In-situ high-flux heat treatment method based on arc fuse additive manufacturing

Abstract

The invention discloses an in-situ high-flux heat treatment method based on arc fuse additive manufacturing. The method comprises the steps that firstly, a wall model is established, and slicing and layering are conducted; then depositing layer by layer according to a preset path to form a wall sample, setting a cooling interval after each layer of deposition is completed, establishing a thermal process simulation model, predicting temperature evolution in the deposition process, collecting temperature data of a corresponding area in real time through an infrared camera, and calibrating and correcting the thermal process simulation model; after deposition is completed, sampling and characterizing wall samples at different heights and positions, extracting the characteristics of average temperature, duration and fluctuation amplitude by combining the temperature cycle curve characteristics of each area, and enabling the characteristics to correspond to a reference window of platform type constant-temperature heat treatment; and finally, establishing a heat treatment parameter-structure-performance database, forming a mapping relationship between the differentiated heat history and the process parameters, and realizing parallel screening and optimization of multiple types of heat treatment parameters. The process is simplified, the research and development period is remarkably shortened, and the material development cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat treatment technology for metallic materials, and specifically to an in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc wire additive manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] Heat treatment is an indispensable part of metal parts manufacturing, significantly improving material properties by altering the microstructure through solid-state phase transformations at high temperatures. Taking nickel-based superalloys as an example, their strength depends on the precipitation and distribution of the γ′ phase, while the performance improvement of aluminum-copper alloys depends on the size and distribution of reinforcing phases such as the GP zone, θ′′, and θ′. Appropriate solution treatment and aging processes are essential to significantly improve material hardness and corrosion resistance. Therefore, the selection and optimization of heat treatment parameters are crucial for material performance. However, the parameter space of heat treatment processes is often very complex. Different material systems require exploration under multi-dimensional conditions such as temperature, time, and cooling methods to obtain ideal microstructure and properties. Traditional experimental methods typically rely on batch testing, verifying only a single parameter combination each time, resulting in low efficiency, long cycles, and high experimental costs.

[0003] To accelerate research and development, the concept of high-throughput heat treatment experiments has been proposed in recent years. This involves conducting multiple sets of heat treatments under different conditions in parallel on the same platform or in the same batch, thereby rapidly establishing a material's process-microstructure-property database. Currently reported high-throughput heat treatment devices and methods mainly include the following: Multi-zone tubular furnaces: Examples include patent applications titled "High-throughput Vertical Tubular Furnace" (publication number CN116676461A), "A Vertical Multi-zone High-throughput Tubular Furnace" (publication number CN221527330U), and "A Parallel Evaluation Device and Method for High-Temperature Service Performance of Materials under Multiple Working Conditions" (publication number CN117871782A). The basic idea is to set multiple independent temperature zones or insulation components inside the furnace body, allowing samples to undergo parallel heat treatment under different temperatures, times, and atmospheres within the same furnace chamber. The advantage of this type of device is its high experimental efficiency, enabling the acquisition of multiple sets of samples under different conditions in a single experiment, significantly shortening the research and development cycle. However, its disadvantage is that this method only provides discrete temperature zone control, cannot form a continuous temperature gradient, and the number of parameter combinations that can be set in a single experiment remains limited, making it difficult to meet the needs of high-throughput exploration over a wider range.

[0004] Gradient heat treatment devices, such as the patent application (publication number CN117947245A) entitled "A High-Throughput Gradient Heat Treatment Device for Metal Bars," utilize a feeding mechanism and clamping device to continuously move the sample across different temperature zones, thereby achieving gradient heat treatment. The advantage of this type of device is its ability to achieve treatment effects under different temperature conditions in a single experiment and its degree of automation, reducing manual intervention. However, its disadvantages are also significant: the equipment structure is relatively complex, often requiring an additional quenching or tempering chamber in addition to the heat treatment furnace.

