Engineers at the TWI Technology Centre, England, report that laser Direct Energy Deposition is a good candidate for the additive manufacturing of large parts because it is not constricted by the need for a powder bed. The engineers were scheduled to present their developments at the ASM International AeroMat conference in May at Palm Springs, California, but the conference was cancelled because of the pandemic. Instead, it will be presented in a virtual session. (See below.)
TWI has been progressing toward printing an engine casing for a number of years, looking to develop and combine the various shapes and techniques needed. These include the creation of large (greater than 1m diameter) rings with various wall thicknesses (up to 10 mm if needed), overhanging these walls to specific designs, and the addition of external features such as bosses of various sizes.
All of these builds need to also have high material integrity because of the operating conditions of the potential end use component. This starts with achieving high material density, and includes other critical properties such as static mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance.
This presentation covered developments in Inconel 718 LDED for the printing of large parts that replicate an aerospace jet engine casing, with some supporting materials data.
Progress towards printing an engine casing using laser direct energy deposition
Prof. Robert Scudamore, TWI Technology Centre (Yorkshire), Rotherham, United Kingdom
AeroMat 2020 Virtual Session
June 2, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 1:35 p.m.
