Layered alloy preparation method based on electric arc additive manufacturing and layered alloy

Abstract

The invention provides a layered alloy preparation method based on electric arc additive manufacturing and a layered alloy, and relates to the technical field of electric arc additive manufacturing. The layered alloy preparation method comprises the steps that a layered alloy model is built through modeling software, the layered alloy model is segmented, path planning is conducted according to the segmentation result, and the parameter result of path planning is input into electric arc additive manufacturing equipment; the alloy substrate is polished and preheated, and coiled wires of various alloys are installed on wire feeding equipment; wherein the multiple alloys comprise alloys with the same alloy type and different marks; under the atmosphere of protective gas, electric arc additive manufacturing equipment and wire feeding equipment are started, the electric arc additive manufacturing deposition process is carried out on the alloy substrate layer by layer, and a formed part is obtained; and the formed part is air-cooled to the room temperature, and the layered alloy is obtained. The preparation cost of the layered alloy can be reduced, and the performance of the layered alloy can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of electric arc additive manufacturing, in particular, to a layered alloy preparation method based on electric arc additive manufacturing and a layered alloy. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, the core challenge of material science is to break through the inherent trade-off between strength and plasticity. Heterogeneous structure design, as an innovative strategy to break through the performance limit of materials, has attracted widespread attention. This method builds micro-regions with significant performance differences (such as soft / hard domains, grain size gradients, phase composition changes, etc.) inside the material, and fully utilizes their synergistic interaction and mechanical coupling effects, providing a new way to achieve the ideal combination of high strength and high plasticity.

[0003] Among the many heterogeneous alloy material configurations, layered structures have become a research hotspot due to their significant interface effects and strong controllability of structure. However, existing layered alloy preparation processes such as chemical vapor deposition and roll bonding not only have high equipment costs and complex processes, but also have poor performance and reliability of the prepared layered alloys.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a layered alloy preparation method based on electric arc additive manufacturing and a layered alloy, thereby at least partially overcoming the problems of high cost, complex process, and poor performance of layered alloy preparation.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a layered alloy preparation method based on electric arc additive manufacturing is provided, comprising: constructing a layered alloy model using modeling software, slicing the layered alloy model, path planning according to the slicing results, and inputting the parameter results of path planning into an electric arc additive manufacturing device; polishing and preheating an alloy substrate, and installing a plurality of alloy disc wires to a wire feeding device; wherein the plurality of alloys include alloys of the same alloy type but different grades; starting the electric arc additive manufacturing device and the wire feeding device in a protective gas atmosphere, and performing an electric arc additive manufacturing deposition process on the alloy substrate layer by layer to obtain a shaped part; air cooling the shaped part to room temperature to obtain a layered alloy.

[0007] Optionally, the layered alloy preparation method further comprises: during the preparation of the shaped part, after each layer is deposited, the oxide layer is removed.

[0008] Optionally, the plurality of alloys are magnesium alloys of different grades.

[0009] Optionally, the preheating temperature of the alloy substrate is 130℃~170℃.

[0010] Optionally, the angle between the wire coil and the surface of the alloy substrate is 88°~92°.

[0011] Optionally, the protective gas is argon, and the flow rate is 20 L / min to 25 L / min.

[0012] Optionally, during the arc additive manufacturing deposition process, the welding speed is 4 mm / s to 8 mm / s, the peak current is 145 A to 160 A, the base current is 120 A to 140 A, and the arc voltage is 12 V to 16 V.

[0013] Optionally, during the arc additive manufacturing deposition process, the wire feed speed is 9 m / min to 12 m / min.

[0014] Optionally, during the arc additive manufacturing deposition process, the working distance of the welding torch tip is 10mm~12mm.

[0015] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a layered alloy is provided, which is prepared using any of the above-described arc additive manufacturing-based layered alloy preparation methods.

