In general, the innovation relates to an ultrasonically assisted wire additive manufacturing (UA-WAM) process, during which a vibrating Ultrasonic probe is immersed in a molten pool of material. More particularly, the innovation provides an advance in additive manufacturing with hybrid techniques especially helpful for producing near net shape large scale metal matrix nanocomposite structures.
In general, additive manufacturing (AM) has grown increasingly popular as a manufacturing technique for a variety of advantages, including its agility to incrementally build complex free-form 3D objects with minimal subtractive machining. Of many different types of AM, wire additive manufacturing (WAM) is one of a direct energy deposition based AM process. WAM may utilize wire as feedstock, and may use as a heat source one or more of several direct energy sources, such as arc, laser or electron beam, and the like. Compared with other AM process, such as powder-based AM processes, WAM advantages may include distinguishably higher deposition rates, energy and material utilization efficiency. For example, with steel processing, arc-based WAM can achieve a 10 kg/h deposition rate compared with the 600 g/h for powder-based process. In further comparison to powder, welding wires are environmentally friendly and are safer to handle. Manufacturing issues associated with powders, such as contamination and oxidation, which may critically degrade 3D printed parts properties, and these types of manufacturing issues may be mitigated effectively, as well as elimination of powder recycling. Several of these characteristics make WAM particularly attractive in building large scale components.
Various forms of direct energy are available with WAM. For example, in arc-based WAM processes, also referred to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), depending on the nature of the arc source, WAAM can be categorized into gas metal arc welding (GM/kW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), and plasma arc welding (PAW) based processes.
However, and in general, as similar to other AM processes, WAM may share disadvantages such as for example, as-cast microstructure nature drawbacks, including coarse columnar grains, porosities, interdendritic segregation and the lack of strengthening phases. These drawbacks may lead to inferior mechanical properties compared with other traditional manufacturing processes, such as those for wrought products. Disadvantages specific to WAM may also include low geometric accuracy and rough surface finish with layered bulged waviness features, which generally may require some post-machining, which could induce trade-offs between net shape and near net shape manufacturing. In addition, in general WAM processing, there may be concerns of residual stress and distortion, as such may be more severe due in instances of high heat input for some WAM processing.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview of the innovation. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the innovation. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the innovation in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In one aspect, the innovation provides an ultrasonically assisted wire additive manufacturing (UA-WAM) process, during which a vibrating ultrasonic probe is immersed in the molten pool. In an embodiment, the probe may be a longitudinal vibrating ultrasonic probe. In an embodiment, the probe may be placed in the trailing side of the heat source. In an embodiment, the probe may be located about 180° behind the heat source. The ultrasonic acoustic cavitation and streaming effects may help to refine microstructure, reduce porosity and homogenize element distribution.
In one aspect, the innovation provides a system for a UA-WAM process. The system may include an apparatus which includes a UA probe system attached to wire additive manufacturing (WAM) equipment, including but not limited to GMAW-based, CMT-based, GTAW-based, PAW-based, laser-based and electron beam-based WAM.
In an embodiment, the UA probe system may include mounting brackets to secure the UA probe to the WAM equipment, ultrasonic power supply, Ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic booster, horn, ultrasonic probe, pneumatic cylinder (or linear motor, or the like), and associated control system. It is to be appreciated that embodiments with other mounting arrangements are to be considered within the scope of the disclosed innovation.
In an embodiment, the relative position of the ultrasonic probe and the heat source can be adjusted.
In an embodiment, the ultrasonic probe comprises a refractory metal alloy. In an embodiment, the probe comprises a tungsten alloy. In an embodiment, the probe may be brazed to a screw. The screw contains an aperture having a diameter that substantially matches the ultrasonic probe and is configured such that the aperture may accommodate the ultrasonic probe. The screw may be operatively connected to the ultrasonic horn. In an embodiment, the tungsten alloy probe is brazed to a titanium screw.
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals may not be used to refer to like elements throughout, but are to be understood in the context of the provided discussion. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject innovation. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the innovation.
