Hybrid Additive Manufacturing With Interlayer Peening for Property Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing techniques lack the ability to customize the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of manufactured parts effectively, particularly in applications requiring high strength and corrosion resistance, such as magnesium plugs in oil and gas fracking, and biodegradable implants that need specific properties over time.
Innovation Solution
Hybrid additive manufacturing combines mechanical surface treatments like cold working processes with 3D printing to alter the properties of materials, incorporating secondary processes like interlayer peening and laser peening to enhance surface integrity, microstructures, and residual stresses, resulting in materials with improved strength, toughness, and controlled degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to manufacture parts, then manufacturing flexibility and customization are improved, but the ability to control physical, mechanical, and chemical properties is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines additive manufacturing with secondary mechanical processing (cold working, peening, shot blasting) into a hybrid system. This merging allows the additive manufacturing to provide geometric flexibility while the secondary processes precisely control material properties such as surface finish, microstructure, hardness, and residual stresses, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing flexibility and property control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary mechanical processing is applied during or between additive manufacturing layers to preemptively establish desired material properties before subsequent layers are deposited. This preliminary action ensures that each layer and interface has the required physical, mechanical, and chemical characteristics built-in during the manufacturing process rather than requiring post-processing adjustments.
2Strength
If secondary mechanical processing is applied to additive manufactured layers, then surface integrity and mechanical properties are improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid system merges additive manufacturing with secondary mechanical processing into an integrated workflow where both processes are coordinated through a single system controller. This combination allows the benefits of both processes (geometric flexibility from additive manufacturing and property control from mechanical processing) to be achieved while managing complexity through unified process coordination rather than separate operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary processing is applied selectively to specific layers or regions rather than uniformly to the entire part. This segmentation allows mechanical properties to be optimized only where needed, reducing the overall process complexity while still achieving the required strength and surface integrity in critical areas.
3Reliability
If interlayer peening is performed periodically or non-periodically, then surface finish and residual stresses are improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies interlayer peening periodically or non-periodically based on the specific requirements of different layers. This periodic action allows surface integrity and residual stress control to be optimized at critical interfaces while maintaining faster build speeds for non-critical layers, thereby balancing reliability improvement with manufacturing productivity.
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 enables the creation of materials with tailored properties, including increased strength, refined microstructures, and controlled corrosion resistance, suitable for high-performance applications like magnesium plugs and biodegradable implants, by integrating secondary processing with additive manufacturing to achieve global integrity through local modifications.
Implementation Method 1
combining mechanical surface treatments, e.g., cold working processes, with additive manufacturing
Implementation Method 2
a secondary process includes interlayer peening of individual layers and/or portions of individual layers
Implementation Method 3
laser peening during 3D printing can impart cold worked regions
Implementation Method 4
favorable compressive residual stresses
Implementation Method 5
additive manufacturing, e.g., three-dimensional (3D) printing processes
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, for hybrid additive manufacturing of parts. In one aspect, a method includes providing a workpiece and manufacturing multiple additive layers on a surface of the workpiece. Manufacturing each of the multiple additive layers includes forming one or more formed layers on a surface of the workpiece by depositing a quantity of powder material on a growth surface, the growth surface inclusive of at least one of a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface of a previously formed layer, and applying a first amount of energy to the quantity of powder material to fuse the particles of the powder material into a formed layer fused to the growth surface, where the formed layer includes a formed surface, and further applying a secondary process to a particular area of the formed surface of the one or more formed layers on the workpiece.