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1 – 10 of 547Guanchen Liu, Dongdong Xu, Zifu Shen, Hongjie Xu and Liang Ding
As an advanced manufacturing method, additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides new possibilities for efficient production and design of parts. However, with the continuous…
Abstract
Purpose
As an advanced manufacturing method, additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides new possibilities for efficient production and design of parts. However, with the continuous expansion of the application of AM materials, subtractive processing has become one of the necessary steps to improve the accuracy and performance of parts. In this paper, the processing process of AM materials is discussed in depth, and the surface integrity problem caused by it is discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, we listed and analyzed the characterization parameters of metal surface integrity and its influence on the performance of parts and then introduced the application of integrated processing of metal adding and subtracting materials and the influence of different processing forms on the surface integrity of parts. The surface of the trial-cut material is detected and analyzed, and the surface of the integrated processing of adding and subtracting materials is compared with that of the pure processing of reducing materials, so that the corresponding conclusions are obtained.
Findings
In this process, we also found some surface integrity problems, such as knife marks, residual stress and thermal effects. These problems may have a potential negative impact on the performance of the final parts. In processing, we can try to use other integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, try to combine various integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, or consider exploring more efficient AM technology to improve processing efficiency. We can also consider adopting production process optimization measures to reduce the processing cost of adding and subtracting materials.
Originality/value
With the gradual improvement of the requirements for the surface quality of parts in the production process and the in-depth implementation of sustainable manufacturing, the demand for integrated processing of metal addition and subtraction materials is likely to continue to grow in the future. By deeply understanding and studying the problems of material reduction and surface integrity of AM materials, we can better meet the challenges in the manufacturing process and improve the quality and performance of parts. This research is very important for promoting the development of manufacturing technology and achieving success in practical application.
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Kashif Ishfaq, Zafar Abas, M. Saravana Kumar and Muhammad Arif Mahmood
This study aims to outline the current challenges in ultrasonic additive manufacturing (AM). AM has revolutionized manufacturing and offers possible solutions when conventional…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to outline the current challenges in ultrasonic additive manufacturing (AM). AM has revolutionized manufacturing and offers possible solutions when conventional techniques reach technological boundaries. Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) uses mechanical vibrations to join similar or dissimilar metals in three-dimensional assemblies. This hybrid fabrication method got attention due to minimum scrap and near-net-shape products.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews significant UAM areas in process parameters such as pressure force, amplitude, weld speed and temperature. These process parameters used in different studies by researchers are compared and presented in tabular form. UAM process improvements and understanding of microstructures have been reported. This review paper also enlightens current challenges in the UAM process, process improvement methods such as heat treatment methods, foil-to-foil overlap and sonotrode surface roughness to increase the bond quality of welded parts.
Findings
Results showed that UAM could solve various problems and produce net shape products. It is concluded that process parameters such as pressure, weld speed, amplitude and temperature greatly influence weld quality by UAM. Post-weld heat treatment methods have been recommended to optimize the mechanical strength of ultrasonically welded joints process parameters. It has been found that the tension force is vital for the deformation of the pre-machined structures and for the elongation of the foil during UAM bonding. It is recommended to critically investigate the mechanical properties of welded parts with standard test procedures.
Originality/value
This study compiles relevant research and findings in UAM. The recent progress in UAM is presented in terms of material type, process parameters and process improvement, along with key findings of the particular investigation. The original contribution of this paper is to identify the research gaps in the process parameters of ultrasonic consolidation.
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This paper aims to comprehensively review ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process history, technology advancements, application areas and research areas. UAM, a hybrid 3D…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to comprehensively review ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process history, technology advancements, application areas and research areas. UAM, a hybrid 3D metal printing technology, uses ultrasonic energy to produce metallurgical bonds between layers of metal foils near room temperature. No melting occurs in the process – it is a solid-state 3D metal printing technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is formatted chronologically to help readers better distinguish advancements and changes in the UAM process through the years. Contributions and advancements are summarized by academic or research institution following this chronological format.
Findings
This paper summarizes key physics of the process, characterization methods, mechanical properties, past and active research areas, process limitations and application areas.
Originality/value
This paper reviews the UAM process for the first time.
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David Schick, Sudarsanam Suresh Babu, Daniel R. Foster, Marcelo Dapino, Matt Short and John C. Lippold
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a rapid prototyping process through which multiple thin layers of material are sequentially ultrasonically welded together to form a…
Abstract
Purpose
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a rapid prototyping process through which multiple thin layers of material are sequentially ultrasonically welded together to form a finished part. While previous research into the peak temperatures experienced during UAM have been documented, a thorough examination of the heating and cooling curves has not been conducted to date.