[0016] In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the multilayer alloy preparation process based on arc additive manufacturing can obtain layered alloys with no transition layers and tight interlayer bonding, exhibiting excellent mechanical properties. Furthermore, the preparation method of this disclosure is simple, low-cost, and has high application value. Specifically, in terms of cost-effectiveness, the equipment involved in this disclosure has a relatively simple structure, and the raw materials are utilized in the form of wire, resulting in significantly lower costs than the high-purity raw materials or vacuum environment required by traditional processes. Regarding process adaptability, arc additive manufacturing is particularly suitable for processing various alloys, such as magnesium alloys, effectively avoiding safety risks during powder processing and ensuring the stability of the metallurgical process through protective gas. In terms of structural controllability, the technology of this disclosure precisely controls the parameters of path planning, such as wire feeding speed, heat input, and deposition path, through digital programming, enabling alternating deposition and interfacial bonding of heterogeneous materials at the microscale, thereby producing three-dimensional layered alloy components with customized layer thickness ratios and interfacial characteristics.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0019] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for preparing layered alloys based on arc additive manufacturing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 The illustration shows a physical image of a layered alloy prepared from AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3 The illustration shows a cross-sectional view of the layered alloy prepared from AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure after metallographic corrosion.

[0022] Figure 4 The diagram schematically illustrates a longitudinal section metallographic image of a layered alloy prepared from AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced with one or more of these specific details omitted, or other methods, processes, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known technical solutions are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. The flowcharts shown in the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations and do not necessarily include all steps. For example, some steps may be broken down, while others may be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual order of execution may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0025] To address or at least alleviate the problems of high cost, complex processes, and poor performance of layered alloys, this disclosure provides a scheme for fabricating layered heterostructures using arc additive manufacturing. The fabrication scheme of this disclosure exhibits multiple advantages: in terms of cost-effectiveness, its equipment structure is relatively simple, and raw materials are utilized in the form of wires, resulting in significantly lower costs compared to the high-purity raw materials or vacuum environments required by traditional processes; in terms of process adaptability, arc additive manufacturing is particularly suitable for processing reactive metals such as magnesium alloys, effectively avoiding safety risks during powder handling and ensuring the stability of the metallurgical process through inert gas protection; in terms of structural controllability, this disclosure scheme allows for precise control of wire feeding speed, heat input, and deposition path through digital programming, enabling alternating deposition and interfacial bonding of heterogeneous materials at the microscale, thereby directly manufacturing three-dimensional components with customized layer thickness ratios and interfacial characteristics. This disclosure not only provides a new material design approach for overcoming the strength-plasticity inversion relationship in magnesium alloys but also opens up a new direction with significant engineering application prospects for the lightweight and performance-integrated manufacturing of large and complex components in the aerospace field.

[0026] It should be noted that although the following description mainly uses layered magnesium alloys as an example, the layered alloys of this disclosure can also be other alloys, and this disclosure does not limit them. In addition to the alloy type, the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the number of layers or the thickness of each layer.

[0027] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for preparing layered alloys based on arc additive manufacturing according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown schematically. (Reference) Figure 1 The method for preparing layered alloys based on arc additive manufacturing according to the present disclosure may include the following steps: S12. Construct a layered alloy model using modeling software, divide the layered alloy model, perform path planning based on the division results, and input the path planning parameters into the arc additive manufacturing equipment.

[0028] This disclosure does not limit the operations of model segmentation and path planning in the additive manufacturing scenario. It is understood that, through the operation of step S12, relevant parameters for arc additive manufacturing of the layered alloy can be obtained, and these parameters can be input into the arc additive manufacturing equipment so that the arc additive manufacturing equipment can perform process operations based on these parameters.

[0029] It should be noted that different layered structures may correspond to different material properties. When constructing a layered alloy model, the number of layers and the thickness of each layer are already determined. For example, the layered alloy may be an alloy made of AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy, with a layer ratio of, for example, 1:1, 1:2, or 2:1, and a layer thickness ratio of, for example, 1:1, 1:2, or 2:1.

[0030] For subsequent specific processes, the thickness of each layer can be adjusted by controlling the heat input, welding speed, and wire feed speed.

[0031] S14. Grind and preheat the alloy substrate, and install the coils of various alloys into the wire feeding device; wherein, the various alloys include alloys of the same type but different grades.

[0032] In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, "multiple alloys" refers to two or more alloys, and this disclosure does not limit the number of alloy types. These alloys can be alloys of the same type but different grades. For example, multiple alloys can be magnesium alloys with different grades. As mentioned above, AZ31 and AZ91 are both magnesium alloys, and belong to different grades of magnesium alloys.

[0033] The preheating temperature of the alloy substrate in this embodiment can be 130°C to 170°C.

