Spatiotemporal Evolution of Stress Field during Direct Laser Deposition of Multilayer Thin Wall of Ti-6Al-4V

The present work seeks to extend the level of understanding of the stress field evolution during direct laser deposition (DLD) of a 3.2 mm thick multilayer wall of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by theoretical and experimental studies. The process conditions were close to the conditions used to produce large-sized structures by the DLD method, resulting in specimens having the same thermal history. A simulation procedure based on the implicit finite element method was developed for the theoretical study of the stress field evolution. The accuracy of the simulation was significantly improved by using experimentally obtained temperature-dependent mechanical properties of the DLD-processed Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The residual stress field in the buildup was experimentally measured by neutron diffraction. The stress-free lattice parameter, which is decisive for the measured stresses, was determined using both a plane stress approach and a force-momentum balance. The influence of the inhomogeneity of the residual stress field on the accuracy of the experimental measurement and the validation of the simulation procedure are analyzed and discussed. Based on the numerical results it was found that the non-uniformity of the through-thickness stress distribution reaches a maximum in the central cross-section, while at the buildup ends the stresses are distributed almost uniformly. The components of the principal stresses are tensile at the buildup ends near the substrate. Furthermore, the calculated equivalent plastic strain reaches 5.9% near the buildup end, where the deposited layers are completed, while the plastic strain is practically equal to the experimentally measured ductility of the DLD-processed alloy, which is 6.2%. The experimentally measured residual stresses obtained by the force-momentum balance and the plane stress approach differ slightly from each other.

Numerical Estimation of the Geometry of the Deposited Layers during Direct Laser Deposition of Multi-Pass Walls

Direct laser deposition (DLD) is a promising additive technology that allows for the rapid and cheap production of metal parts of complex geometry in various sectors of mechanical engineering. Thick-walled metal structures occupy a significant part in mechanical engineering. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an algorithm for predicting the geometry of deposited multi-pass walls. To achieve this goal, the main interrelated processes involved in the formation of a multi-pass wall were described—the process of laser radiation propagation, the process of heat transfer and the process of bead formation. To construct the calculation algorithm, five characteristic types of beads are identified. For these five types, the features of the bead formation and the features of the laser radiation intensity distribution are described. The calculated data were verified. A good match of the calculated data with the geometry of the deposited walls from AISI321 steel, Inconel718 and Ti-6Al-4V alloys was obtained.

Structure and Mechanical Properties of Shipbuilding Steel Obtained by Direct Laser Deposition and Cold Rolling

The study of the formation of microstructural features of low-alloy bainite-martensitic steel 09CrNi2MoCu are of particular interest in additive technologies. In this paper, we present a study of cold-rolled samples after direct laser deposition (DLD). We investigated deposited samples after cold plastic deformation with different degrees of deformation compression (50, 60 and 70%) of samples from steel 09CrNi2MoCu. The microstructure and mechanical properties of samples in the initial state and after heat treatment (HT) were analyzed and compared with the samples obtained after cold rolling. The effect on static tensile strength and impact toughness at −40 °C in the initial state and after cold rolling was investigated. The mechanical properties and characteristics of fracture in different directions were determined. Optimal modes and the degree of cold rolling deformation compression required to obtain balanced mechanical properties of samples obtained by additive method were determined. The influence of structural components and martensitic-austenitic phase on the microhardness and mechanical properties of the obtained samples was determined.

Prediction of Geometric Characteristics of Melt Track Based on Direct Laser Deposition Using M-SVR Algorithm

Geometric characteristics provide an important means for characterization of the quality of direct laser deposition. Therefore, improving the accuracy of a prediction model is helpful for improving deposition efficiency and quality. The three main input variables are laser power, scanning speed, and powder-feeding rate, while the width and height of the melt track are used as outputs. By applying a multi-output support vector regression (M-SVR) model based on a radial basis function (RBF), a non-linear model for predicting the geometric features of the melt track is developed. An orthogonal experimental design is used to conduct the experiments, the results of which are chosen randomly as training and testing data sets. On the one hand, compared with single-output support vector regression (S-SVR) modeling, this method reduces the root mean square error of height prediction by 22%, with faster training speed and higher prediction accuracy. On the other hand, compared with a backpropagation (BP) neural network, the average absolute error in width is reduced by 5.5%, with smaller average absolute error and better generalization performance. Therefore, the established model can provide a reference to select direct laser deposition parameters precisely and can improve the deposition efficiency and quality.

