The present disclosure relates to an additive manufacturing method and an additive manufacturing device for additive manufacturing a metallic powder material on a metallic lamination plane.
As conventional 3D modeling technologies, laser melting (SLM) which is good at modeling a complicated microstructure, and a Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) which is capable of high-speed/local modeling without any dimensional constraint are given. However, each of the conventional technologies performs modeling by melting a material, and thus has difficulty being applied to a material which has a large deformation amount and cannot be melted or a material where a defect is likely to occur (for example, 2,000 series aluminum or the like).
On the other hand, although not a modeling technology but a welding technology, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is known, which can weld members to each other without melting a welded portion. FSW is a method of inserting an apical protrusion of a cylindrical tool into a welded portion of members to be welded while rotating the tool to soften the members by friction heat, and welding the members to each other by causing plastic flow and mixing on the periphery of the welded portion by a rotational force of the tool. The invention related to such FSW is described in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.
Patent Document 1: US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0043429
Patent Document 2: JP3735296B
As a result of intensive researches by the present inventors, it became clear that additive manufacturing is possible without melting a material by using the principle of FSW. None of Patent Documents 1 and 2 describes that additive manufacturing is possible by using the principle of FSW.
In view of the above, an object of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide an additive manufacturing method and an additive manufacturing device enabling additive manufacturing without melting a material.
An additive manufacturing method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is an additive manufacturing method for performing additive manufacturing of a metallic powder material on a surface of a metallic base material, the additive manufacturing method including a step of supplying the powder material onto the surface of the base material, a step of welding the powder material to the surface in an unmelted state through friction stir of the powder material and the surface, a step of supplying the powder material onto a welded portion formed by welding the powder material to the surface, and a step of welding the powder material to the welded portion in the unmelted state through friction stir of the powder material and the welded portion.
With the above method, since it is possible to weld the powder material to the welded portion in the unmelted state after forming the welded portion by welding the powder material to the surface of the metallic base material in the unmelted state, additive manufacturing is possible without melting the material.
In some embodiments, the powder material may be welded to the surface to perform additive manufacturing of an additive manufactured object of a three-dimensional shape protruding with respect to the surface.
In some embodiments, the powder material may be welded onto the welded portion through friction stir of the powder material and the welded portion while supplying the powder material to the welded portion.
In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing method may further include a step of preparing a rotatable rotating tool before the step of welding the powder material to the surface. The rotating tool may include a tip surface where a recessed surface is formed, a holding space defined by the recessed surface, and a communication portion making the holding space and an exterior of the rotating tool communicate with each other. Friction stir may be made by rotating the rotating tool while allowing the powder material to flow into the holding space via the communication portion.
In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing method may further include a step of preparing a guide member surrounding the rotating tool along a rotational direction of the rotating tool after the step of preparing the rotating tool.
In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing method may further include a step of preparing a supply member for supplying the powder material before the step of supplying the powder material onto the surface of the base material. The powder material may be supplied into the guide member by the supply member.
In some embodiments, the metal may include aluminum, an aluminum alloy, a nickel-based alloy, an iron-based material, a titanium alloy, a copper alloy, stainless steel, or Inconel.
An additive manufacturing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is an additive manufacturing device for performing additive manufacturing of a metallic powder material on a metallic lamination plane, the additive manufacturing device including a rotatable rotating tool. The rotating tool includes a tip surface where a recessed surface is formed, and a pin disposed so as to protrude more than a part of the tip surface protruding most from the recessed surface.
With the above configuration, since it is possible to frictionally stir the powder material while holding the powder material in the holding space which is defined by the recessed surface formed on the tip surface, it is possible to reduce the powder material dispersed around the rotating tool without being frictionally stirred and to frictionally stir the powder material by the rotating tool reliably.
In some embodiments, the rotating tool may form a communication portion making a holding space and an exterior of the rotating tool communicate with each other, the holding space being defined by the recessed surface.
With the above configuration, since the powder material enters the holding space via the communication portion when the additive manufacturing device is moved along the powder material supplied onto the lamination plane, it is possible to easily introduce the powder material into the holding space.
In some embodiments, on the tip surface, a scroll groove of a scroll shape may be formed, the scroll groove extending in a direction toward an outer circumferential edge of the tip surface along a rotational direction of the rotating tool.
With the above configuration, since the powder material moves toward the center of the tip surface along the scroll groove along with the rotation of the rotating tool, stir of the powder material in the holding space is promoted, making it possible to enhance the effect of friction stir of the powder material.
