Light Alloy Foil Stacks With Thermal Composition Homogenization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) techniques often result in composition gradients within assembled parts, leading to mechanical properties that do not match predicted values due to differences in bonded regions and structural parts, necessitating improved methods for achieving homogeneous alloy compositions.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the stacking of foils with different compositions, followed by heat treatment at specific temperatures to bond and homogenize the foils, resulting in a solid object with a desired alloy composition, utilizing techniques such as diffusion bonding, transient liquid phase diffusion bonding, and brazing to form strong metallic bonds without adhesives.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If LOM techniques are used to manufacture parts from stacked foils, then manufacturing flexibility and design freedom are improved, but composition gradients occur in bonded regions causing mechanical properties to deviate from predicted values

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidcomposition uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies heat treatment at controlled temperatures to change the physical state of the foils during bonding, enabling composition homogenization through thermal diffusion while maintaining manufacturing flexibility of LOM techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transitions during heat treatment to facilitate diffusion bonding between foils, where controlled heating enables atomic diffusion across interfaces to achieve uniform composition throughout the bonded structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Adaptability or versatility

If foils with different compositions are stacked to create composite structures, then material property customization is improved, but composition gradients in bonded regions cause mechanical properties to not equal predicted values

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial property customizationVSAvoidmechanical property predictability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses heat treatment to change temperature parameters, enabling diffusion processes that homogenize composition in bonded regions while preserving the ability to customize material properties through foil selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful composition gradients that naturally form during foil stacking into a benefit by applying heat treatment that uses thermal diffusion to achieve uniform composition, thereby improving mechanical property predictability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Manufacturing precision

If heat treatment is applied to homogenize foil composition, then composition uniformity is improved, but additional processing time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomposition homogeneityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the bonding and homogenization processes into a single heat treatment step, where both foil bonding and composition homogenization occur simultaneously during the same thermal processing cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat treatment process serves multiple functions: it bonds the foils together through diffusion bonding while simultaneously homogenizing the composition throughout the structure, making the process multi-functional

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The method effectively homogenizes the composition of light alloy laminated parts, enhancing their mechanical properties to match target alloys like commercially available aluminum alloys, ensuring consistent material properties throughout the object.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing techniques such as diffusion bonding, transient liquid phase diffusion bonding, and brazing to form strong metallic bonds

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion bonding: Diffusion Welding

Implementation Method 2

utilizing techniques such as diffusion bonding, transient liquid phase diffusion bonding, and brazing to form strong metallic bonds

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBrazing: Brazing

Implementation Method 3

applying heat to the stack at a second temperature to homogenize the composition of the stack

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal diffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentUS11807912B2Homogenizing heterogeneous foils for light alloy metal parts

Publication Date: 2023.11.07 ALLOY ENTERPRISES INC

AI summary

A method for the manufacturing of an object. The method includes receiving a desired alloy composition for the object, depositing a plurality of foils in a stack to form the object, applying heat to the stack at a first temperature to bond the plurality of foils to each other, and applying heat to the stack at a second temperature to homogenize the composition of the stack. The homogenized stack has the desired alloy composition.