Additive Manufacturing – Research Activities within RIT

Angelica Lindwall, Christo Dordlofva and Magnus Neikter

2016-05-10

Introduction Additive Manufacturing, or 3D-printing, has received much attention in media in recent years with the fast development of different processes, both for industrial and home use. The technology enables a new freedom for the designer/artist due to its possibility to manufacture complex shapes. Aerospace early identified the possibilities with the technology.

Höganäs, Digital Metal GE Aviation Airbus Industries

Additive Manufacturing for Metals •  Layer by layer process to build products

•  Two categories are suitable for aerospace applications: –  Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) –  Directed Energy Deposition (DED) using powder or wire material

Space Industry •  Characterized by:

–  Complex systems and component designs with high technical requirements –  High development costs –  Low volumes (Europe launched six Ariane 5 rockets in 2015)

•  Future challenges to keep up with the growing competition (e.g. SpaceX) are cost, cost, cost, weight, reliability, flexibility, …

•  High demands and requirements implies great technical challenges

à Driver for Innovation and Technology Development

RIT Projects

•  Radical Innovations within Space Applications –  Angelica Lindwall

•  Microstructural characterization of PBF and DED of Ti-64 –  Magnus Neikter

•  Design and Qualification Methods for AM in Space Applications –  Christo Dordlofva AM = Additive Manufacturing

Sweden Tour

Universities

Örebro university - Product approach: Design, inspection, qualification Mid university - Process development: Focus on medical implants Chalmers university - Powder and material development University West - Process development Lund university - Design

Companies

Arcam - Manufactures Electron Beam Melting machines Höganäs/Digital metal - Produces powder/Operates and build precision ink-jets Siemens - Uses AM in production, have their own AM center Sandvik - Investigates the possibilities with AM, produces powder, AM center GKN Aerospace - Process development, uses AM in production

AM Clusters in Sweden •  Chalmers is part of an AM arena where the core partners are Swerea IVF

and Swerea KIMAB. The arena include other partners such as University West.

•  TTC (Tillverkningstekniskt Centrum) is part of Alfred Nobel Science Park in Karlskoga. Joint cooperation between Örebro University, Saab Dynamics, Bofors Test Center, Lasertech LSH AB.

•  AM competence center applications at Vinnova: –  Chalmers with University West and Linköping University –  Örebro University –  KTH with Uppsala University

“Swedish industry and academia need to cooperate for Sweden to become a world leader in AM”

Supply chain for AM in Sweden

Radical Innovation within Space Applications

Angelica Lindwall RIT meeting Kiruna 2016-05-10

Design for Additive Manufacturing

•  Complex structures •  Shorten lead time •  Open up possibilities •  New restrictions/limitations

•  RQ1: What influence does the implementation of Additive Manufacturing into a production system have on the Innovation Process in the Space Industry?

•  RQ2: What challenges does the designer encounter when an organization within the Space Industry implements Additive Manufacturing?

•  RQ3: What effect does Additive Manufacturing have on the innovativeness

of designers in the Space Industry?

(Designer= Design Engineers working within the design process)

Research questions

Microstructural characterization of additive manufactured Ti-64

Magnus Neikter 10/5-2016

Introduction

•  Make a microstructural investigation of different AM-methods

•  Five different AM-methods •  Microstructure is determined by heating and

cooling, for AM this is complex •  Leads to a complex thermal history

–  Microstructure hard to predict

•  Microstructure is important as it determines the mechanical properties

Alpha laths

Prior beta grains

•  Columnar shape •  Grows toward heat source

•  Grain boundary alpha

Alpha colonies and hardness •  Hardness differences between and within the

samples •  Measure alpha colonies with EBSD

Design and Qualification Methods for Additive Manufacturing in

Space Applications Christo Dordlofva RIT meeting Kiruna 2016-05-10

Why AM in Rocket Engines?

•  Benefits include: –  Ideal for low volume products for high performance parts –  Lightweight materials and/or mass optimized designs –  Increased functionality using novel designs –  Cost reduction –  Supplier independency –  …

•  Challenges include: –  Process limitations –  Process verification –  Part verification –  Material characterization –  Lack of standards –  Designer limitations –  …

Design for Additive Manufacturing

GKN Aerospace

GKN Aerospace

Design and Qualification

Design and Qualification of AM in Space Applications

Design Verification

Requirements

AM

Industry

•  RQ1: What are the prerequisites, possibilities and limitations with

additive manufacturing in the design of rocket engine components?

•  RQ2: What are the qualification challenges for additively manufactured rocket engine components?

•  RQ3: What are the important adaptions to an engineering design system for rocket engine components when implementing additive manufacturing?

Research questions

GKN Aerospace Applications •  GKN Aerospace has over 40 years of experience in designing, developing

and manufacturing parts for rocket engines •  Competence centers/Center of Excellence are:

–  Turbines for turbopumps –  Nozzle extensions