Project B04

Graded hybrid and porous structures produced by additive fusion welding using customized filler materials and modified process technology

Project B04 uses the WAAM process (wire arc additive manufacturing), an arc welding process for the additive generation of components from wire-shaped filler materials. In the project, structures are produced by MIG welding with grading in terms of material, structure and properties. The material grading is initially carried out by combining austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L), martensitic stainless steel (17-4 PH) and the aluminum alloys AlSi10Mg and AlSi12. Structural grading is achieved by creating defined pore sizes and pore distributions in the material, with a particular focus on the influence of welding gas composition and welding gas quantity. The grading of the property profiles is carried out on mono-material (17-4 PH) and is also investigated by using different welding gas compositions and welding gas quantities, but also by varying the energy input during the welding process. The properties of the precipitation-hardening steel 17-4 PH are systematically changed by controlling the temperatures, which are directly coupled to the phase transformation processes and to grain growth. When using additive manufacturing to produce defined geometries from graded material, the challenge is to be able to produce the desired design while ensuring the control of the melt metallurgy. Project B04 investigates the possibilities of the WAAM process with regard to the production of the hybrid and porous structures described above and the achievable property profiles.

Project leader
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Hassel

Doctoral researcher
Maximilian Faßhauer, M.Sc.

Non-research staff
Finn Meyer

Publications