Thermofluid Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Melt Pool in Powder-Bed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Paul J. Schilling ◽  
Paul D. Herrington ◽  
Uttam K. Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Thermal Behavior ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool

Electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) is a powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing (AM) technology that can make full density metallic components using a layer-by-layer fabrication method. To build each layer, the EBAM process includes powder spreading, preheating, melting, and solidification. The quality of the build part, process reliability, and energy efficiency depends typically on the thermal behavior, material properties, and heat source parameters involved in the EBAM process. Therefore, characterizing those properties and understanding the correlations among the process parameters are essential to evaluate the performance of the EBAM process. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with Ti-6Al-4V powder was developed incorporating the temperature-dependent thermal properties and a moving conical volumetric heat source with Gaussian distribution to conduct the simulations of the EBAM process. The melt pool dynamics and its thermal behavior were investigated numerically, and results for temperature profile, melt pool geometry, cooling rate and variation in density, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and enthalpy were obtained for several sets of electron beam specifications. Validation of the model was performed by comparing the simulation results with the experimental results for the size of the melt pool.

Thermal Analysis of Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing Using Ti-6Al-4V Powder-Bed

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Paul J. Schilling ◽  
Paul D. Herrington ◽  
Uttam K. Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Part Quality ◽  
Melt Pool

Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) is one of the emerging additive manufacturing (AM) technologies that is uniquely capable of making full density metallic components using layer-by-layer fabrication method. To build each layer, the process includes powder spreading, pre-heating, melting, and solidification. The thermal and material properties involved in the EBAM process play a vital role to determine the part quality, reliability, and energy efficiency. Therefore, characterizing the properties and understanding the correlations among the process parameters are incumbent to evaluate the performance of the EBAM process. In this study, a three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with Ti-6Al-4V powder has been developed incorporating the temperature-dependent thermal properties and a moving conical volumetric heat source with Gaussian distribution to conduct the simulations of the EBAM process. The melt-pool dynamics and its thermal behavior have been investigated numerically using a CFD solver and results for temperature profile, cooling rate, variation in density, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and enthalpy have been obtained for a particular set of electron beam specifications.

A Comparative Study Between Selective Laser Melting and Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing Based on Thermal Modeling

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Paul J. Schilling ◽  
Paul D. Herrington ◽  
Uttam K. Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Selective Laser Melting ◽  
Thermal Modeling ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Laser Melting ◽  
Melt Pool

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) are two of the most promising additive manufacturing technologies that can make full density metallic components using layer-by-layer fabrication methods. In this study, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics models with Ti-6Al-4V powder were developed to conduct numerical simulations of both the SLM and EBAM processes. A moving conical volumetric heat source with Gaussian distribution and temperature-dependent thermal properties were incorporated in the thermal modeling of both processes. The melt-pool geometry and its thermal behavior were investigated numerically and results for temperature profile, cooling rate, variation in specific heat, density, thermal conductivity, and enthalpy were obtained with similar heat source specifications. Results obtained from the two models at the same maximum temperature of the melt pool were then compared to describe their deterministic features to be considered for industrial applications. Validation of the modeling was performed by comparing the EBAM simulation results with the EBAM experimental results for melt pool geometry.

Additive Manufacturing of Nickel-Based Super Alloys for Aero Engine Applications

2020 ◽  
pp. 48-70
Author(s):  
Raja A. ◽  
Mythreyi O. V. ◽  
Jayaganthan R.
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Complex Geometry ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Direct Energy ◽  
Second Phases ◽  
Metal Addition

Ni based super alloys are widely used in engine turbines because of their proven performance at high temperatures. Manufacturing these parts by additive manufacturing (AM) methods provides researchers a lot of creative space for complex design to improve efficiency. Powder bed fusion (PBF) and direct energy deposition (DED) are the two most widely-used metal AM methods. Both methods are influenced by the source, parameters, design, and raw material. Selective laser melting is one of the laser-based PBF techniques to create small layer thickness and complex geometry with greater accuracy and properties. The layer-by-layer metal addition generates epitaxial growth and solidification in the built direction. There are different second phases in the Ni-based superalloys. This chapter details the micro-segregation of these particles and its influence on the microstructure, and mechanical properties are dependent on the process influencing parameters, the thermal kinetics during the process, and the post-processing treatments.

