Increased efficiency in additiv manufacturing through electrical preheating of wire feedstock

Purpose and goal

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been identified as a key technology for global competitiveness for the industrial production of high-value components. The project intends to develop a new high-power control of electric preheating of the additive material for AM with laser and metal wire. The aim is to reach an efficient, robust and reliable product solution while doubling the output power from today´s system. The goal is for the control system to enable crack-free additive manufacturing of structural aircraft engine components in nickel base alloy at high deposition rates.

Expected effects and result

The use of additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry has already proven successful for load-bearing structures in titanium, but has been difficult to apply to nickel-base alloys due to their crack sensitivity. An introduction of a qualified AM system for nickel base alloys would lead to several improvements such as lighter, cheaper and more efficient aircraft engines, as well as lower environmental impact during an engine´s entire life cycle. More local production would also be possible as the need for large forgings would decrease, which today requires imports.

Planned approach and implementation

The project is divided into 6 work packages: System design, Electronics design, Integration of hardware and bench tests, Integration of the control system in AM equipment, Validation tests, Admin and dissemination. At the end of the project, a prototype for current control will be developed, tested and validated in relevant AM equipment. The project will also offer a workshop to potential customers who will be given the opportunity to propose future applications where the developed solution can be tested in relevant demonstrators. A sustainability analysis is also planned.