Design/methodology/approach
For this study, UAM weldments made from aluminum 3003‐H18 tapes with embedded Type‐K thermocouples were examined. Finite element modeling was used to compare the theoretical thermal diffusion rates during heating to the observed heating patterns. A model was used to calculate the effective thermal diffusivity of the UAM build on cooling based on the observed cooling curves and curve fitting analysis.
Findings
Embedded thermocouple data revealed simultaneous temperature increases throughout all interfaces of the UAM build directly beneath the sonotrode. Modeling of the heating curves revealed a delay of at least 0.5 seconds should have existed if heating of lower interfaces was a result of thermal diffusion alone. As this is not the case, it was concluded that ultrasonic energy is absorbed and converted to heat at every interface beneath the sonotrode. The calculated thermal diffusivity of the build on cooling was less than 1 percent of the reported values of bulk aluminum, suggesting that voids and oxides along interfaces throughout the build may be inhibiting thermal diffusion through thermal contact resistance across the interface.
Originality/value
This work systematically analyzed the thermal profiles that develop during the UAM process. The simultaneous heating phenomenon presented here has not been documented by other research programs. The findings presented here will enable future researchers to develop more accurate models of the UAM process, potentially leading to improved UAM bond quality.
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Gowtham Venkatraman, Adam Hehr, Leon M. Headings and Marcelo J. Dapino
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state joining technology used for three-dimensional printing of metal foilstock. The electrical power input to the ultrasonic…
Abstract
Purpose
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state joining technology used for three-dimensional printing of metal foilstock. The electrical power input to the ultrasonic welder is a key driver of part quality in UAM, but under the same process parameters, it can vary widely for different build geometries and material combinations because of mechanical compliance in the system. This study aims to model the relationship between UAM weld power and system compliance considering the workpiece (geometry and materials) and the fixture on which the build is fabricated.
Design/methodology/approach
Linear elastic finite element modeling and experimental modal analysis are used to characterize the system’s mechanical compliance, and linear system dynamics theory is used to understand the relationship between weld power and compliance. In-situ measurements of the weld power are presented for various build stiffnesses to compare model predictions with experiments.
Findings
Weld power in UAM is found to be largely determined by the mechanical compliance of the build and insensitive to foil material strength.
Originality/value
This is the first research paper to develop a predictive model relating UAM weld power and the mechanical compliance of the build over a range of foil combinations. This model is used to develop a tool to determine the process settings required to achieve a consistent weld power in builds with different stiffnesses.
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Ji Li, Tom Monaghan, Robert Kay, Ross James Friel and Russell Harris
This paper aims to explore the potential of ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) to incorporate the direct printing of electrical materials and arrangements (conductors and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the potential of ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) to incorporate the direct printing of electrical materials and arrangements (conductors and insulators) at the interlaminar interface of parts during manufacture to allow the integration of functional and optimal electrical circuitries inside dense metallic objects without detrimental effect on the overall mechanical integrity. This holds promise to release transformative device functionality and applications of smart metallic devices and products.
Design/methodology/approach
To ensure the proper electrical insulation between the printed conductors and metal matrices, an insulation layer with sufficient thickness is required to accommodate the rough interlaminar surface which is inherent to the UAM process. This in turn increases the total thickness of printed circuitries and thereby adversely affects the integrity of the UAM part. A specific solution is proposed to optimise the rough interlaminar surface through deforming the UAM substrates via sonotrode rolling or UAM processing.
Findings
The surface roughness (Sa) could be reduced from 4.5 to 4.1 µm by sonotrode rolling and from 4.5 to 0.8 µm by ultrasonic deformation. Peel testing demonstrated that sonotrode-rolled substrates could maintain their mechanical strength, while the performance of UAM-deformed substrates degraded under same welding conditions ( approximately 12 per cent reduction compared with undeformed substrates). This was attributed to the work hardening of deformation process which was identified via dual-beam focussed ion beam–scanning electron microscope investigation.
Originality/value
The sonotrode rolling was identified as a viable methodology in allowing printed electrical circuitries in UAM. It enabled a decrease in the thickness of printed electrical circuitries by ca. 25 per cent.
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Adam Hehr, Paul J. Wolcott and Marcelo J. Dapino
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a fabrication technology based on ultrasonic metal welding. As a solid-state process, temperatures during UAM fabrication reach a…
Abstract
Purpose
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a fabrication technology based on ultrasonic metal welding. As a solid-state process, temperatures during UAM fabrication reach a fraction of the melting temperatures of the participating metals. UAM parts can become mechanically compliant during fabrication, which negatively influences the ability of the welder to produce consistent welds. This study aims to evaluate the effect of weld power on weld quality throughout a UAM build, and develop a new power-compensation approach to achieve homogeneous weld quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilizes mechanical push-pin testing as a metric of delamination resistance, as well as focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy to analyze the interface microstructure of UAM parts.