On Process Temperature in Powder-Bed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing: Model Development and Validation

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Steven Price ◽  
James Lydon ◽  
Kenneth Cooper ◽  
Kevin Chou
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Thermal Characteristics ◽  
Pool Size ◽  
Process Temperature ◽  
Thermal Imager ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool ◽  
Melt Pool Size

Powder-bed beam-based metal additive manufacturing (AM) such as electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) has a potential to offer innovative solutions to many challenges and difficulties faced in the manufacturing industry. However, the complex process physics of EBAM has not been fully understood, nor has process metrology such as temperatures been thoroughly studied, hindering part quality consistency, efficient process development and process optimizations, etc., for effective EBAM usage. In this study, numerical and experimental approaches were combined to research the process temperatures and other thermal characteristics in EBAM using Ti–6Al–4V powder. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive thermal model, using a finite element (FE) method, to predict temperature distributions and history in the EBAM process. On the other hand, a near infrared (NIR) thermal imager, with a spectral range of 0.78 μm–1.08 μm, was employed to acquire build surface temperatures in EBAM, with subsequent data processing for temperature profile and melt pool size analysis. The major results are summarized as follows. The thermal conductivity of Ti–6Al–4V powder is porosity dependent and is one of critical factors for temperature predictions. The measured thermal conductivity of preheated powder (of 50% porosity) is 2.44 W/m K versus 10.17 W/m K for solid Ti–6Al–4V at 750 °C. For temperature measurements in EBAM by NIR thermography, a method was developed to compensate temperature profiles due to transmission loss and unknown emissivity of liquid Ti–6Al–4V. At a beam speed of about 680 mm/s, a beam current of about 7.0 mA and a diameter of 0.55 mm, the peak process temperature is on the order around 2700 °C, and the melt pools have dimensions of about 2.94 mm, 1.09 mm, and 0.12 mm, in length, width, and depth, respectively. In general, the simulations are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results with an average error of 32% for the melt pool sizes. From the simulations, the powder porosity is found critical to the thermal characteristics in EBAM. Increasing the powder porosity will elevate the peak process temperature and increase the melt pool size.

A numerical investigation of thermal property effects on melt pool characteristics in powder-bed electron beam additive manufacturing

2016 ◽  
Vol 232 (9) ◽  
pp. 1615-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Kevin Chou
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Melting Point ◽  
Thermal Property ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool ◽  
Melt Pool Size

Powder-bed electron beam additive manufacturing has the potential to be a cost-effective alternative in producing complex-shaped, custom-designed metal parts using various alloys. Material thermal properties have a rather sophisticated effect on the thermal characteristics such as the melt pool geometry in fabrications, impacting the build part quality. The objective of this study is to achieve a quantitative relationship that can correlate the material thermal properties and the melt pool geometric characteristics in the electron beam additive manufacturing process. The motivation is to understand the interactions of material property effect since testing individual properties is insufficient because of the change of almost all thermal properties when switching from one to the other material. In this research, a full-factorial simulation experiment was conducted to include a wide range of the thermal properties and their combinations. A developed finite element thermal model was applied to perform electron beam additive manufacturing process thermal simulations incorporating tested thermal properties. The analysis of variance method was utilized to evaluate different thermal property effects on the simulated melt pool geometry. The major results are summarized as follows. (1) The material melting point is the most dominant factor to the melt pool size. (2) The role of the material thermal conductivity may outweigh the melting point and strongly affects the melt pool size, if the thermal conductivity is very high. (3) Regression equations to correlate the material properties and the melt pool dimension and shape have been established, and the regression-predicted results show a reasonable agreement with the simulation results for tested real-world materials. However, errors still exist for materials with a small melt pool such as copper.