[0034] S16. Under a protective gas atmosphere, start the arc additive manufacturing equipment and wire feeding equipment, and perform an arc additive manufacturing deposition process layer by layer on the alloy substrate to obtain a shaped part.

[0035] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the angle between the wire coil and the surface of the alloy substrate is 88°~92°. The protective gas can be argon, and the flow rate is 20L / min~25L / min. By controlling the angle between the wire coil and the alloy substrate, air bubbles are better allowed to rise and dissipate, reducing porosity. Controlling the argon flow rate is to prevent the oxidation and volatilization of active elements such as Al and Si at high temperatures, maintaining the consistency of the weld metal composition and performance.

[0036] In the deposition process of arc additive manufacturing, the welding speed is 4mm / s to 8mm / s, the peak current is 145A to 160A, the base current is 120A to 140A, and the arc voltage is 12V to 16V. Changing the heat input alters the molten pool volume, allowing for adjustments to the amount of molten base material and welding wire, thereby controlling the layer width. With a constant heat input, changing the welding speed controls the duration of heat application per unit length; a longer application time results in greater heat accumulation, more complete lateral spread of the molten pool, and an increased layer width.

[0037] In the arc additive manufacturing deposition process, the wire feed speed is 9 m / min to 12 m / min. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the wire feed speed directly determines the amount of metal fed into the molten pool per unit time. When the welding speed remains constant, the wire feed speed directly controls the amount of metal deposited, thereby controlling the layer thickness.

[0038] The weld pool width in this embodiment is 10mm~12mm, and the weld height is 2.0mm~3.0mm. The weld pool width and weld height are affected by the coupling effect of the above parameters, and their stability and consistency determine whether the geometric accuracy, density and mechanical properties of the finished component meet the standards.

[0039] In the deposition process of arc additive manufacturing, the working distance of the welding torch tip is 10mm~12mm. By controlling the working distance of the welding torch tip, on the one hand, it can prevent the arc from being elongated and the voltage from rising due to an excessively high working distance, which would easily lead to arc drift and arc breakage; on the other hand, it can prevent the welding wire from contacting the molten pool due to an excessively low working distance, which would cause the arc to extinguish and the process to be interrupted.

[0040] The cross-sectional shape of the layered structure can be adjusted according to the arc additive manufacturing process, specifically to a flat interface or a wavy interface.

[0041] In addition, during the fabrication of the molded part, the oxide layer is removed after each deposition.

[0042] In the process of arc additive manufacturing of layered structures, precise control of process parameters is fundamental to achieving stable forming. Its necessity lies in its direct control and coupling of three core physical fields: temperature field, stress field, and bonding force. Appropriate parameters are a prerequisite for maintaining an ideal temperature field, ensuring stable molten pool dimensions and suppressing harmful heat accumulation, thus providing a fundamental guarantee for achieving dense bonding between layers. Simultaneously, a balanced temperature field is also key to controlling thermal stress accumulation at its source. Effective parameter management can suppress excessive stress field development, preventing severe deformation or cracking of the finished component. Therefore, precise setting and dynamic optimization of process parameters are crucial for realizing layered composite structures.

[0043] S18. Air-cool the formed part to room temperature to obtain a layered alloy.

[0044] Step S18 may also include annealing of the layered alloy, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0045] The preparation scheme based on electric arc additive manufacturing disclosed herein is simple and easy to control. The prepared layered alloy workpiece has a fine and uniform microstructure, a tight bond between the connecting layers, and no defects such as pores.

[0046] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a layered alloy prepared using the above-described layered alloy preparation method based on arc additive manufacturing.

[0047] The scheme of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described below.

[0048] Step 1: Digital modeling of AZ31 and AZ91 layered magnesium alloy composite materials with dimensions of 150mm×30mm×110mm (length×width×height) is performed. The model is segmented and path planning is performed based on the segmentation results. The relevant data is sent to the arc additive manufacturing equipment to determine the arc additive manufacturing equipment configured with parameter data.