The Strength of Inconel 625, Manufactured by the Method of Direct Laser Deposition under Sub-Microsecond Load Duration

This paper presents the results of measurements of the spall strength and elastic-plastic proper-ties, under dynamic and static loads, of the high-strength heat-resistant nickel-chromium alloy Inconel 625, obtained by the direct laser deposition method. The structural parameters of the obtained samples and the mechanical properties during static tests were studied. According to our information, anisotropy in the structural parameters operates primarily at the level of plastic deformation of alloys. Shock compression of the additive alloy Inconel 625 samples in the range of 6–18 GPa was carried out using a light-gas gun, both along and perpendicular to the direction of the deposition. The strength characteristics were determined from the analysis of the shock wave profiles, which were recorded using the VISAR laser velocimeter during the loading of samples. It was found that the value of the spall strength of additive samples does not depend on the direction of deposition, and the Hugoniot elastic limit of samples loaded perpendicular to the deposition direction is about ~10% higher. With an increase in the maximum compression stress, the material’s spall strength increases slightly, but for both types of samples, a slight decrease in the Hugoniot elastic limit was observed as the compression stresses increase. On the basis of the measured wave profiles, shock Hugoniots of the samples of the alloy Inconel 625, loaded both along and perpendicular to the direction of deposition, are constructed in this pressure range.

Structure and properties of near-a titanium products obtained by direct laser deposition and heat treatment

Advanced techniques of obtaining products require careful selection of materials for various industries. Titanium alloys are widely used in the aerospace, shipbuilding and mechanical engineering industries. The development of near-a titanium alloys should be considered a significant achievement in the field of metallurgy and heat treatment (HT) of titanium alloys. This article presents a study carried out with the aim of optimizing heat treatment modes for high-temperature titanium alloys obtained by direct laser deposition (DLD). Heat treatment was carried out in the temperature range (700-1000°C), covering three typical temperature ranges, i.e. the temperature range for the partial decomposition of martensite, the temperature range for the complete decomposition of martensite, and the phase transformation temperature were subsequently selected as the heat treatment temperatures. Based on metallographic analysis, the influence of heat treatment modes on the structure, as well as the tensile properties at room temperature, of TA15 titanium DLD-samples.

Microstructure and Wear Property of ZrO2-Added NiCrAlY Prepared by Ultrasonic-Assisted Direct Laser Deposition

For improving the wear properties of NiCrAlY, the 10 wt %, 20 wt % and 30 wt % ZrO2-added NiCrAlY samples were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted direct laser deposition, respectively. The results showed that the ultrasonic-assisted direct laser deposition can realize the ZrO2-added NiCrAlY preparation. Furthermore, due to the cavitation effect and agitation of the ultrasound in the molten pool, ultrasonic-assisted could make the upper surface of the samples smoother and flatter, and it also improved the microstructural homogeneity. The microstructure was mainly composed of columnar dendrites, and most of ZrO2 particles were located in the intergranular regions. The principal phase constituents were found to contain γ-Ni and t-NiZr2, and the amorphous (Ni, Zr) intermetallic phase generated, because of more rapid solidification after ultrasound assisted. The microhardness was improved slightly with the increase of ZrO2 contents, rising from 407.9 HV (10% ZrO2) to 420.4 HV (30% ZrO2). Correspondingly, wear mass loss was decreased with the maximum drop 22.7% of 30% ZrO2 compared to that of 10% ZrO2, and wear mechanisms were mainly abrasive wear with slightly adhesive wear. After applying ultrasound, the oxide islands in samples disappeared, and more ceramic particles were retained. Thus, the hardness and wear performance of the samples were improved.

Using a Trial Sample on Stainless Steel 316L in a Direct Laser Deposition Process

Direct laser deposition technology is used for the manufacture of large-size products with complex geometries. As a rule, trial samples with small dimensions are made to determine the deposition parameters. In order for the resulting products to have the required performance characteristics, it is necessary to minimize the number of internal macrodefects. Non-fusion between the tracks are defects that depend on the technological mode (power, speed, track width, etc.). In this work, studies have been carried out to determine the power level at which non-fusion is formed, dwell time between the tracks on the model samples. This paper considers the issue of transferring the technological parameters of direct laser deposition from model samples to a large-sized part, and describes the procedure for making model samples.