A Comparison of the Thermo-Fluid Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Melt Pools Formed by Laser and Electron-Beam Powder-Bed Fusion Processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Paul J. Schilling ◽  
Paul D. Herrington ◽  
Uttam K. Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Liquid Velocity ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Powder Bed Fusion ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool ◽  
Fluid Properties ◽  
Simulation Results

Abstract Powder-bed fusion (PBF) process is a subdivision of additive manufacturing (AM) technology where a heat source at a controlled speed selectively fuses regions of a powder-bed material to form three-dimensional (3D) parts in a layer-by-layer fashion. Two of the most commercialized and powerful PBF methods for fabricating full-density metallic parts are the laser PBF (L-PBF) and electron beam PBF (E-PBF) processes. In this study, a multiphysics-based 3D numerical model is developed to compare the thermo-fluid properties of Ti-6Al-4V melt pools formed by the L-PBF and E-PBF processes. The temperature-dependent properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy and the parameters for the laser and electron beams are incorporated in the model as the user-defined functions (UDFs). The melt-pool geometry and its thermo-fluid behavior are investigated using the finite volume (FV) method, and results for the variations of temperature, thermo-physical properties, velocity, geometry of the melt pool, and cooling rate in the two processes are compared under similar irradiation conditions. For an irradiance level of 26 J/mm3 and a beam interaction time of 1.212 ms, simulation results show that the L-PBF process gives a faster cooling rate (1. 5 K/μs) than that in the E-PBF process (0.74 K/μs). The magnitude of liquid velocity in the melt pool is also higher in L-PBF than that in E-PBF. The numerical model is validated by comparing the simulation results for the melt-pool geometry with the PBF experimental results and comparing the numerical melt-front position with the analytical solution for the classical Stephan problem of melting of a phase-change material (PCM).

On Process Temperature in Powder-Bed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing: Process Parameter Effects

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Price ◽  
Bo Cheng ◽  
James Lydon ◽  
Kenneth Cooper ◽  
Kevin Chou
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Surface Morphology ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Thermal Characteristics ◽  
Beam Current ◽  
Process Temperature ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool ◽  
Melt Pool Size

Build part certification has been one of the primary roadblocks for effective usage and broader applications of metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies including powder-bed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM). Process sensitivity to operating parameters, among others such as powder stock variations, is one major source of property scattering in EBAM parts. Thus, it is important to establish quantitative relations between the process parameters and process thermal characteristics that are closely correlated with the AM part properties. In this study, the experimental techniques, fabrications, and temperature measurements, developed in recent work (Cheng et al., 2014, "On Process Temperature in Powder-Bed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing: Model Development and Experimental Validation," ASME J. Manuf. Sci. Eng., (in press)) were applied to investigate the process parameter effects on the thermal characteristics in EBAM with Ti-6Al-4 V powder, using the system-specific setting called “speed function (SF)” index that controls the beam speed and the beam current during a build. EBAM parts were fabricated using different levels of SF index (20–65) and examined in the part surface morphology and microstructures. In addition, process temperatures were measured by near infrared (NIR) thermography with further analysis of the temperature profiles and the melt pool size. The thermal model, also developed in recent work, was further employed for EBAM temperature predictions, and then compared with the experimental results. The major results are summarized as follows. SF index noticeably affects the thermal characteristics in EBAM, e.g., a melt pool length of 1.72 mm and 1.26 mm for SF20 and SF65, respectively, at 24.43 mm build height. SF setting also strongly affects the EBAM part quality including the surface morphology, surface roughness and part microstructures. In general, a higher SF index tends to produce parts of rougher surfaces with more pore features and large β grain columnar widths. Increasing the beam speed will reduce the peak temperatures, also reduce the melt pool sizes. Simulations conducted to evaluate the beam speed effects are in reasonable agreement compared to the experimental measurements in temperatures and melt pools sizes. However, the results of a lower SF case, SF20, show larger differences between the simulations and the experiments, about 58% for the melt pool size. Moreover, the higher the beam current, the higher the peak process temperatures, also the larger the melt pool. On the other hand, increasing the beam diameter monotonically decreases the peak temperature and the melt pool length.

