of a trifurcated joint using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) method and mechanical tests, respectively. The orthogonal test method was used to optimize the main AM process parameters. Then the trifurcated steel joint was printed using the optimal process parameters and treated by solid solution and aging treatment. To investigate the mechanical performance of the printed joint, an axial compression test and complimentary finite element analyses were carried out. Failure processes and failure mechanisms of the trifurcated steel joint were discussed in detail. The research results show that the preferred process parameters for printing 316L stainless steel powder are: scanning power 150 W, scanning speed 700 mm/s, and scanning pitch 0.09 mm. Using these AM parameters, trifurcated steel joints with good surface quality, geometrical accuracy and tensile strength are obtained after heat treatment. Our mechanical tests and Finite element analyses results indicate that the failure mechanism in the AM trifurcated joint are similar to those of cast steel joints. Based on these results, we conclude that the AM technology serves as a promising new way for the fabrication of joints with complex geometries.

Author(s):  
M. Reza Yavari ◽  
Kevin D. Cole ◽  
Prahalada Rao

The goal of this work is to predict the effect of part geometry and process parameters on the instantaneous spatiotemporal distribution of temperature, also called the thermal field or temperature history, in metal parts as they are being built layer-by-layer using additive manufacturing (AM) processes. In pursuit of this goal, the objective of this work is to develop and verify a graph theory-based approach for predicting the temperature distribution in metal AM parts. This objective is consequential to overcome the current poor process consistency and part quality in AM. One of the main reasons for poor part quality in metal AM processes is ascribed to the nature of temperature distribution in the part. For instance, steep thermal gradients created in the part during printing leads to defects, such as warping and thermal stress-induced cracking. Existing nonproprietary approaches to predict the temperature distribution in AM parts predominantly use mesh-based finite element analyses that are computationally tortuous—the simulation of a few layers typically requires several hours, if not days. Hence, to alleviate these challenges in metal AM processes, there is a need for efficient computational models to predict the temperature distribution, and thereby guide part design and selection of process parameters instead of expensive empirical testing. Compared with finite element analyses techniques, the proposed mesh-free graph theory-based approach facilitates prediction of the temperature distribution within a few minutes on a desktop computer. To explore these assertions, we conducted the following two studies: (1) comparing the heat diffusion trends predicted using the graph theory approach with finite element analysis, and analytical heat transfer calculations based on Green’s functions for an elementary cuboid geometry which is subjected to an impulse heat input in a certain part of its volume and (2) simulating the laser powder bed fusion metal AM of three-part geometries with (a) Goldak’s moving heat source finite element method, (b) the proposed graph theory approach, and (c) further comparing the thermal trends predicted from the last two approaches with a commercial solution. From the first study, we report that the thermal trends approximated by the graph theory approach are found to be accurate within 5% of the Green’s functions-based analytical solution (in terms of the symmetric mean absolute percentage error). Results from the second study show that the thermal trends predicted for the AM parts using graph theory approach agree with finite element analyses, and the computational time for predicting the temperature distribution was significantly reduced with graph theory. For instance, for one of the AM part geometries studied, the temperature trends were predicted in less than 18 min within 10% error using the graph theory approach compared with over 180 min with finite element analyses. Although this paper is restricted to theoretical development and verification of the graph theory approach, our forthcoming research will focus on experimental validation through in-process thermal measurements.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Carpenter ◽  
Ali Tabei

One of the most appealing qualities of additive manufacturing (AM) is the ability to produce complex geometries faster than most traditional methods. The trade-off for this advantage is that AM parts are extremely vulnerable to residual stresses (RSs), which may lead to geometrical distortions and quality inspection failures. Additionally, tensile RSs negatively impact the fatigue life and other mechanical performance characteristics of the parts in service. Therefore, in order for AM to cross the borders of prototyping toward a viable manufacturing process, the major challenge of RS development must be addressed. Different AM technologies contain many unique features and parameters, which influence the temperature gradients in the part and lead to development of RSs. The stresses formed in AM parts are typically observed to be compressive in the center of the part and tensile on the top layers. To mitigate these stresses, process parameters must be optimized, which requires exhaustive and costly experimentations. Alternative to experiments, holistic computational frameworks which can capture much of the physics while balancing computational costs are introduced for rapid and inexpensive investigation into development and prevention of RSs in AM. In this review, the focus is on metal additive manufacturing, referred to simply as “AM”, and, after a brief introduction to various AM technologies and thermoelastic mechanics, prior works on sources of RSs in AM are discussed. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art knowledge on RS measurement techniques, the influence of AM process parameters, current modeling approaches, and distortion prevention approaches are reported.


