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Study of the feasibility of using additive manufacturing by Laser Metal Deposition LMD process (DED-Laser) to manufacture metallic components.
Consulting related to Process development and optimization in the context of Manufacturing
Scope:
Assess the technical and economic feasibility of manufacturing component using LMD additive manufacturing, considering both the selection of the most appropriate technology and the redesign of the component to guarantee its manufacturability and productive improvements.
Approach:
Depending on the functional and geometric requirements of the component to be manufactured (defined by the customer), the most appropriate technology will be selected (wire or powder deposition) and the component will be redesigned so that it is manufacturable regarding the selected process. In a second phase, the manufacturing process will be optimized by varying the process parameters and the material will be characterized to ensure that it meets the defined requirements. Besides, the selected component will be manufactured and validated according to the requirements indicated by the customer. The tests that arise at this stage are:
• Process parametrization in simple prismatic specimens.
• Characterization of the specimens including metallographic analysis, hardness, and Non-destructive testing.
• Manufacture of 2 demo components
• Destructive characterization tests in one of the 2 components: analysis of the microstructure and hardness obtained in different parts of the component and hardness and tensile tests.
Outcome:
The consulting process will result in 1) a report that includes the new design of the component, 2) a report that includes the main aspects of the fabrication process and the results obtained in all tests carried out on specimens and in the first demonstrator manufactured and 3) the second component manufactured and scanned to ensure that the final geometry meets the defined geometrical requirements. The component will be delivered with the manufacturing finish, without subsequent machining.
Laser processing tests varying the main process parameters to ensure the quality of the manufactured samples will be carried out. Tracks, simple layers, and 3D structures with geometry like the component to be manufactured will be deposited. These specimens will be analyzed from a microstructural and mechanical point of view with the aim of selecting the optimal processing parameters. All information related to these tests and results shall be included in a final report.
Both the base material on which the manufacture begins, as well as the filler material will be provided by the customer.
No protective atmosphere shall be used in addition to the shielding gas used in the process. If necessary due to the characteristics of the material to be deposited, additional cost will be evaluated.
Clear definition and quantification of objective functionality, mutual understanding of the limits and constraints of development, and agreement on precise objectives and expected outcomes of the next phases. Based on the information provided by the client, the most suitable laser manufacturing technology will be selected, which characteristics will be considered to carry out the redesign of the component.
In addition, the client will provide all the necessary information regarding the final requirements (microstructural and functional) of the component under study, which will be considered to optimize its design and guarantee its manufacturability. Once the new design has been validated by the customer, the processing strategies will be generated to manufacture the final geometry of the demonstrator.
Manufacture of two components with the optimal parameters and path planning defined in the previous phases will be carried out.
The price of this service has been estimated for the manufacture of a demonstrator with a processing time not exceeding 5 hours. Otherwise, the service fee will have to be reviewed.
Demonstrator 1 will be used to evaluate functional properties at the component level according to the requirements defined in the exploration phase. Destructive tests (microstructure and hardness) will be carried out in a maximum of 3 representative areas to evaluate the homogeneity of its properties. In the second demonstrator, NDTs and geometry scanning will be carried out and delivered to the customer to ensure that the final geometry meets the defined requirements. The component will be delivered with the manufacturing finish, without subsequent machining.
