Additive Manufacturing Metallic Components with Integrated Crack Stoppers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to reduce the weight of metallic components with integrated crack stoppers while minimizing crack initiation and propagation, particularly in aircraft components exposed to cyclic loads, without requiring additional crack stopping structures.
Innovation Solution
The method involves additive layer manufacturing where a layer of granular metallic material is melted using a laser or electron beam, with a defined scanning strategy that induces residual stresses within the component, acting as integrated crack stoppers, eliminating the need for additional crack stopping structures and reducing manufacturing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional crack stopping structures are applied onto metallic components, then crack initiation and propagation are minimized, but component weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the crack stopper function with the component manufacturing process itself. By integrating crack stoppers directly into the additive manufacturing process through controlled residual stress generation, the separate crack protection structure is eliminated, achieving crack resistance without additional weight from external crack stopping structures
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process itself generates the protective residual stresses that act as crack stoppers. The additive manufacturing process automatically creates the necessary compressive residual stresses in critical regions during normal operation, eliminating the need for separate crack protection measures and reducing overall component weight
2Reliability
If additional crack stopping structures are applied onto metallic components, then crack propagation is prevented, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the crack stopper application with the base component manufacturing into a single integrated process. By generating residual stresses that act as crack stoppers during the additive manufacturing process itself, the separate step of applying external crack stopping structures is eliminated, significantly reducing total manufacturing time
Solution Approach 2:
The crack protection is built into the component during the manufacturing process itself. By pre-establishing the residual stress fields that prevent crack propagation during additive manufacturing, the protective function is already in place before the component is completed, eliminating subsequent treatment steps
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional additive layer manufacturing is used without specific scanning strategies, then manufacturing process is simple, but residual stresses do not form integrated crack stoppers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the scanning strategy parameters in the additive manufacturing process to control the formation of residual stresses. By changing the melting sequence and thermal cycle parameters during layer deposition, the process generates controlled compressive residual stresses in specific regions that function as integrated crack stoppers, maintaining process simplicity while achieving reliable crack protection
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a more lightweight metallic component with enhanced fatigue life by artificially inducing compressive residual stresses on the surface, limiting crack propagation and eliminating the need for external crack stoppers, thereby reducing weight and manufacturing time.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of granular metallic material is melted with a laser beam or an electron beam
Implementation Method 2
a layer of granular metallic material is melted with a laser beam or an electron beam
Implementation Method 3
a layer of granular metallic material is melted with a laser beam or an electron beam
Implementation Method 4
a first region of the layer is melted before a second region of the layer, which second region is adjacent to the first region, such that residual stresses in the first region and the second region emerge
Data Source
AI summary
This relates to a method of manufacturing a metallic component by additive layer manufacturing. The method comprises the step of providing a layer of granular metallic material. The layer of the granular metallic material is melted by a laser beam or electron beam which applies a defined scanning strategy, which is defined in such a way that a first region of the layer is melted before a second region of the layer such that during the subsequent solidification, residual stresses emerge in the first and the second region. These residual stresses act as integrated crack stoppers of the metallic component.