[0005] High-throughput preparation methods, such as patent applications titled "A High-throughput Preparation Method and Apparatus for High-Temperature Alloy Blocks" (Publication No. CN117282968A) and "A High-throughput Preparation Method for Metallic Materials" (Publication No. CN119845669A), primarily aim to prepare samples with different compositions or grain sizes in a single step using vacuum hydrostatic molds, gradient cooling zones, or liquid / solid diffusion couplers. The advantage of these methods is their ability to efficiently obtain a variety of differentiated samples, facilitating the rapid establishment of composition-microstructure-property relationship maps. However, their disadvantage lies in the need for additional cooling zones and the use of vacuum robotic arms to move the heat-treated samples, which places high demands on the size of the vacuum furnace. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide an in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc-fused wire additive manufacturing, which simplifies the process, significantly reduces equipment costs and energy consumption, accurately acquires thermal history information at different heights and locations, and allows for rapid screening and optimization of heat treatment parameters, significantly shortening the R&D cycle and reducing material development costs.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc-fused-wire additive manufacturing includes the following steps: 1) Create a wall model using CAD software and slice and layer the wall model using an additive manufacturing device; 2) The additive manufacturing device deposits layers on the substrate according to a preset path to form a wall sample. After each layer is deposited, a cooling interval is set. During the deposition process, the component itself forms a temperature cycle curve. Different heights and positions naturally experience different thermal processes. A thermal process simulation model is established to predict the temperature evolution during the deposition process. The temperature data of the corresponding area is collected in real time by an infrared camera. The thermal process simulation model is calibrated and corrected to obtain the temperature cycle curves of each area of ​​the wall. 3) After deposition, samples are taken and characterized at different heights and locations of the wall sample. Combined with the temperature cycle curve characteristics of each region, the characteristics of average temperature, duration and fluctuation amplitude are extracted and mapped to the reference window of the platform-type isothermal heat treatment. Thus, multiple different heat treatment effects can be obtained in one manufacturing process. 4) Based on simulation and experimental results, a database of heat treatment parameters, microstructure, and performance is established to form a mapping relationship between differentiated thermal history and process parameters, enabling parallel screening and optimization of multiple types of heat treatment parameters.

[0008] The additive manufacturing apparatus is an arc wire additive manufacturing apparatus, a laser directional energy deposition apparatus, or an electron beam directional energy deposition apparatus; the arc wire additive manufacturing apparatus consists of a wire feeding mechanism, a gas supply mechanism, a power supply, a welding torch head, and a gas cylinder.

[0009] The infrared camera is used to collect temperature data at different heights and at different locations at the same height, and is combined with the thermal process simulation model to ensure the accuracy of thermal history information.

[0010] In step 2), the temperature cycle curve starts when deposition begins 1 cm above the corresponding area and ends when the wall cools below the recrystallization initiation temperature after the overall deposition is completed.

[0011] In step 3), the method of mapping the temperature cycle curve to the platform-type isothermal heat treatment is as follows: the average temperature of the curve experienced by each region is taken as the basis for judgment. If the average temperature exceeds the solidus temperature, the region is used as a reference for solution treatment; if the average temperature is between the recrystallization initiation temperature and the solidus temperature, the region is used as a reference for artificial aging treatment; for the above heat treatment and corresponding intervals, the average temperature of the temperature curve in the interval is used as the reference temperature for the corresponding treatment, and the residence time in the interval is used as the reference time for the corresponding treatment.

[0012] In step 2), the temperature cycling curve is adjusted by changing the process parameters of the arc additive manufacturing process, such as wire feed speed, welding speed, and arc mode, to obtain the required temperature range.

[0013] The selection of heat treatment parameters in step 4) is based on the temperature evolution law generated by the component itself during the additive manufacturing process, without the need for an additional furnace or independent heating device.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) This invention makes full use of the temperature evolution law of the component itself during the electric arc wire additive manufacturing process to achieve high-throughput heat treatment of the material. There is no need to set up multiple furnaces or complex temperature control mechanisms. The process is simplified and the equipment cost and energy consumption are significantly reduced.

[0015] (2) By establishing a thermal process simulation model and combining it with infrared monitoring for calibration, this invention can accurately obtain thermal history information at different heights and locations, avoiding the problem of overlapping and difficult-to-distinguish thermal histories in traditional methods, and ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of the data.

