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█ Generative metal laser fusing in the aerospace industry
Titanium laser melting in a closed system at the
DLR
In the ALPHA project, DLR relies on high-quality titanium geometries
with LaserCUSING® from Concept Laser
Design creativity processes in a targeted way using LaserCUSING®
Lichtenfels,
14.10.2011:
Creativity
is
the
latest
buzzword
in
aerospace
engineering. Be bold, introduce new ideas and sometimes think outside of the
box too – vital options when it comes to shaping the future. Unconventional
solutions were also called for in the ALPHA project, Europe's strategic
contribution to the future of manned space travel. A reusable space transport
system is not likely to be created using the methods of the past. The DLR's task
was to manufacture a model of the ALPHA for aerodynamic tests. The decision
was made to opt for a hollow body model made from titanium using the
LaserCUSING® process. The exciting question as always was: How will this new
invention get off the ground? Looking for clues at the DLR.
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In simplified terms, wind tunnel experiments mean it is all about vibrations and their
conditions. In the dynamic measurements at the Trisonic Measurement Facility in
Cologne (TMK), the ALPHA wind tunnel model is made to perform forced vibrations.
This resulted in four special requirements placed on the design of a model: It needs to
be particularly light so that mass forces remain small. It needs to be very rigid so that
elastic deformations remain small. It needs to be thin-walled so that there is enough
space for the measurement technology. It may only consist of a few individual parts in
order to reduce the weight. The right answers were promised by tool-less laser melting
with metals, known as LaserCUSING® for short. Using just powder, almost created from
nothing, this produces sophisticated geometries which were previously unthinkable.
LaserCUSING® at the DLR as a strategic approach
For flow tests on the ALPHA, Jürgen Mengering, LaserCUSING ® expert, and Markus
Boje, head of department at Systemhaus Technik, produced a scaled titanium model
using the LaserCUSING® technology from Concept Laser. This approach was possible
thanks to a completely closed laser fusing machine for processing titanium, without any
contamination from air. The DLR is increasingly making use of metal laser melting as an
inexpensive and rapid technology for manufacturing prototypes and models. From the
point of view of Markus Boje, a high freedom of geometry and real-time optimisation of
components with the laser melting of titanium alloys or Inconel represent an enormous
advantage compared with conventionally produced nickel parts.
Generative fabrication in a closed system
When it comes to the design and procedural construction of a generative model made
from titanium, the DLR will only consider a closed machine system. The exclusion of
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oxygen throughout the process and the size of the construction space were the most
important requirements placed on the system partner by the DLR. When it came to
choosing the manufacturing machine, the decision was therefore made to opt for an M2
cusing from Concept Laser in combination with a free-standing QM powder screening
station. The exclusion of oxygen, and therefore also the contamination of the titanium
powder, are fully guaranteed by the combination of the two machines from the first to
the last process step. The only process gas used by the DLR is argon, in order to
guarantee the purity. Before the construction process, both the handling station and the
construction chamber of the M2 cusing machine are flooded with argon. This ensures
that the oxygen is flushed out. The handling station is freely accessible for the operator
thanks to glove holes for carrying out the set-up process. The construction plate is then
moved into the process chamber, where the generative laser melting process takes
place fully automatically. Once the construction process is complete, the machine is
disarmed and the powder material is purified using the QM powder screening machine.
Before the powder is screened, the screening station is also flooded with argon. Only
then does the screening process begin under the exclusion of oxygen in order to
safeguard the quality of the powder.
Model of the ALPHA concept vehicle
The objective for the DLR prototype construction was to manufacture a hollow chamber
model of the orbiter on a scale of 1:27 in order to perform flow tests. Previously, the
customary practice was to make such models from nickel using conventional techniques
such as turning, milling or eroding. However, in order to closely reflect the real
conditions for the space shuttle, a hollow body model was called for here. To produce
this sophisticated geometry, the ideal choice was to use the generative LaserCUSING ®
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technology with titanium powder, which the Systemhaus Technik engineering facility at
the DLR in Cologne-Porz-Wahnheide has already been utilising fully for almost 1.5
years.
Development outlay on the model
Before a component is allowed to "fly" in the wind tunnel, it needs to satisfy all quality
requirements up to 300%. As the metal laser melting process is still a very young
technology, the DLR is therefore focusing primarily on the issues of the strength and
thermal warping of laser-fused components, in parallel with the process reliability. For
this reason, the M2 cusing machine at the DLR in Cologne-Porz-Wahnheide is utilised
as a material development platform and workstation in one. "Stresses in the component
can be reduced by adapting the process parameters, making adjustments to the design,
optimising the material and through heat treatment," explains Jürgen Mengering. Jürgen
Mengering's task is to work out optimum and reproducible material properties for laserfused components by varying the adjusting factors which have been mentioned. As
preparations for the wind tunnel, tensile samples, stretching samples and microsections
are produced and they are then evaluated by means of tensile tests and stretching
experiments as well as investigations with a computer tomograph. The ALPHA model is
a project in which a porosity of 0.02% and a surface roughness of R a 7-8 were obtained
after the process. By using a downstream blasting process, it was possible to achieve
the required surface roughness of Ra 1.6 without any problems. There is therefore
nothing left to prevent a flight in the wind tunnel.