While specific characteristics are described herein (e.g., materials, thickness, orientation, configuration, etc.), it is to be understood that the features, functions and benefits of the innovation can employ characteristics that vary from those described herein. These alternatives are to be included within the scope of the innovation and claims appended hereto.
Disadvantage noted above in general for general material processing may be even more detrimental when additive material processing is concerned with metal matrix nanocomposite fabrication. Power ultrasound assisted (UA) manufacturing may operate at a number of desired frequencies and power outputs, as would be known to persons skilled in the art as informed by the disclosed innovation, and in an example, may operate at frequencies of 20 kHz or 40 kHz and power outputs of 1-5 kW. Such manufacturing may provide various benefits in processing molten metals, including grain refinement, degassing, and in an embodiment, with improvements in ex situ metal matrix nanocomposite fabrication. These benefits are achieved may be based on two UA induced physical phenomena: high-intensity transient cavitation and acoustic streaming. UA may be referred to variously as ultrasound assisted, ultrasonically assisted, Ultrasound augmented and the like, and it is to be understood the meaning of the term in the context of its use.
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It is to be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosed innovation are possible, and are to be considered within the scope of the disclosed innovation as may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. In embodiments as illustrated, for example in EEGs. 1A-1B, there are various processes available for WAM. Two of these variants are depicted in
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It is to be appreciated that in embodiments in which an ultrasonic probe is maintained in a molten pool, that the probe may comprise a metal alloy that can withstand the high temperatures in the molten pool. Suitable metal alloys may include, but are not limited to tungsten alloys, aluminum alloys, and steel. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 10 may be made of tungsten alloys.
It is further to be appreciated that finite element analysis may be performed to determine the probe length, in order to, for example, to configure the probe such that at its natural vibration frequency, a longitudinal vibration mode is achieved to resonate with an ultrasonic transducer, such as for example ultrasonic transducer 7 as illustrated in
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At the left segment, the UA is turned off and conventional. WAM is performed. It was observed that the deposition height of UA-WAAM layers is higher than that in the regular WAM process. Cross sections are compared in
In an aspect of the innovation a method and apparatus for a wire additive manufacturing (WAM) process with superimposed Ultrasonic vibration, which is referred to as ultrasonically assisted WAM (UA-WAAM). The UA energy is in situ applied within a localized molten volume, which it is to be appreciated, may eliminate a requirement of a high ultrasonic power supply in embodiments of applying the method and apparatus for large scale metal components. With such embodiments, for example, dimensions of the built part may not be limited by the output power of the UA transducer.
It is to be further appreciated in that
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In an embodiment, a control program may be configured to control the movement of components of the UA system. It is to be appreciated that during an additive manufacturing process, position of the probe 10 may be adjusted, including adjusting a distance of probe 10 relative to electrode 8 and/or the depth of the probe into a molten pool.
Control parameters may be pre-determined, and may be varied on application to achieve near net shape with the disclosed improvements. It is to be appreciated that if a distance between probe 10 and electrode 8 is too great, a surface scratch may be left on a top built layer as molten metal may not completely fill in a gap after a pass of the probe (for example, at a relatively lower temperature, as may be enabled in certain embodiments due to lower energy requirements). It is also to be appreciated that if a distance between electrode 8 and the probe 10 is too small, ultrasonic benefits may be diminished and a high arc temperature may damage the probe. Thus, it may be important to maintain control and provide an appropriate position of the probe. In an embodiment, the appropriate position of the probe may be determined by the molten pool geometry, which may be controlled (at least in part) by other the process parameters, which for example may include arc current, voltage, welding speed and filler metal feeding speed.
What has been described above includes examples of the innovation. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the subject innovation, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the innovation are possible. Accordingly, the innovation is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/131,354 entitled “ULTRASONICALLY ASSISTED WIRE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND APPARATUS” filed on Dec. 29, 2020. The entirety of the above-noted application is incorporated by reference herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2021/065536 | 12/29/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63131354 | Dec 2020 | US |