[0016] (3) The present invention can obtain a large amount of heat treatment data under different conditions in one manufacturing process, and through the mapping relationship between differentiated heat history and microstructure properties, it provides a basis for screening various process parameters such as solution treatment, aging and stress relief annealing, thereby quickly screening and optimizing heat treatment parameters, significantly shortening the R&D cycle and reducing material development costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of all devices in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature measurement location in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is the temperature curve experienced by the bottom layer of the wall in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a temperature curve of the top layer of the wall in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0022] An in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc-fused-wire additive manufacturing, the equipment used includes an additive manufacturing apparatus 1, as described above. Figure 1 The additive manufacturing apparatus 1 prints a wall sample 3 on a substrate 2. The substrate 2 is fixed on a soldering station 5. An infrared camera 4 faces the wall sample 3 and monitors and records temperature data in real time during the printing process. In this embodiment, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 is an arc-fused wire additive manufacturing apparatus. CuCrZr wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm is selected as the deposition material. The substrate 2 is a Q235 plate with a thickness of 20 mm and a size of 200 mm × 100 mm, which is used for fixation and heat conduction.

[0023] An in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc-fused-wire additive manufacturing includes the following steps: 1) A wall model is created using CAD software, and the wall model is sliced ​​and layered using additive manufacturing device 1; In this embodiment, the wall length is 80 mm and the height is set to 100 mm to form different temperature levels. The printing method is alternating between layers. After each layer is deposited, a cooling interval of about two minutes is left before printing the next layer to form different temperature evolution processes. 2) The additive manufacturing device 1 deposits layers on the substrate 2 to form a wall sample 3 according to a preset path. After each layer is deposited, a cooling interval is set. During the deposition process, the component itself forms a temperature cycle curve. Different heights and positions naturally experience different thermal processes. A thermal process simulation model is established to predict the temperature evolution during the deposition process. The infrared camera 4 collects the temperature data of the corresponding area in real time. The thermal process simulation model is calibrated and corrected to obtain the temperature cycle curve of each area of ​​the wall. The curve starts when the deposition begins 1 cm above the corresponding area and ends when the wall is cooled to below the recrystallization initiation temperature after the overall deposition is completed. In this embodiment, deposition is carried out layer by layer along a preset path under a protective atmosphere. Infrared camera 4 is used to collect real-time surface temperature data of the wall and to calibrate the thermal process simulation model to ensure the accuracy of the simulation results; refer to Figure 2 In the figure, wall sample 3 is deposited on substrate 2. Thermocouples are arranged at several temperature measurement positions (a, b, c, d, e) marked on wall sample 3 to verify the accuracy of the thermal process simulation model in this embodiment. This embodiment adopts a simulation modeling method that is consistent with the actual component size, and uses the birth and death element method to simulate the heat input behavior of material layer-by-layer activation during additive manufacturing. The thermal process simulation model is calibrated by data collected by infrared camera 4, and then verified by thermocouples arranged inside the wall. The temperature-time curves of each location in the wall can be obtained through the calibrated thermal process simulation model. The recrystallization initiation temperature of the CuCrZr material used in this embodiment is 200℃. Below this temperature, the microstructure will not change significantly, so the temperature recording is terminated.

[0024] 3) After deposition, samples were taken and characterized at different heights and locations of wall sample 3 to obtain multiple sets of heat treatment conditions. In this embodiment, the microstructure evolution of samples taken at different heights and locations was observed using a metallographic microscope, and performance characterization was performed, including hardness testing and residual stress measurement. Combined with the temperature-time curves of each region, features such as average temperature, duration, and fluctuation amplitude were extracted to provide a reference for traditional platform-type isothermal heat treatment: if the average temperature of the curve exceeds the solidus temperature, then the region is used as a reference for solution treatment; if the average temperature is between the recrystallization initiation temperature and the solidus temperature, then the region is used as a reference for artificial aging treatment; for the above heat treatments and corresponding intervals, the average temperature of the temperature curve within the interval is used as the reference temperature for the corresponding treatment, and the residence time within the interval is used as the reference time for the corresponding treatment; through this mapping relationship, multiple different heat treatment effects can be obtained in a single additive manufacturing process, and the microstructure and performance results can be linked to the corresponding temperature curves. 4) After completing the microstructure and performance tests, a database is established to link the temperature cycling characteristics of each region with the corresponding microstructure and performance results, forming a mapping relationship of "temperature cycling curve - isothermal process reference - microstructure and performance". This database not only reveals the influence of differentiated thermal history on material properties, but also provides a basis for quickly screening and optimizing various heat treatment parameters such as solution treatment, aging and stress-relief annealing.

