The paper presents an investigation regarding the potential and the readiness for implementing performance indicators and performance measurement systems of the process planning work for metal working companies. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey distributed to process planners in the Swedish metal working industry. The main outcome of the investigation is a foundation for understanding the implementation of performance measures of the process planning work for CNC machining. The survey revealed a few strengths and short comings in the studied companies.

Fabrication and welding of structural components for the hot section of aero-engines continues to be of high importance to the manufacturing industry of aero-engines. This paper discusses and reviews the literature on hot cracking and strain age cracking, cracking phenomena that can occur during welding or subsequent heat treatment of precipitation hardened Ni- and Fe-Ni-based superalloys. The influence of chemical composition in terms of i.e. hardening elements and impurities, microstructure of base material and weld zone, together with welding processes and corresponding parameters and heat input are discussed and related to the cracking susceptibility of different nickel based superalloys.

The ability to weld repair three precipitation hardening superalloys, i.e. Alloy 718, Allvac 718Plus and Waspaloy, with gas tungsten arc welding, is compared in this study. Four different solution heat treatment conditions for each material were examined: Alloy 718 and Allvac 718Plus heat treated at 954uC–1 h, 982uC–1 h, 954uC–15 h and 1020uC–1 h and Waspaloy for 4 h at 996uC, 1010uC, 1040uC and at 1080uC. By metallography, the total number of cracks was evaluated in both the heat affected zone and the fusion zone, which made it possible to consistently rate the repair weldability of these three materials. Alloy 718 was significantly the best one, with Allvac 718Plus slightly better than Waspaloy. As expected, the solution heat treatment conditions only affected the heat affected zone cracking behaviour.

Electron beam welding of forged Allvac 718Plus superalloy has been carried out without any visible cracks in weld cross-sections. Healed cracks in the heat affected zone were, however, seen in most cross-sections with the healing as well as the cracking believed to be due to the constitutional liquation of the δ-phase. The δ-phase undergoes constitutional liquation in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and consequently decreases the ductility of the material and renders cracks in the HAZ but due to the large amount of eutectic liquid produced at the same time the healing of the opened cracks takes place.

Varestraint testing together with DSC and SEM-EDX analyses have been performed as means of investigating the hot cracking susceptibility of Allvac 718Plus, alloy 718 and Waspaloy. The solidification sequences in Allvac 718Plus and alloy 718 were very similar to each other starting by an initial solidification of the gamma phase, gamma/MC reaction at around 1260°C and then finally ending the sequence by gamma/Laves eutectic reaction at around 1150°C. Waspaloy had the same solidification sequence, except no Laves phase formation takes place, and solidification started at a somewhat higher temperature as compared to alloy 718 and the solidification sequence ends by a gamma/MC reaction at around 1245°C. The total amount of hot cracking in Waspaloy was shown to be much less than that in alloy 718 and in Allvac 718Plus which is believed to be related to the presence of the Laves eutectic in the latter two alloys with corresponding larger solidification ranges. Hot cracking of 718Plus is slightly less than in 718.

The susceptibility to heat affected zone cracking of Waspaloy has been investigated in terms of its hot ductility, measured as the reduction of area (RA). Gleeble testing with on-heating as well as on-cooling test cycles was carried out to illuminate the influence of different 4 h solution heat treatments between 996 and 1080°C. A ductility maximum of between 80 and 90%RA was found at 1050–1100°C for all conditions in the on-heating tests. Although the different heat treatment conditions showed similar macrohardness, the particle size and distribution of the γ′ and M₂₃C₆ phases differed, which significantly affected the on-heating ductility in the lower temperature test region. The ductile to brittle transition was initiated at 1100°C in the on-heating testing with indications of grain boundary liquation at the higher test temperatures. Ductility recovery, as measured in the on-cooling tests from 1240°C, was very limited with <30%RA for all conditions and test temperatures except for the 1080°C/4 h treatment, which exhibited 60%RA at 980°C.

The hot ductility of Allvac 718Plus for different solution heat treatments (954°C–15 h, 954°C–1 h, 982°C–1 h and 1050°C–3 h+954°C–1 h) has been investigated using Gleeble testing. Substantial variations in the microstructure among the heat treatments affected the Gleeble test hot ductility only to a very limited extent. Constitutional liquation of the NbC phase was found to be the main cause for the poor ductility at high testing temperatures in the on-heating cycle as well as at the lower temperatures on-cooling. Grain boundary δ phase was seen to assist the constitutional liquation of the NbC phase. Based on established evaluation criteria for Gleeble ductility testing, a ranked indicator for weldability is suggested.

