America Makes: National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) Project 1: Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Complex Metallic Additive Manufactured (AM) Structures.

摘要

Additive manufacturing (AM) has several advantages when applied to complex metallic components, particularly in the fabrication of low-volume, high-value parts. This study summarizes possible methods for performing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of complex additively manufactured titanium and nickel based alloy components. In this report, a brief review of AM technologies is presented. Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) and Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) are discussed in more detail as the two promising candidates for the production of components applicable in aerospace industry. Defect formation mechanisms and mitigation techniques are also discussed. Design complexity was qualitatively defined, and organized into 5 groups. A literature review was conducted to determine the industrial NDE techniques with the highest near (less than 3 years) and mid-term (3-5 years) potential to inspect titanium and nickel aerospace components produced by PBF processes. X-Ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) was selected as the most promising technique for complex geometries.