2011 ◽  
Vol 368-373 ◽  
pp. 1217-1221
Author(s):  
Yan Xia Zhang ◽  
Yun Peng Li ◽  
Lu Yao Wang ◽  
Fan Yang

Based on the previous experiments and theoretical analyses, finite element analyses (FEA) and parametric study on seismic behavior of Cover Plate Strengthen-Beam Flange Weaken Beam-to-Column (CPSBFW) connection are executed by using ABAQUS. Suggestions on design conceptions and details of the cover plate strengthen-beam flange weaken beam-to-column connection are presented in this paper, and that provide valuable reference for design of beam-to-column connections in steel structures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Zhen Nie ◽  
Yuanqi Li ◽  
Yehua Wang

It is highly important to clarify the high-temperature mechanical properties in the design of cold-formed steel (CFS) structures under fire conditions due to the unique deterioration feature in material properties under fire environment and associated reduction to the mechanical performance of members. This paper presents the mechanical properties of widely used steels for cold-formed steel structures at elevated temperatures. The coupons were extracted from original coils of proposed full annealed steels (S350 and S420, with nominal yielding strengths 280 MPa and 350 MPa) and proposed stress relieving annealed steels (G500, with nominal yielding strength 500 MPa) for CFS structures with thickness of 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm, and a total of nearly 50 tensile tests were carried out by steady-state test method for temperatures ranging from 20 to 700°C. Based on the tests, material properties including the yield strengths, ultimate strengths, the elasticity modulus, and the stress-strain curve were obtained. Meanwhile, the ductility of steels for CFS structures was discussed. Then, the temperature-dependent retention factors of yield strengths and elasticity modulus were compared to those provided by design codes and former researchers. Finally, a set of prediction equations of the mechanical properties for steels for CFS structures at elevated temperatures was proposed depending on existing tests data.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Marian Zaharia ◽  
Larisa Anamaria Enescu ◽  
Mihai Alin Pop

Material Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Process (ME-AMP) via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) offers a higher geometric flexibility than conventional technologies to fabricate thermoplastic lightweight sandwich structures. This study used polylactic acid/polyhydroxyalkanoate (PLA/PHA) biodegradable material and a 3D printer to manufacture lightweight sandwich structures with honeycomb, diamond-celled and corrugated core shapes as a single part. In this paper, compression, three-point bending and tensile tests were performed to evaluate the performance of lightweight sandwich structures with different core topologies. In addition, the main failure modes of the sandwich structures subjected to mechanical tests were evaluated. The main failure modes that were observed from mechanical tests of the sandwich structure were the following: face yielding, face wrinkling, core/skin debonding. Elasto-plastic finite element analysis allowed predicting the global behavior of the structure and stressing distribution in the elements of lightweight sandwich structures. The comparison between the results of bending experiments and finite element analyses indicated acceptable similarity in terms of failure behavior and force reactions. Finally, the three honeycomb, diamond-celled and corrugated core typologies were used in the leading edge of the wing and were impact tested and the results created favorable premises for using such structures on aircraft models and helicopter blade structures.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hani Hilal ◽  
Robert Lancaster ◽  
Spencer Jeffs ◽  
John Boswell ◽  
David Stapleton ◽  
...  

Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) is an innovative net shape manufacturing technology that offers the ability to produce highly intricate components not possible through traditional wrought and cast procedures. Consequently, the aerospace industry is becoming ever more attentive in exploiting such technology for the fabrication of nickel-based superalloys in an attempt to drive further advancements within the holistic gas turbine. Given this, the requirement for the mechanical characterisation of such material is rising in parallel, with limitations in the availability of material processed restricting conventional mechanical testing; particularly with the abundance of process parameters to evaluate. As such, the Small Punch Creep (SPC) test method has been deemed an effective tool to rank the elevated temperature performance of alloys processed through ALM, credited to the small volumes of material utilised in each test and the ability to sample material from discrete locations. In this research, the SPC test will be used to assess the influence of a number of key process variables on the mechanical performance of Laser Powder Bed Fused (LPBF) Ni-based superalloy CM247LC. This will also include an investigation into the influence of build orientation and post-build treatment on creep performance, whilst considering the structural integrity of the different experimental builds.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5079
Author(s):  
Roberto Tartaglia ◽  
Mario D’Aniello ◽  
Marco Andreini ◽  
Saverio La Mendola

Seismically pre-qualified beam-to-column joints guarantee large ductility in seismic scenarios thanks to the effectiveness of the design rules and technological requirements that are devoted to avoiding the failure of brittle components (i.e., bolts and welds). However, their performance under different severe actions like those induced by fire has not been properly investigated. Therefore, a parametric study based on finite element simulations has been carried out with the aim to verify the effectiveness of local details of seismically prequalified joints under fire. Finite element analyses were carried out on beam-to-column assemblies sub-structured from a reference archetype building accounting for both material and geometrical imperfections. The bolts’ internal actions were monitored in all the investigated specimens varying the applied vertical loads. The results show that the seismic design rules adopted to size the bolts are effective to resist the large increase in shear forces in the bolts occurring under fire. Thus, the investigated joints provide satisfactory ductility and rotation capacity at high temperature preventing the failure of bolts; further analysis could be conducted to investigated the fire performance of the investigated joints in a seismic scenario.


Author(s):  
Gongshuo Wang ◽  
Zhenyuan Jia ◽  
Fuji Wang ◽  
Chuanhe Dong ◽  
Bo Wu

Abstract Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most broadly used additive manufacturing technologies, which possesses the advantage of a reduction in fabrication time and cost for complex-structural parts. FFF-fabricated continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (C-CFRTP) composites have seen their great potentials in the industry due to the extraordinary mechanical properties. However, the relationship among process parameters, impregnation percentage, and mechanical properties is still unknown, which has greatly hindered both the manufacturing and application of those advanced composite parts. For this reason, the influence of process parameters on the impregnation percentage and mechanical properties of C-CFRTP specimens has been investigated in this paper. The process-impregnation-properties relationship of FFF-fabricated C-CFRTP specimens has been revealed through theoretical analyses and experimental measurement. It could be concluded that the impregnation percentage served as the bridge connecting process parameters and mechanical properties, which would provide a great insight into the property improvement. The experimental results of microscopic measurement and mechanical tests indicated that the combination of low transverse movement speed, high nozzle temperature, and small layer thickness led to an improved impregnation percentage, which ultimately produced better mechanical properties. The findings in this work will guide the fabrication of C-CFRTP parts with excellent mechanical performance for practical engineering applications.


Author(s):  
Tom H. Hyde ◽  
Balhassn S. M. Ali ◽  
Wei Sun

In this paper, a new small-sized (two-bar) specimen type, which is suitable for use in obtaining both uniaxial creep strain and creep rupture life data, is described. The specimen has a simple geometry and can be conveniently machined and loaded (through pin-connections) for testing. Conversion relationships between the applied load and the corresponding uniaxial stress, and between the measured load-line deformations and the corresponding uniaxial minimum creep strain rate, have been obtained, based on the reference stress method (RSM), in conjunction with finite element analyses. Using finite element analyses the effects of the specimen dimensions on reference stress parameters have been investigated. On this basis, specimen dimension ratio ranges are recommended. The effects of friction, between the loading pins and the specimen surfaces, on the specimen failure time, are also investigated. Test results obtained from two-bar specimen tests and from corresponding uniaxial specimen tests, for a P91 steel at 600 °C, are used to validate the test method. These results demonstrated that the specimen type is capable of producing full uniaxial creep strain curves. The advantages of this new, small, creep test specimen, for determining uniaxial creep data, are discussed and recommendations for future research are given.


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