a digital twin that allows you to waste less energy and materials when joining metals

Additive Manufacturing Today one of the star technologies at the stage of digital transformation. No matter what happens, be it years, stress or adverse conditions, both welding and additive manufacturing share the need to be true to the promise: nothing separates them because they have created a mechanically strong connection with stable properties. Their responsibilities are great, especially in industries such as aerospace, where additive manufacturing is intended to be used to create lightweight and complex components that ensure the safety and performance of aircraft.

Among the additive manufacturing processes we find energy release focused on WAAM. What does it consist of? “It’s like building something layer by layer using an electric arc that melts and bonds metal cords,” explains Carlos Maylor from the Structural Integrity and Fatigue Group of Itainnova’s Materials and Components Technologies Division. This technique allows you to create three-dimensional parts. “For example, instead of cutting and joining metal plates, we can directly create the final part. It’s like a 3D printer, but with metal. –describes graphically– and helps make things more efficient and of higher quality. In the future, “it is planned to be widely used in various industries, such as aerospace, where it can guarantee safety and at the same time optimize strength.” The component to weight ratio is critical.”

To offer these guarantees, it is important to understand how quality changes as successive layers are applied. Digitization and modeling of these processes, proposed by the Digifus 4.0 project in which Itainova is involved, “are essential for analyzing the strength of these connections and optimizing production parameters, guaranteeing long-term mechanical properties,” says Susana Calvo, head of the structural integrity and fatigue group in the Department of Materials Technology and components. “These events – in particular – “They provide precise and consistent control of production processes, reduce waste and promote continuous improvement.”

The goal is to create a digital twin that maps manufacturing processes based on the targeted energy release of metals. The final result will be “a comprehensive simulation model that analyzes manufacturing feasibility, determines optimal parameters and evaluates the quality indicators of manufactured parts”, highlight Itainnova’s technical experts. “By focusing on heat source characteristics, process variability and detailed modeling,” they explain, “the project aims to significantly improve the understanding and optimization of WAAM additive manufacturing, thereby facilitating the development of innovative solutions.” metal parts.”

Better knowledge of the process will allow variables such as speed, temperature, amount of filler, deposition trajectories, etc. to be linked to quality standards and environmental criteria such as minimal use of materials and energy consumption.

Project

Experimental verification of models, layer by layer

In the Digifus 4.0 project, Itainnova contributes its experience and resources to technological research, contributing to the development digital twin of production processes based on targeted energy release.

To create this digital model, The use of digitization and modeling techniques comes into play, but experimental analysis in the laboratory is also necessary. All of them “with the aim of deepening the understanding of process variability and optimizing the quality of manufactured parts, thereby consolidating the knowledge necessary for the development of additive manufacturing technologies,” points out Carlos Maylor.

Until now, Some pilot campaigns have already been carried out and data collected. sufficient to develop process modeling.

Step by step, layer by layer, the project is moving forward. Inside and outside the computer. “The strategy was adopted that the complexity of the components produced would gradually increase,” explains Mallor. This involved first characterizing the heat source, adding material for one layer and modeling it as the first layer of 3D geometry, and adding twenty layers to form the wall. and modeled.thin. In both cases, explains engineer Itainnova, “the temperature was controlled by thermography and also by thermocouples” (a thermocouple is a device for measuring temperatures based on the potential difference caused by heat at the junction of two different metals). ). The thermally affected zone was also characterized metallographically.

Both actions are part plan for experimental testing of models to create a digital twin process. The next steps to be developed include experimental studies that will focus on characterizing the design of increasingly complex parts as well as their detailed modeling. Progress will also be made in quantifying the mechanical and functional behavior of additively manufactured parts.

-Go to the “Third Millennium” add-on.

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