Thermomechanical Investigation of Overhang Fabrications in Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Ping Lu ◽  
Kevin Chou
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Residual Stresses ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Support Structures ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Thermomechanical Process ◽  
Root Cause

Electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) is one of powder-bed-fusion additive manufacturing processes that are capable of making full density metallic components. EBAM has a great potential in various high-value, small-batch productions in biomedical and aerospace industries. In EBAM, because a build part is immersed in the powder bed, ideally the process would not require support structures for overhang geometry. However, in practice, support structures are indeed needed for an overhang; without it, the overhang area will have defects such as warping, which is due to the complex thermomechanical process in EBAM. In this study, a thermomechanical finite element model has been developed to simulate temperature and stress fields when building a simple overhang in order to examine the root cause of overhang warping. It is found that the poor thermal conductivity of Ti-6Al-4V powder results in higher temperatures, also slower heat dissipation, in an overhang area, in EBAM builds. The retained higher temperatures in the area above the powder substrate result in higher residual stresses in an overhang area, and lower powder porosity may reduce the residual stresses associated with building an overhang.

scholarly journals Influence of Microstructure and Defects on Mechanical Properties of AISI H13 Manufactured by Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Kahlert ◽  
Florian Brenne ◽  
Malte Vollmer ◽  
Thomas Niendorf
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Powder Bed Fusion ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Aisi H13

AbstractElectron beam powder bed fusion (E-PBF) is a well-known additive manufacturing process. Components are realized based on layer-by-layer melting of metal powder. Due to the high degree of design freedom, additive manufacturing came into focus of tooling industry, especially for tools with sophisticated internal cooling channels. The present work focuses on the relationships between processing, microstructure evolution, chemical composition and mechanical properties of a high alloyed tool steel AISI H13 (1.2344, X40CrMoV5-1) processed by E-PBF. The specimens are free of cracks, however, lack of fusion defects are found upon use of non-optimized parameters finally affecting the mechanical properties detrimentally. Specimens built based on suitable parameters show a relatively fine grained bainitic/martensitic microstructure, finally resulting in a high ultimate strength and an even slightly higher failure strain compared to conventionally processed and heat treated AISI H13.

Speed Function Effects in Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Steven Price ◽  
Xibing Gong ◽  
James Lydon ◽  
Kenneth Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Thermal Characteristics ◽  
Scanning Speed ◽  
Beam Current ◽  
Thermal Imager ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Melt Pool ◽  
Speed Function

In this paper, the process parameter effects on the thermal characteristics in powder-bed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) using Ti-6Al-4V powder were investigated. The machine-specific setting, called “speed function” (SF) index that controls the beam speed and the beam current during a build, was utilized to evaluate the beam scanning speed effects. EBAM parts were fabricated using different levels of SF index (20 to 65) and build surface morphology and part microstructures were examined. A near infrared (NIR) thermal imager was used for temperatures measurements during the EBAM process. In addition, a thermal model previously developed was employed for temperature predictions and comparison with the experimental results. The major results are summarized as follows. The SF index noticeably affects the thermal characteristics in EBAM, e.g., a melt pool length of 1.72 mm vs. 1.26 mm for SF20 and SF65, respectively, at the 24.43 mm build height. This is because the higher the speed function index, the higher the beam speed, which reduces the energy density input and results in a lower process temperature. For the surface conditions and part microstructures, in general, a higher SF index tends to produce parts of rougher surfaces with more residual porosity features and large β grain columnar widths.

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