Method and Apparatus for Distortion Control on Additively Manufactured Parts Using Wire Feed and Magnetic Pulses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016175984-A1
Application number	US-201514966784-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a freeform metal structure by wire feed additive manufacturing, wherein a metal wire end is moved along an area of deposition and is melted by a heat source, the melting being deposited on the metal structure as a metallic build-up material, wherein during the cooling process build-up material is subjected to at least one pulsed magnetic field effecting plastic deformation of the build-up material.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a freeform metal structure by wire feed additive manufacturing, wherein a metal wire end is moved along an area of deposition and is melted by a heat source, the melting being deposited on the metal structure as a metallic build-up material, wherein during the cooling process the build-up material is subjected to at least one pulsed magnetic field effecting plastic deformation of the build-up material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic strain of the build-up material caused by the pulsed magnetic field to be greater than 10% within the area of deposition.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulsed magnetic field has a pulse length of 1 μsec-1 msec.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a strain-rate in the metallic build-up material is 10000-100 1/sec.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the build-up material is subjected to said pulsed magnetic field at a temperature of 50-80% of the melting temperature in [K].

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a pulse series of 2-10 subsequent pulses is applied.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a pulse comprises phases of alternating currents creating Lorentz forces in opposite directions.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein two magnetic fields are applied simultaneously.

9 . An apparatus for performing the method of claim 1 , comprising a holding structure moveable in at least one moving direction, including a wire feeding means for feeding metal wire to a melting spot where the metal wire is melted for forming a build-up material along the moving direction, a heating means for heating the metal wire at the melting spot, at least one magnetic coil means arranged to generate a magnetic field around and in said build-up material in moving direction behind the melting spot, electric energy supply means for supplying pulse shaped electric energy to the said magnetic coil means.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said holding structure is arranged on a handling arm allowing at least three translatory degrees of freedom of said holding structure.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic coil means is planar in shape.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic coil means has a U-shaped cross section with a central portion and 2 adjacent side portions which surround the build-up material from the top and both sides.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein two coil means are arranged to exert Lorentz forces from two distinct directions.

14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the pulse series includes 3-5 subsequent pulses.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the magnetic coil means is disc-shaped.

Assignees

• Airbus Group Ltd
• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Dalle Donne Claudio
• Karch Christian
• Meyer Jonathan

Classifications

• B23K26/342

  Build-up welding · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B23K26/0861

  in at least three axial directions · CPC title

• B23K26/0093 Primary

  combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K · CPC title