In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing device may further include a supply member supplying the powder material onto the lamination plane.
With the above configuration, since it is possible to frictionally stir the powder material while supplying the powder material onto the lamination plane, it is possible to efficiently perform additive manufacturing as compared with a case in which the power material is frictionally stirred after being supplied onto the lamination plane.
An additive manufacturing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is an additive manufacturing device for performing additive manufacturing of a metallic powder material on a metallic lamination plane, the additive manufacturing device including a rotatable rotating tool including a tip surface and a pin protruding from the tip surface, and a guide member surrounding the rotating tool along a rotational direction of the rotating tool.
With the above configuration, since it is possible to reduce, with the guide member, the powder material dispersed around the rotating tool without being frictionally stirred, the rotating tool can frictionally stir the powder material reliably.
In some embodiments, the rotating tool may have an outer surface of a columnar shape where a spiral groove of a spiral shape is formed, the spiral groove extending in a direction distanced from the tip surface along the rotational direction of the rotating tool.
With the above configuration, since the powder material between the inner circumferential surface of the guide member and the outer surface of the rotating tool moves toward the tip surface along the spiral groove along with the rotation of the rotating tool, and easily enters between the tip surface and the lamination plane, the rotating tool can frictionally stir the powder material reliably.
In some embodiments, the guide member may have a first edge facing the lamination plane and a second edge opposing the first edge, and in the guide member, a cut-out portion cut out from the first edge toward the second edge may be formed.
With the above configuration, since the welded portion formed by welding the powder material to the lamination plane passes through the cut-out portion when the additive manufacturing device moves, it is possible to smoothly move the additive manufacturing device by preventing the guide member from being caught in the welded portion.
In some embodiments, in the guide member, a flow passage for flowing a cooling fluid may be formed.
With the above configuration, since the guide member is cooled by the cooling fluid during friction stir, it is possible to reduce seizure between the rotating tool and the guide member.
In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing device may further include a supply member for supplying the powder material into the guide member.
With the above configuration, since it is possible to frictionally stir the powder material while supplying the powder material onto the lamination plane, it is possible to efficiently perform additive manufacturing as compared with the case in which the powder material is frictionally stirred after being supplied onto the lamination plane.
In some embodiments, a thread groove may be formed in an outer peripheral surface of the pin, the thread groove extending from a base toward a tip of the pin along a rotational direction of the rotating tool.
With the above configuration, since the powder material moves from the tip toward the base of the pin along the thread groove when the powder material is frictionally stirred, stir of the powder material is promoted, making it possible to enhance the effect of friction stir of the powder material.
According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to weld a powder material to a welded portion in an unmelted state after forming the welded portion by welding the powder material to the surface of a metallic base material in the unmelted state, making it possible to perform additive manufacturing without melting the material.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. It is intended that dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions and the like of components described in the embodiments shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
As shown in
The rotating tool 2 includes a grip portion 5 and a friction stir portion 6. The grip portion 5 is to be gripped by a rotating device (not shown) for rotating the rotating tool 2. The friction stir portion 6 has a flat tip surface 7 contacting the powder material 9 and frictionally stirring the powder material 9. On the tip surface 7, a pin 8 is disposed so as to protrude from the tip surface 7.
Next, an additive manufacturing method using the additive manufacturing device 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
In Embodiment 1, as shown in
During additive manufacturing by the additive manufacturing device 1, the rotating tool 2 moves in parallel to the surface 11a of the base material 11 while rotating about its rotational axis L in the direction of an arrow A. The moving direction is indicated by an arrow B. The powder material 9 is supplied onto the surface 11a from the powder supply nozzle 3 immediately before the rotating tool 2 in the moving direction B. If the rotating tool 2 moves in the moving direction B, the powder material 9 is interposed between the surface 11a and the tip surface 7 of the rotating tool 2 (see
The rotation speed of the rotating tool 2 and the movement speed of the rotating tool 2 (or may be restated as the movement speed of the powder supply nozzle 3) can respectively be changed as needed in accordance with the type of metal to be used or other conditions. For example, if each of the base material 11 and the powder material 9 is constituted by the aluminum alloy, the rotation speed can be 150 to 400 rpm, or more preferably 250 to 400 rpm, and the movement speed can be 5 to 15 inches per minute, or more preferably 7 to 14 inches per minute.
