In a world of rapidly changing technologies, additive manufacturing stands out as an innovative approach to creating objects using three-dimensional computer models. Starting from its appearance in the early 1980s, this technology has undergone significant changes and now finds wide use in various industries, from aerospace production to medicine.
Consolidation and cost reduction
One of the key advantages of using additive technologies in producing metal products is the ability to combine several parts into one whole. This is achieved thanks to the ability to create complex components as a single block, which leads to reducing the number of elements in the finished unit. Such an approach substantially reduces production costs because products are created directly without using complex tooling.
Freedom in design and integration
Additive technologies also provide the ability to produce parts of complex shape, including creating internal channels, fine meshes, or thin-walled elements. Such design flexibility opens new horizons for creating innovative products. In addition, additive technologies easily integrate into existing process technologies, contributing to their improvement and reducing the total number of operations.
Additive manufacturing in metalworking provides unique opportunities for efficient, innovative creation of metal products. Modern technologies not only improve traditional production methods but also open new possibilities in product design and functionality.
There are two main types of additive technologies differing in use of consumable materials:
However, to fully unlock the potential of additive manufacturing it is necessary to carefully study structure formation processes in materials. Studies using transmission electron microscopy are key elements of this understanding.
Metal solidification during additive manufacturing has a direct effect on microstructure, defects, and mechanical properties of final products. In this study scientists focused on analyzing thermomechanical deformation regimes, in particular the effect of thermomechanical load on formation of dendritic structure during laser melting of alloy Inconel 625.
Using transmission electron microscopy made it possible to study in detail the processes of dendritic structure formation. The knowledge obtained proved highly valuable for optimizing metal element printing strategies to obtain desired microstructural features. Understanding these processes made it possible to determine dislocation orientation and the nature of grain boundaries.
Effective control of thermomechanical deformation regimes made it possible to create specific microstructural elements. This in turn made it possible not only to improve quality of manufactured parts but also to create innovative products with predetermined mechanical properties. For example, using a laser beam with pulses helped reduce crystal grain size, which led to increased part strength.
Although PZPS does not specialize in producing parts using additive technologies, we can offer production of various strips from nickel-chromium alloys. These materials have high strength and corrosion resistance, making them sought after in various industries.
