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19-Sep-2022: Mining Monthly: Stronger than ever titanium alloy in print [19-Sep-2022]
Click on the title of the article above to access it.
ENGINEERS at Monash University in Melbourne have used a three-dimensional printing method to create an ultra-strong titanium alloy with the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all 3D-printed metals produced to date.
[by Karma Barndon, Future of Mining / Innovation, MiningMonthly.com]
The emergence of 3D printing has led to another era in metal fabrication where design freedoms mean almost any geometrical part can be fabricated.
While titanium alloys are favoured in the aerospace sector, most commercially available 3D titanium alloy products are not suitable for use in structural applications and have inadequate strength at room and elevated temperatures under harsh service conditions.
Using a 3D printing method to manipulate a novel microstructure on commercially available alloys, Professor Aijun Huang and Dr Yuman Zhu found a way to fabricate structural materials with unique microstructures and excellent properties, for broad applications.
Huang said titanium alloys required complex casting and thermomechanical processing to achieve the high strengths needed for some critical applications.
"We have discovered that additive manufacturing can exploit its unique manufacturing process to create ultra-strong and thermally stable parts in commercial titanium alloys, which may be directly implemented in service," he said.
"After a simple post-heat treatment on a commercial titanium alloy, adequate elongation and tensile strengths of more than 1600 megapascals are achieved, the highest specific strength among all 3D printed metal to date."
Huang said the findings offered a fresh approach to precipitation strengthening in commercial alloys that could be used to produce real components with complex shape for load-bearing applications.
"This application is still absent for any titanium alloys to date," he said.
"The 3D printing plus simple heat treatment also means the process cost is greatly reduced compared to other materials with similar strength."
He said the findings in the work were expected to lead to fundamental insights into the principles of strengthening and dislocation engineering, in the field of physical metallurgy.
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Further Reading: 3D printer creates jet engine in world first | The Independent | The Independent [Feb, 2015]
[also related to Monash University Engineering Department]
The world's first 3D-printed jet engine can be seen on display at the Avalon International Air Show southwest of Melbourne (Reuters)
Australian engineers have created the world’s first 3D-printed jet engines.
The work of engineers and researchers at Amaero Engineering and Monash University, located on the outskirts of Melbourne, could lead to cheaper, lighter and more fuel efficient engines.
Also: https://3dprint.com/47085/3d-printed-jet-engine-2/ [Feb, 2015]
It’s only a matter of time before we begin seeing just about every man-made object on this planet 3D printed in some form or another. We’ve already seen houses, cars, and electronic devices fabricated on 3D printers. Now, you can check yet another item off of that list.
Researchers at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia have teamed with individuals from Deakin University and CSIRO to 3D print two proof of concept jet engines. One is currently on display at the International Air Show in Avalon, Victoria, Australia, and the other is housed at Microtubo (Safran), a French aerospace company. The engine design, which is based on an auxiliary powered gas turbine engine, provided to the Univeristy by Microturbo (Safran), is similar to one which would have been used in a Falcon 20 aircraft.
“It was our chance to prove what we could do,” says Professor Xinhua Wu, director of the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing. “But when we reviewed the plans we realised that the engine had evolved over years of manufacture. So we took the engine to pieces and scanned the components. Then we printed two copies.”
The government supported project could lead to much innovation in engine design. Already many private companies have been in contact with Monash University, and they have formed partnerships with large aerospace companies.
“It was a challenge for the team and pushed the technology to new heights of success – no one has printed an entire engine commercially yet,” explained Ben Batagol, of Amaero Engineering, which is the company created by Monash University to make the technology available to Australian industry.
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AML3D to supply additional 3D printed components under Boeing contract - Australian Manufacturing [20-Sep-2022]
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