[0025] Figures 3 and 4 show the temperature curves experienced at different locations, namely the center of the bottom layer and the top layer of the wall in this embodiment. Figure 2 The five points shown (a, b, c, d, and e) each include a comparison between the calibrated simulation prediction curve and the measured curve; the measured curve is directly measured by thermocouples placed inside the sample and is used to verify the reliability of the simulation model. In this embodiment, Figure 2 Taking the five temperature measurement locations shown as an example, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The temperature curves for points a, b, c, d, and e are shown. The average temperature of these five points ranges from 280℃ to 300℃, all falling between the recrystallization initiation temperature (approximately 250℃) and the solidus temperature (approximately 1070℃) of the CuCrZr material used in this embodiment. Therefore, they serve as references for artificial aging treatment. The temperature range between 250℃ and 1070℃ for these five points is extracted, and the average temperature and residence time within this range are calculated. Points a, b, c, d, and e correspond to five heat treatment parameters: 317℃+77min, 320℃+27s, 348℃+27s, 378℃+24s, and 380℃+21s, respectively. Further characterization of the properties and microstructure of these five points reveals the evolution of CuCrZr under five different artificial aging parameters. This allows for the simultaneous selection of both aging temperature and aging time as heat treatment parameters.

Claims

1. An in-situ high-throughput heat treatment method based on arc-fused-wire additive manufacturing, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: 1) Create a wall model using CAD software and slice and layer the wall model using an additive manufacturing device; 2) The additive manufacturing device deposits layers on the substrate according to a preset path to form a wall sample. After each layer is deposited, a cooling interval is set. During the deposition process, the component itself forms a temperature cycle curve, and different heights and positions naturally experience different thermal processes. A thermal process simulation model was established to predict the temperature evolution during the deposition process. Temperature data of the corresponding area was collected in real time by an infrared camera. The thermal process simulation model was calibrated and corrected to obtain temperature cycle curves of each area of ​​the wall. 3) After deposition, samples are taken and characterized at different heights and locations of the wall sample. Combined with the temperature cycle curve characteristics of each area, the characteristics of average temperature, duration and fluctuation amplitude are extracted and mapped to the platform-type constant temperature heat treatment for reference. Thus, multiple different heat treatment effects can be obtained in one manufacturing process. 4) Based on simulation and experimental results, a database of heat treatment parameters, microstructure, and performance is established to form a mapping relationship between differentiated thermal history and process parameters, enabling parallel screening and optimization of multiple types of heat treatment parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2), the temperature cycle curve is a curve showing the temperature change over time in each area of ​​the wall. The starting time of the curve is when deposition begins 1 cm above the corresponding area, and the ending time is when the wall cools down to below the recrystallization initiation temperature after the overall deposition is completed.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 3), the method of mapping the temperature cycle curve to the platform-type isothermal heat treatment is as follows: the average temperature of the curve experienced by each region is taken as the basis for judgment. If the average temperature exceeds the solidus temperature, the region is used as a reference for solution treatment; if the average temperature is between the recrystallization initiation temperature and the solidus temperature, the region is used as a reference for artificial aging treatment; for the above heat treatment and corresponding intervals, the average temperature of the temperature curve in the interval is used as the reference temperature for the corresponding treatment, and the residence time in the interval is used as the reference time for the corresponding treatment.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1), the additive manufacturing apparatus is an arc-wire additive manufacturing apparatus, a laser-directed energy deposition apparatus, or an electron beam-directed energy deposition apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2), the infrared camera is used to collect temperature data at different heights and at different locations at the same height, and combines it with the thermal process simulation model to ensure the accuracy of thermal history information.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2), the temperature cycling curve is adjusted by changing the process parameters of the arc additive manufacturing process, such as wire feed speed, welding speed, and arc mode, to obtain the required temperature range.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The selection of heat treatment parameters in step 4) is based on the temperature evolution generated by the component itself during the additive manufacturing process, without the need for an additional furnace or independent heating device.

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