Quality assurance
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The QM modules that Concept Laser offers allow the monitoring and control of different
machine states such as the laser power and the atmosphere, and allow the quality of
the powder to be guaranteed. Another key point for the aviation industry is to monitor
and evaluate the construction process. "Concept Laser has already laid the foundation
for a process-reliable system with the development of melt pool monitoring," says
Markus Boje, who is convinced that Concept Laser will bring even more outstanding
tools to the market in the area of process reliability over the next few years.
Freedom of geometry plus speed
According to Markus Boje, the DLR is focusing strategically on the LaserCUSING ®
process. Markus Boje sees the particular potential of this generative technology as
residing firstly in the high speed at which parts are built up. As a component, as a rule of
thumb, only produces 5% of expenditure, but the test assembly accounts for around
95% of the costs, it is necessary to fabricate high-quality components generatively and
modify them very quickly. The high speed of the part build-up reduces the costs
enormously and also has a positive effect on the development advantage. According to
Markus Boje, the costs are not reduced in a linear way but are in fact reduced
exponentially thanks to the use of the LaserCUSING ® technology. One special plus
point is that the LaserCUSING® process offers a high degree of freedom of geometry.
As is the case with the ALPHA model, this process makes it possible to produce
geometries which could not previously be constructed, for example individually
designed, internal cooling channels or hollow bodies. Boje rates the development of this
technology in the aerospace industry, particularly for rotating engine elements, as being
very much on the up.
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Prospects for generative technology
In parallel with this, the requirements are increasing, both in terms of construction space
sizes and with the hybrid parts. Hybrid parts can, for example, be combined with copper
as steel parts. The copper is used here for the targeted dissipation of heat. To improve
the surface quality, various methods are currently being trialled at the DLR: Coating,
electrolytic polishing, automated grinding processes and blasting processes. The
working relationship with the system partner Concept Laser is excellent in terms of the
process support and the potential of the technology is only in its infancy, as Markus Boje
sees it: "With LaserCUSING®, we are not just in a continuous improvement process but
ultimately in a continuous creativity process in order to give shape to the ideas of
tomorrow in parts."
Information block I: DLR prototype construction
The Systemhaus Technik West of the DLR in Cologne-Porz essentially focuses as a
service provider on prototype construction and metallurgy material testing for aerospace
technology applications. This includes rotating engine applications for Rolls-Royce or
Airbus, as well as model making. The development process is improved enormously in
terms of the time advantages, freedoms of geometry and cost aspects thanks to the
LaserCUSING® technology. The DLR currently has two LaserCUSING ® machines in
operation, the M2 cusing in Cologne-Porz-Wahnheide and an M1 cusing in Göttingen.
The future requirements for LaserCUSING® are continuing to grow: Larger parts, multicomponent laser melting for particular thermal requirements, effective process control,
material developments, greater precision and surface qualities.
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Information block II: ALPHA
ALPHA forms part of the EU FAST20XX project, which is funded by the 7th Framework
Programme of the European Commission and is run by the European Space Agency
(ESA). The aim of FAST (Future High-Altitude High-Speed Transport) is to further
develop the know-how and the technologies for suborbital space flight. Following the era
of NASA space shuttles, ALPHA is intended to safeguard the transport and logistics
principle of manned space travel for the European Space Agency (ESA).
ALPHA is intended to be a 9 m long scale aluminium model weighing 1,000 kg which
will undertake test flights so that it will be ready to be deployed by the next decade. It is
envisaged that the vehicle will be deployed to a great height with the aid of a carrier
plane so that it can then be put into a suborbital trajectory by igniting the rocket
propulsion engine. After reaching the maximum flying altitude of roughly 100 km, it will
glide back down to its point of departure and land fully automatically. The partners for
this ambitious project are the DLR (German Aerospace Centre, Cologne) and EADS
Space Transportation, Bremen. To support the project, the Systemhaus Technik-West
of the DLR will focus on prototype construction and material testing in Cologne-PorzWahnheide.