Findings
Weld power was found to negatively affect mechanical properties and microstructure. By keeping weld power constant, the delamination energy of UAM coupons was increased 22 per cent along with a consistent grain structure. As a result, to ensure constant properties throughout UAM component construction, maintaining weld power is preferable over the conventional strategy based on amplitude control.
Research limitations/implications
Further characterization could be conducted to evaluate the power control strategy on other material combinations, though this study strongly suggests that the proposed approach should work regardless of the metals being welded.
Practical implications
The proposed power control strategy can be implemented by monitoring and controlling the electrical power supplied to the welder. As such, no additional hardware is required, making the approach both useful and straightforward to implement.
Originality/value
This research paper is the first to recognize and address the negative effect of build compliance on weld power input in UAM. This is also the first paper to correlate measured weld power with the microstructure and mechanical properties of UAM parts.
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Jingbin Hao, Xin Chen, Hao Liu and Shengping Ye
To remanufacture a disused part, a hybrid process needs to be taken in part production. Therefore, a reasonable machining route is necessary to be developed for the hybrid…
Abstract
Purpose
To remanufacture a disused part, a hybrid process needs to be taken in part production. Therefore, a reasonable machining route is necessary to be developed for the hybrid process. This paper aims to develop a novel process planning algorithm for additive and subtractive manufacturing (ASM) system to achieve this purpose.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a skeleton of the model is generated by using thinning algorithm. Then, the skeleton tree is constructed based on topological structure and shape feature. Further, a feature matching algorithm is developed for recognizing the different features between the initial model and the final model based on the skeleton tree. Finally, a reasonable hybrid machining route of the ASM system is generated in consideration of the machining method of each different sub-feature.
Findings
This paper proposes a hybrid process planning algorithm for the ASM system. Further, it generates new process planning insights on the hybrid process service provider market.
Practical implications
The proposed process planning algorithm enables engineers to obtain a proper hybrid machining route before product fabrication. And thereby, it extends the machining capability of the hybrid process to manufacture some parts accurately and efficiently.
Originality/value
This study addresses one gap in the hybrid process literature. It develops the first hybrid process planning strategy for remanufacturing of disused parts based on skeleton tree matching, which generates a more proper hybrid machining route than the currently available hybrid strategy studies. Also, this study provides technical support for the ASM system to repair damaged parts.
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G.D. Janaki Ram, C. Robinson, Y. Yang and B.E. Stucker
Ultrasonic consolidation (UC) is a novel additive manufacturing process developed for fabrication of metallic parts from foils. While the process has been well demonstrated for…
Abstract
Purpose
Ultrasonic consolidation (UC) is a novel additive manufacturing process developed for fabrication of metallic parts from foils. While the process has been well demonstrated for part fabrication in Al alloy 3003, some of the potential strengths of the process have not been fully explored. One of them is its suitability for fabrication of parts in multi‐materials. This work aims to examine this aspect.
Design/methodology/approach
Multi‐material UC experiments were conducted using Al alloy 3003 foils as the bulk part material together with a number of engineering materials (foils of Al‐Cu alloy 2024, Ni‐base alloy Inconel 600® AISI 347 stainless steel, and others). Deposit microstructures were studied to evaluate bonding between various materials.
Findings
It was found that most of the materials investigated can be successfully bonded to alloy Al 3003 and vice versa. SiC fibers and stainless wire meshes were successfully embedded in an Al 3003 matrix. The results suggest that the UC process is quite suitable for fabrication of multi‐material structures, including fiber‐reinforced metal matrix composites.
Originality/value
This work systematically examines the multi‐material capability of the UC process. The findings of this work lay a strong foundation for a wider and more efficient commercial utilization of the process.
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Raelvim Gonzalez and Brent Stucker
The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of different parameter configurations of oscillation amplitude, welding speed, and normal force at 478 K (400°F) on the linear…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of different parameter configurations of oscillation amplitude, welding speed, and normal force at 478 K (400°F) on the linear welding density of stainless steel 316L annealed utrasonically consolidated (UC) samples, and present an optimum parameter set based upon maximum linear welding density criteria.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the application of analysis of variance to different experimental designs in order to compare factor effects and obtain the optimum linear welding density parameter set for the ultrasonic consolidation of stainless steel 316L annealed samples.
Findings
This work includes experimental results at assessing the explained variation due to factor effects on linear welding density, the statistical significance of these factors, and the combination of UC process parameters that maximizes linear welding density in stainless steel 316L annealed samples.
Research limitations/implications
The paper presents results obtained with a specific UC system, a standard sample configuration, and relatively constant frictional conditions.
Originality/value
This work is a first step towards a reproducible UC of stainless steel 316L foils with high linear welding density.
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