The hot ductility as measured by Gleeble testing of Alloy 718 at four different solution heat treatments (954°C/15 h, 954°C/1 h, 982°C/1 h and 1050°C/3 h+954°C/1 h) has been investigated. It is concluded that constitutional liquation of NbC assisted by δ phase takes place and deteriorates the ductility. Parameters established by analysing the ductility dependence on temperature indicate a reduced weldability of the material in the coarse grain size state (ASTM 3) while indicating an increased weldability when containing a large amount of δ phase due to a grain boundary pinning effect. The accumulation of trace elements during grain growth at the highest temperature is believed to be the cause for the observed reduced on-cooling ductility.

ATI 718Plus® is a γ′-strengthened nickel-based superalloy developed to substitute the widely used Alloy 718 in aero-engine applications. This newer superalloy is a candidate material for aero-engine turbine structures, with the requirement to withstand impact loading occurring at high strain rates during turbine blade out events. Furthermore, the understanding of the high strain rate response of ATI 718Plus® is important in optimising its machinability during cutting operations. To predict and model the behaviour of ATI 718Plus® during these events and in other dynamic impact applications, proper understanding of the high strain rate behaviour of the alloy is important, but not presently available. Therefore, in this work, the influence of microstructural condition and strain rates on dynamic impact behaviour of ATI 718Plus®, using a modified version of direct impact Hopkinson bar, is investigated. It is observed that the age-hardened alloy exhibits a significantly reduced strain hardening and strain rate hardening capabilities compared to the solution heat treated microstructure. Furthermore, microstructural examination of the deformed samples shows that the formation of adiabatic shear bands, which usually serve as damage nucleation site, is substantially suppressed in the solution heat treated microstructure, while the aged microstructure exhibits high propensity to form localised shear bands.

A detailed microstructural study of ATI 718Plus superalloy produced by the wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process was performed through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Extensive formation of eutectic solidification microconstituents including Laves and MC-type carbide phases, induced by micro-segregation, are observed in the build of the alloy in the as-deposited condition. Notwithstanding the significant segregation of niobium (Nb), which has been reported to promote the formation of the delta-phase in ATI 718Plus, only eta-phase particles are observed in the deposit. Excessive precipitation of eta-phase particles is found to be linked to Laves phase particles that are partially dissolved in the deposit after post-deposition heat treatment (PDHT). The EBSD analysis shows a high textured build in the aOE (c) 100 > directions with only a few misoriented grains at the substrate-deposit boundary and the top of the deposit. Investigation on the hardness of the build of the alloy, in the as-deposited condition, showed a softened zone about 2 mm wide at the deposited metal heat affected zone (DMHAZ), which has not been previously reported and potentially damaging to the mechanical properties. An extensive analysis with the use of both microstructural characterization tools and theoretical calculations shows that the DMHAZ has the lowest volume fraction of strengthening precipitates (gamma’ and gamma aEuro(3)) in terms of their number density, which therefore induces the observed softness. Delayed re-precipitation kinetics and the extent of the precipitation of gamma’ and gamma aEuro(3) in the DMHAZ which is related to the diffusion of segregated solute elements from the interdendritic regions are attributed to this phenomenon. The microstructural analyses discussed in this work are vital to adequate understanding of properties of ATI 718Plus produced by the additive manufacturing process technique.

The hot corrosion behaviour of wire-arc additive manufactured and wrought ATI 718Plus® are studied. ATI 718Plus® produced by the additive manufacturing process, in the as-processed condition, exhibits a significantly lower hot corrosion resistance in comparison to the wrought alloy. Analytical electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, with corroboration by thermodynamic calculations, are used to identify the underlying cause of the poor hot corrosion resistance. Based on the understanding accrued from the analyses, post-processing heat treatments are used to improve the hot corrosion resistance, which is valuably pertinent to the application of ATI 718Plus® produced by additive manufacturing in hot corrosive environments. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

The effects of applied pressure and temperature during spark plasma sintering (SPS) of additive-containing nanocrystalline silicon carbide on its densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties have been investigated. Both relative density and grain size are found to increase with temperature. Furthermore, with increase in pressure at constant temperature, the relative density improves significantly, whereas the grain size decreases. Reasonably high relative density (~96%) is achieved on carrying out SPS at 1300 °C under applied pressure of 75 MPa for 5 min, with a maximum of ~97.7% at 1500 °C under 50 MPa for 5 min. TEM studies have shown the presence of an amorphous phase at grain boundaries and triple points, which confirms the formation of liquid phase during sintering and its significant contribution to densification of SiC at relatively lower temperatures (≤1400 °C). The relative density decreases on raising the SPS temperature beyond 1500 °C, probably due to pores caused by vaporization of the liquid phase. Whereas β-SiC is observed in the microstructures for SPS carried out at temperatures ≤1500 °C, α-SiC evolves and its volume fraction increases with further increase in SPS temperatures. Both hardness and Young׳s modulus increase with increase in relative density, whereas indentation fracture toughness appears to be higher in case of two-phase microstructure containing α and β-SiC.

his paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the sliding and abrasive wear behaviour of WC–10Co4Cr hardmetal coatings, representative of the existing state-of-the-art. A commercial feedstock powder with two different particle size distributions was sprayed onto carbon steel substrates using two HVOF and two HVAF spray processes.Mild wear rates of < 10-7 mm3/(Nm) and friction coefficients of ≈ 0.5 were obtained for all samples in ball-on-disk sliding wear tests at room temperature against Al2O3 counterparts. WC–10Co4Cr coatings definitely outperform a reference electrolytic hard chromium coating under these test conditions. Their wear mechanisms include extrusion and removal of the binder matrix, with the formation of a wavy surface morphology, and brittle cracking. The balance of such phenomena is closely related to intra-lamellar features, and rather independent of those properties (e.g. indentation fracture toughness, elastic modulus) which mainly reflect large-scale inter-lamellar cohesion, as quantitatively confirmed by a principal component analysis. Intra-lamellar dissolution of WC into the matrix indeed increases the incidence of brittle cracking, resulting in slightly higher wear rates. At 400 °C, some of the hardmetal coatings fail because of the superposition between tensile residual stresses and thermal expansion mismatch stresses (due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the steel substrate and of the hardmetal coating). Those which do not fail, on account of lower residual stresses, exhibit higher wear rates than at room temperature, due to oxidation of the WC grains.The resistance of the coatings against abrasive wear, assessed by dry sand–rubber wheel testing, is related to inter-lamellar cohesion, as proven by a principal component analysis of the collected dataset. Therefore, coatings deposited from coarse feedstock powders suffer higher wear loss than those obtained from fine powders, as brittle inter-lamellar detachment is caused by their weaker interparticle cohesion, witnessed by their systematically lower fracture toughness as well.

Thermography is today used within non-destructive testing for detecting several different types of defects. The possibility for using thermography for detecting surface cracks in welded metal plates has here been investigated. During testing the weld is illuminated using a high power infrared light source. Due to surface cracks acting like black bodies, they will absorb more energy than the surrounding metal and can be identified as a warmer area when imaged using an infrared camera. Notches as well as real longitudinal cold cracks in a weld are investigated using the presented method. The results show that thermography is promising as a method for detection cracks open to the surface.

Surface crack defects can be detected by IR thermograpgy due to the high absorption of energy within the crack cavity. It is often difficult to detect the defect in the raw data, since the signal easily drowns in the background. It is therefore important to have good analysis algorithms that can reduce the background and enhance the defect. Here an analysis algorithm is presented which significantly increases the signal to noise ratio of the defects and reduces the image sequence from the camera to one image.

This study aimed to numerically and experimentally investigate lump formation during atmospheric plasma spraying with powder injection downstream the plasma gun exit. A first set of investigations was focused on the location and orientation of the powder port injector. It turned out impossible to keep the coating quality while avoiding lumps by simply moving the powder injector. A new geometry of the powder port ring holder was designed and optimized to prevent nozzle clogging, and lump formation using a gas screen. This solution was successfully tested for applications with Ni-5wt.%Al and ZrO2-7wt.%Y2O3 powders used in production. The possible secondary effect of plasma jet shrouding by the gas screen, and its consequence on powder particles prior to impact was also studied.

