Methods for producing forged products and other worked products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017203386-A1
Application number	US-201715406306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards different embodiments of additively manufacturing and smoothing an AM preform to configure an AM preform for downstream processing (working, forging, and the like).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
a. using additive manufacturing to produce a metal shaped-preform, the metal-shaped perform configured with a plurality of undulations in the surface indicative of an additive manufacturing build; b. smoothing the plurality of undulations on the surface of the metal shaped-preform via an energy source sufficient to provide a workable preform configured for a further working operation; and c. working the metal shaped-preform into a final forged product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises:
a. electron beam smoothing, flash lamp melting, laser melting, arc melting, laser ablation, and combinations thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises:
a. sanding, blasting, machining, grinding, and combinations thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal shaped-preform is configured with smooth outer edges.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the using additive manufacturing to build a metal shaped preform includes using a non-powder based additive manufacturing process to build a metal shaped perform.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the smoothing step comprises using first set of beam parameters to additively manufacture a metal shaped preform, followed by changing to a second set of beam parameters configured for smoothing, wherein a set of beam parameters comprises a plurality of beam variables.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the beam variables include: beam size, beam current, travel speed, wire feed rate, beam pattern, scan path, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first set of beam parameters differ from the second set of beam parameters by a difference in at least one beam variable.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the wire feed rate is 0 during smoothing.

10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising preheating the substrate with the energy source before the using step.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the using additive manufacturing step comprises additively manufacturing a metal shaped perform via a continuous build plan.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the using additive manufacturing step comprises additively manufacturing a metal shaped perform via a continuous exterior build plan.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy source for the using step is the same energy source for the smoothing step.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises, reducing the surface roughness of a measured portion of the surface of the metal shaped perform.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the smoothing step comprises reducing the depth to width ratio of the valleys along a measured portion of the surface of the metal shaped-preform.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the smoothing step comprises reducing the roughness along a measured portion of the metal shaped-preform, as detected with a blue light scan.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the smoothing step comprises: increasing the temperature of a surface portion of the part in order to promote melting of the uneven surface portion.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing includes at least one of: melting, softening, and consolidating at least a portion of the deposited AM path geometry in order to smooth the surface of the metal shaped-preform.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises heating at least a portion of an exterior surface of an AM deposit with an energy source.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises heating at least a portion of a single bead depth.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein smoothing comprises heating at least two or more bead depths into the metal shaped-preform.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the smoothing step comprises:
a. defocusing the energy source from a first beam size of the energy source deployed in the using step to a second beam size for smoothing; b. rastering the beam into a pattern; and c. moving over the surface of the preform to affect smoothing of the surface.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the working step is selected from the group consisting of:
a. forging, b. rolling, c. ring rolling, d. extruding, and e. combinations thereof.

24 . A method, comprising:
a. using additive manufacturing to produce a metal shaped-preform, the metal-shaped perform configured with a plurality of undulations in the surface indicative of an additive manufacturing build; b. smoothing the plurality of undulations on the surface of the metal shaped-preform via an energy source sufficient to provide a forgeable preform configured for a further working operation; and c. forging the metal shaped-preform into a final forged product, wherein the final forged product is free from defects including folds and voids, due the smoothing step.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein smoothing comprises:
a. electron beam smoothing, flash lamp melting, laser melting, arc melting, laser ablation, and combinations thereof.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein smoothing comprises:
a. sanding, blasting, machining, grinding, and combinations thereof.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the metal shaped-preform is configured with smooth outer edges.

28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the using additive manufacturing to build a metal shaped preform includes using a non-powder based additive manufacturing process to build a metal shaped perform.

29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the smoothing step comprises using first set of beam parameters to additively manufacture a metal shaped preform, followed by changing to a second set of beam parameters configured for smoothing, wherein a set of beam parameters comprises a plurality of beam variables.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the beam variables include: beam size, beam current, travel speed, wire feed rate, beam pattern, scan path, and combinations thereof.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the first set of beam parameters differ from the second set of beam parameters by a difference in at least one beam variable.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the wire feed rate is 0 during smoothing.

33 . The method of claim 24 , comprising preheating the substrate with the energy source before the using step.

34 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the using additive manufacturing step comprises additively manufacturing a metal shaped perform via a continuous build plan.

35 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the using additive manufacturing step comprises additively manufacturing a metal shaped perform via a continuous exterior build plan.

36 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the energy source for the using step is the same energy source for the smoothing step.

37 . The method of claim 24 , wherein smoothing comprises, reducing the surface roughness of a measured portion of the surface of the metal shaped perform.

38 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the smoothing step comprises reducing the depth to width ratio of the valleys along a measured portion of the surface of the metal shaped-preform.

39 . The method of claim 2

Assignees

• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Satoh Gen
• Myers Jr Daniel M
• Bodily Brandon H

Classifications

• B21J5/00 Primary

  Methods for forging, hammering, or pressing (for working sheet-metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles B21D; for working wire B21F); Special equipment or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B23K26/00

  Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring · CPC title

• B23K26/354

  by melting · CPC title

• B23K15/0086

  welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding · CPC title

• B23K15/0093

  characterised by the properties of the materials to be welded · CPC title