Print approved – ask for copy
Captions
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Caption 0 (lead picture): DLR prototype construction: Jürgen Mengering and Markus Boje (left to
right) with the ALPHA model in the LaserCUSING® laboratory
Caption 1: High precision for titanium processing: Overall view of the M2 cusing machine of the
DLR
Caption 2: Powder conditioning: An encapsulated screening station with a transport device from
Concept Laser makes it possible to safeguard the titanium powder quality in terms of its density
and surface quality, as well as transportation to the LaserCUSING® machine
Caption 3: Targeted exploitation of the atmosphere: The encapsulated handling station allows
Jürgen Mengering access under the exclusion of air for the preparation of the process
Caption 4: Complex structure: Cross section of the ALPHA model made from titanium using
LaserCUSING (image source: DLR)
Caption 5: EU FAST20XX project: ALPHA concept vehicle (image source: DLR)
Caption 6: Laser-fused ALPHA model on a scale of 1:27 before and after the surface finish
(image source: DLR)
Caption 7:
DLR wind tunnel (image source: DLR)
(all images with image source: Concept Laser – apart from the images marked with DLR)
Concept Laser at Euromold in Frankfurt 2011: Hall 10 Stand D70
Concept Laser GmbH
An der Zeil 8
D-96215 Lichtenfels
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Germany
Phone
+49 (0) 95 71 / 949 – 238
E-Mai.:
info@concept-laser.de
www.concept-laser.de
Press contact:
Ilona Scholl
Phone:
+49 (0) 95 71 / 949 - 241
E-Mail:
i.scholl@concept-laser.de
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
Systemhaus Technik (West)
Markus Boje
Porz-Wahnheide
Linder Höhe
D-51147 Köln
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0) 2203-601-0
www.dlr.de
Background info on LaserCUSING® ███████████████████████████████
LaserCUSING®
The LaserCUSING® process, a metal laser melting process, is used to produce metallic
components which can be subjected to mechanical and thermal loading with high precision.
Depending on the application, the materials used are high-grade and tool steels, aluminium or
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titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, cobalt-chromium alloys and in future precious metals
such as gold and silver will also be used.
Description of the process
LaserCUSING® involves fine metallic powder being locally fused by a highly energetic fibre
laser. Following cooling, the material solidifies. The contour of the component is produced by
directing the laser beam using a mirror deflecting unit (scanner). The component is built up layer
by layer (with a layer thickness of 20 – 50 μm) by lowering the bottom of the installation space,
applying more powder and fusing again. The special feature about the machines from Concept
Laser is stochastic navigation of the slice segments (also referred to as "islands") which are
processed successively. The patented process ensures a significant reduction in stresses within
the component. For single-part fabrication, a maximum installation space of 300 mm x 350 mm x
300 mm is available.
Overview of Concept Laser ███████████████████████████████████
Concept Laser GmbH is a company belonging to the Hofmann Innovation Group in Lichtenfels
(Germany). Since the year 2000, the company has been regarded as a pioneer in the field of
generative metal laser fusing technology. With the LaserCUSING® process, the company is
involved in all different sectors of industry.
The term LaserCUSING®, made up of the letter C from Concept Laser and the word FUSING
(complete melting), describes the technology used: the fusion process generates components
layer by layer using 3D CAD data.
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The generative process allows complex component geometries to be produced without the use
of any tools right through to complex structural geometries which are very difficult to produce, if
they can be produced at all, using conventional techniques.
The LaserCUSING® process allows the fabrication of both mould inserts with close-contour
cooling and direct components for the jewellery, medical, dental, automotive and aerospace
sectors. Both prototypes and mass-produced parts are manufactured.
Standard machines and customer-specific machine concepts for the LaserCUSING® of metals
are on offer. Full service as an option at Concept Laser means that customers can purchase
machines for their own independent LaserCUSING® application, or access services and
development expertise (prototypes and small batches) directly.
The laser processing machines from Concept Laser process powder materials from high-grade
and tool steels, reactive aluminium or titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, cobalt-chromium
alloys and in future will also process precious metals such as gold and silver.
LaserCUSING® opens up new perspectives in terms of quality, reproducibility, economic viability
and speed for more efficient product development in sectors such as:
- Jewellery
- Medical and dental technology
- Aerospace industry
- Tool and mould making
- Automotive/motor racing
- Mechanical engineering
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The machines make it possible to shorten development times and reduce development costs
considerably. The key benefits of LaserCUSING® include greater freedom of geometry, coupled
with much greater flexibility in terms of product development. Another central advantage of the
process is the opportunity to produce components without the use of tools and the obviation of
the machine programming associated with this.
The high quality standards, many years of experience and references of Concept Laser are
synonymous with process-reliable and cost-effective solutions which demonstrate their
efficiency in everyday production. Thanks to ongoing further development, the unit costs of the
generative process are constantly being reduced.
In 2010, Hofmann Innovation Group GmbH generated sales of EUR 52 million with 470
employees.
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