As shown in
Since the rotating tool 2 moves in the moving direction B, the metals which have undergone plastic flow lose the friction heat to be cooled and cured rapidly on the rear side of the rotating tool 2 in the moving direction B. Consequently, the metals of the base material 11 and the powder material 9 which have undergone plastic flow are welded while being mixed together and wholly integrated with each other, forming a welded portion 12 on the surface 11a. Since a temperature at which the metals undergo plastic flow is much lower than a melting point, the weld between the base material 11 and the powder material 9 falls into the category of solid-state welding. That is, the weld between the base material 11 and the powder material 9 is performed in an unmelted state. Thus, a heat input amount to the metals is small throughout a welding process, and a stress associated with solidification contraction does not occur, hardly causing deformation and a crack due to thermal distortion in the vicinity of the welded portion 12.
As shown in
Thus, it is possible to weld the powder material 9 to the lamination plane 10 in the unmelted state by frictionally stirring the metallic powder material 9 and the metallic lamination plane 10, enabling additive manufacturing without melting the material.
Next, an additive manufacturing device and an additive manufacturing method according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The additive manufacturing device and the additive manufacturing method according to Embodiment 2 are obtained by modifying Embodiment 1 in terms of the configuration of the rotating tool 2. In Embodiment 2, the same constituent elements as those in Embodiment 1 are associated with the same reference numerals and not described again in detail.
As shown in
Although not an essential component in Embodiment 2, a communication portion 24 making the holding space 25 and the exterior of the rotating tool 2 communicate with each other may be formed in the friction stir portion 6. The communication portion 24 can be, for example, a slit 24a cut out from the flat surface 21 along the length direction of the rotating tool 2. The width, the length, the number, and the like of the slit 24a can arbitrarily be determined. Alternatively, the communication portion 24 may be a through hole penetrating the friction stir portion 6. If the communication portion 24 is the through hole, the shape, the opening area, the number, and the like of the through hole can arbitrarily be determined.
Although not an essential component in Embodiment 2, a thread groove 22 may be formed on in an outer peripheral surface 8c of the pin 8. The thread groove 22 is preferably formed so as to extend from the base 8b toward the tip 8a of the pin 8 along the rotational direction A of the rotating tool 2.
Although not an essential component in Embodiment 2, a scroll groove 23 of a scroll shape may be formed in the flat surface 21, as shown in
Other configurations are the same as Embodiment 1.
In Embodiment 2, the principle that the powder material 9 (see
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Thus, in Embodiment 2, since it is possible to frictionally stir the powder material 9 while holding the powder material 9 in the holding space 25 formed on the tip surface 7, it is possible to reduce the powder material 9 dispersed around the rotating tool 2 without being frictionally stirred and to frictionally stir the powder material 9 by the rotating tool 2 reliably.
In Embodiment 2, the holding space 25 has the cone shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape. The holding space 25 may have any shape capable of holding the powder material 9 and may have, for example, a cone shape as shown in
In Embodiment 2, the base 8b of the pin 8 is positioned on the recessed surface 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The base 8b of the pin 8 may be positioned on the flat surface 21.
Next, an additive manufacturing device and an additive manufacturing method according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The additive manufacturing device and the additive manufacturing method according to Embodiment 3 are obtained by modifying Embodiment 1 in that the rotating tool 2 is surrounded by a guide member. In Embodiment 3, the same constituent elements as those in Embodiment 1 are associated with the same reference numerals and not described again in detail.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Other configurations are the same as Embodiment 1.
In Embodiment 3, the principle that the powder material 9 (see
As shown in
A part of the powder material 9 supplied into the guide member 30 via the powder supply nozzle 3 is positioned between the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 30 and the outer surface 6b of the friction stir portion 6 in the rotating tool 2 (see
Moreover, during additive manufacturing by the additive manufacturing device 1, the temperatures of the powder material 9 and the base material 11 (see
Furthermore, if the cut-out portion 32 is formed in the guide member 30, the formed welded portion 12 (see
Thus, in Embodiment 3, since it is possible to reduce, with the guide member 30, the powder material 9 dispersed around the rotating tool 2 without being frictionally stirred, the rotating tool 2 can frictionally stir the powder material 9 reliably.
In each of Embodiments 1 and 3, the thread groove 22 of Embodiment 2 may be formed in the outer peripheral surface 8c of the pin 8, or the scroll groove 23 of Embodiment 2 may be formed in the tip surface 7.
In each of Embodiments 1 to 3, the additive manufacturing device 1 may not include the powder supply nozzle 3. In this case, it is possible to frictionally stir the powder material 9 by the rotating tool 2 after supplying the powder material 9 onto the lamination plane 10 in advance.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-042689 | Mar 2018 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2019/008799 | 3/6/2019 | WO | 00 |