Laser‐Based Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Aerospace Applications

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a transformative technology that has rapidly grown over the past decade. AM processes build parts layer by layer and have found applications in the aerospace, biomedical, and automotive fields. The technology holds particular promise for the aerospace industry due to the reduced process time, weight savings of parts, and opportunities for new material development. Herein, a review of laser-based AM processes, existing AM systems, and aerospace parts being fabricated is presented. It further explores the material properties and microstructure of printed samples with both powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition processes. The benefits and challenges associated with the widespread use of the technology are discussed with emphases on the aerospace sector. Finally, the steps required for parts produced by AM processes to become certified for use in aerospace applications are presented.

Comparative Quality Control of Titanium Alloy Ti–6Al–4V, 17–4 PH Stainless Steel, and Aluminum Alloy 4047 Either Manufactured or Repaired by Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS)

“…Consequently, the microstructure of the deposited material might change along the vertical (build) direction, resulting in anisotropic mechanical properties. This may be overcome either by in-house installation of a pre-heating system or using accessories such as melt pool sensor (MPS) [ 11 , 12 ]. (3) Remelting and reheating.…”

Blue laser welding of multi-layered AISI 316L stainless steel micro-foils

“…The variation of absorptivity with wavelength for various metals was reported within the literature [20,21]. For example, the absorptivity values at blue wavelength are around 13, 3, 1.5, and 1.3 times higher than at IR wavelength for copper, aluminium, nickel, and steel, respectively [22][23][24]. This reduces the amount of energy which must be put into the weld, reducing both the tendency to spatter and the creation of voids during keyhole welding operations.…”

Industry 4.0 and Comparison of 3d Printers

“…Uzay ve havacılık endüstrilerinde kullanılacak olan bir parçanın mümkün olan en hafif yapıda olması beklenir. Bu anlamda DED 3B yazıcılar topoloji optimizasyonu yardımıyla geleneksel imalat yöntemleriyle elde edilemeyecek ürünlerin üretilebilmesine imkan tanır [50]. Ergimiş Filament Üretimi (FDM) Çalışmaları: FDM 3B yazıcılar düşük maliyetleriyle sektörde en çok kullanılan yazıcı türüdür.…”