Advancements in metal additive manufacturing: In-situ heat treatment of aluminium alloys during the laser powder bed fusion process

Schimbäck D, Kaserer L, Mair P, Mohebbi MS, Staron P, Maier-Kiener V, Letofsky-Papst I, Kremmer T, Palm F, Montes I, Höppel HW, Leichtfried G, Pogatscher S (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing Elsevier

Book Volume: 905

Article Number: 146102

DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2024.146102

Abstract

The high design freedom of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing enables new integrated structures, which in turn demand advances in the process conditions and material design to exploit the full potential of this process. A computational multi-scale thermal simulation and metallurgical analysis of the aluminium alloy Scalmalloy® were used to develop and present a specific process window to enable an in-situ heat treatment during LPBF. High resolution analysis and synchrotron experiments on specimens manufactured in this process window revealed a major proportion of nano-sized Al3(ScxZr1−x) solute-clusters were already present in the as-built state, as predicted by simulation. Supported by this experimental research, the new processing concept of in-situ heat treatment yielded the highest recorded strength values combined with high ductility directly after LPBF for Scalmalloy®. This advancement in LPBF enables highly complex, thin-walled structures directly made from a high-strength, lightweight material, which is not possible with conventional processes that require a subsequent heat treatment cycle.

Authors with CRIS profile

Heinz Werner Höppel Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften)

Involved external institutions

Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck AT Austria (AT) Montanuniversität Leoben AT Austria (AT) Universität Bremen DE Germany (DE) Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon DE Germany (DE) Technische Universität Graz AT Austria (AT) Airbus Defence and Space GmbH DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schimbäck, D., Kaserer, L., Mair, P., Mohebbi, M.S., Staron, P., Maier-Kiener, V.,... Pogatscher, S. (2024). Advancements in metal additive manufacturing: In-situ heat treatment of aluminium alloys during the laser powder bed fusion process. Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing, 905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2024.146102

MLA:

Schimbäck, D., et al. "Advancements in metal additive manufacturing: In-situ heat treatment of aluminium alloys during the laser powder bed fusion process." Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing 905 (2024).

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