[0049] Step two: Fix the magnesium alloy substrate and polish it, preheating it to 150℃. Introduce argon gas at a flow rate of 25L / min as an inert protective gas. Additionally, install AZ31 and AZ91 magnesium alloy wire coils in the wire feeding device, precisely guiding the ends of the AZ31 and AZ91 magnesium alloy wire coils into the wire guide tube of the arc additive manufacturing equipment welding torch, adjusting the working distance of the welding torch to 10mm. The angle between the wire coil and the surface of the alloy substrate is 88°, the welding speed is 6.5mm / s, the arc voltage is 14V, the weld pool width is 11mm, and the weld height is 2.5mm. Printing stability is maintained by fine-tuning the peak current to 150A, the base current to 130A, and the wire feed speed to 11m / min.

[0050] Step 3: Start the arc additive manufacturing equipment and wire feeding equipment, and carry out additive manufacturing according to the ratio of AZ31 magnesium alloy / AZ91 magnesium alloy of 1:2. After each layer is deposited, the oxide layer is removed, and then the arc additive manufacturing deposition continues until each single solid layer is stacked layer by layer according to the path obtained in step 1 after simulation is correct, so as to obtain the shaped part.

[0051] Step four: The molded part obtained in step three is left to stand in situ and air-cooled until room temperature to obtain AZ31 magnesium alloy / AZ91 magnesium alloy layered composite material, which is then annealed.

[0052] Figure 2 The illustration shows a physical image of a layered alloy prepared from AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Figure 3 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the layered composite material prepared in Example 1, with a layer ratio of AZ31 magnesium alloy to AZ91 magnesium alloy of 1:2, after metallographic etching. The layered structure of AZ31 and AZ91 is clearly visible. Figure 4 The metallographic image of the longitudinal section of the workpiece prepared in Example 1 with a layer ratio of 1:2 for AZ31 magnesium alloy and AZ91 magnesium alloy is shown. It can be seen that the layers are tightly bonded and there are no defects such as pores.

[0053] The difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is as follows: preheating at 130°C, argon gas flow rate of 20L / min, layer ratio of AZ31 magnesium alloy / AZ91 magnesium alloy of 1:1, angle between the wire coil and the surface of the alloy substrate of 92°, welding speed of 4mm / s, peak current of 145A, base current of 120A, wire feed speed of 9m / min, arc voltage of 12V, weld pool width of 12mm, and weld height of 3.0mm.

[0054] The difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 is as follows: preheating at 170°C, the layer ratio of AZ31 magnesium alloy / AZ91 magnesium alloy is 2:1, the welding speed is 8mm / s, the working distance of the welding torch is 12mm, the peak current is 160A, the base current is 140A, the wire feed speed is 12m / min, the arc voltage is 16V, the weld pool width is 10mm, and the weld height is 2.0mm.

[0055] Upon testing, the layered magnesium alloys prepared in Examples 2 and 3 of this disclosure showed a tight bond between the layers and no obvious defects.

[0056] It should be noted that although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0057] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0058] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0059] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing layered alloys based on arc additive manufacturing, characterized in that, include: A layered alloy model is constructed using modeling software, the layered alloy model is segmented, path planning is performed based on the segmentation results, and the path planning parameters are input into the arc additive manufacturing equipment. The alloy substrate is polished and preheated, and coils of various alloys are installed into a wire feeding device; wherein, the various alloys are magnesium alloys of different grades; Under a protective gas atmosphere, the arc additive manufacturing equipment and the wire feeding equipment are started to perform an arc additive manufacturing deposition process layer by layer on the alloy substrate to obtain a shaped part; The formed part is air-cooled to room temperature to obtain a layered alloy; During the arc additive manufacturing deposition process, the welding speed is 4mm / s~8mm / s, the peak current is 145A~160A, the base current is 120A~140A, the arc voltage is 12V~16V, and the wire feed speed is 9m / min~12m / min.

2. The method for preparing layered alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for preparing the layered alloy further includes: During the preparation of the molded part, the oxide layer is removed after each layer is deposited.

3. The method for preparing layered alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preheating temperature of the alloy substrate is 130℃~170℃.

4. The method for preparing layered alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the coiled wire and the surface of the alloy substrate is 88°~92°.

5. The method for preparing layered alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective gas is argon, and the flow rate is 20L / min to 25L / min.

6. The method for preparing layered alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the deposition process of arc additive manufacturing, the working distance of the welding torch tip is 10mm~12mm.

7. A layered alloy, characterized in that, The layered alloy was prepared using the method for preparing layered alloys based on arc additive manufacturing as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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