Ductility regression is the main concern in using Ti-834 titanium alloy at temperatures above 500 °C for aerospace applications. The reduction of ductility in titanium alloys at high temperatures is strongly correlated to the exposure time. In the current study the effect of prolonged exposure at 500 °C on the tensile ductility of two differently processed Ti-834 alloys was investigated. In order to simulate actual Ti-834 processing routes, forged and centrifugally cast materials were used. The tensile tests were conducted on various specimens exposed at 500 °C for 100, 200 and 500 h to observe microstructure feature changes. Moreover, the effect of microstructure, microtexture, α-case, α₂ and silicide precipitate coarsening during high temperature exposure was studied thoroughly. The cast alloy was found to have a minimum ductility and failed at 1.8% strain after exposure at 500 °C/500 h when the α-case layer was retained during testing, whilst, the ductility of the forged alloy was unaffected. The effects of individual microstructural parameters on the ductility regression in Ti-834 alloy were quantified. The results showed that 7.1% strain differences between the cast and forged alloy are related to microstructural variations including; morphology, lath widths, grain size and shape, grain orientations and microtexture. A total of 9.6% strain loss was observed in centrifugally cast Ti-834 after aging at 500°C/500 h and quantified as follow; 3.6% due to α-case formation during high temperature exposure, 0.2% due to α₂-precipitates coarsening, 4.4% due to further silicide formation and coarsening, 1.4% due to additional microstructure changes during high temperature exposure. Furthermore, silicide coarsening on α/β phase boundaries caused large void formation around the precipitates. A theoretical model supported by experimental observations for silicide precipitation in fully colony and duplex microstructures was established. The element partitioning during exposure caused Al and Ti depletion in the vicinity of the β phase in the lamellae, i.e., α_s area. This resulted in lowering the strength of the alloy and facilitated the formation of Ti₃(SiZr)₂ precipitates. The Al depletion and nano-scale partitioning observed at the α_s/β boundaries resulted in easy crack initiation and promoted propagation in the centrifugally cast colony microstructure and reduced the basal slip τ_crss. Furthermore, silicides were not formed in α_p (high Al, Ti and low Zr areas) in the forged duplex microstructure that promoted superior mechanical performance and ductility over the cast alloy.

Graphical abstract

Several advanced alloy systems are susceptible to weld solidification cracking. One example is nickel-based superalloys, which are commonly used in critical applications such as aerospace engines and nuclear power plants. Weld solidification cracking is often expensive to repair and, if not repaired, can lead to catastrophic failure. This study, presented in three papers, presents an approach for simulating weld solidification cracking applicable to large-scale components. The results from finite element simulation of welding are post-processed and combined with models of metallurgy, as well as the behavior of the liquid film between the grain boundaries, in order to estimate the risk of crack initiation. The first paper in this study describes the crack criterion for crack initiation in a grain boundary liquid film. The second paper describes the model for computing the pressure and the thickness of the grain boundary liquid film, which are required to evaluate the crack criterion in paper 1. The third and final paper describes the application of the model to Varestraint tests of alloy 718. The derived model can fairly well predict crack locations, crack orientations, and crack widths for the Varestraint tests. The importance of liquid permeability and strain localization for the predicted crack susceptibility in Varestraint tests is shown. © 2019, The Author(s).

Several advanced alloy systems are susceptible to weld solidification cracking. One example is nickel-based superalloys, which are commonly used in critical applications such as aerospace engines and nuclear power plants. Weld solidification cracking is often expensive to repair, and if not repaired, can lead to catastrophic failure. This study, presented in three papers, presents an approach for simulating weld solidification cracking applicable to large-scale components. The results from finite element simulation of welding are post-processed and combined with models of metallurgy, as well as the behavior of the liquid film between the grain boundaries, in order to estimate the risk of crack initiation. The first paper in this study describes the crack criterion for crack initiation in a grain boundary liquid film. The second paper describes the model for computing the pressure and the thickness of the grain boundary liquid film, which are required to evaluate the crack criterion in paper 1. The third and final paper describes the application of the model to Varestraint tests of Alloy 718. The derived model can fairly well predict crack locations, crack orientations, and crack widths for the Varestraint tests. The importance of liquid permeability and strain localization for the predicted crack susceptibility in Varestraint tests is shown. © 2019, The Author(s).

Several advanced alloy systems are susceptible to weld solidification cracking. One example is nickel-based superalloys, which are commonly used in critical applications such as aerospace engines and nuclear power plants. Weld solidification cracking is often expensive to repair, and if not repaired, can lead to catastrophic failure. This study, presented in three papers, presents an approach for simulating weld solidification cracking applicable to large-scale components. The results from finite element simulation of welding are post-processed and combined with models of metallurgy, as well as the behavior of the liquid film between the grain boundaries, in order to estimate the risk of crack initiation. The first paper in this study describes the crack criterion for crack initiation in a grain boundary liquid film. The second paper describes the model required to compute the pressure and thickness of the liquid film required in the crack criterion. The third and final paper describes the application of the model to Varestraint tests of alloy 718. The derived model can fairly well predict crack locations, crack orientations, and crack widths for the Varestraint tests. The importance of liquid permeability and strain localization for the predicted crack susceptibility in Varestraint tests is shown. © 2019, The Author(s).

The application of commercial software (OLP) packages for robot simulation, and programming, use interactive computer graphics, provide powerful tools for creating welding paths off-line. By the use of such software, problems of robot reach, accessibility, collision and timing can be eliminated during the planning stage. This paper describes how such software can be integrated with a numerical model that predicts temperature-time histories in the solid material. The objective of this integration is to develop a tool for the engineer where robot trajectories and process parameters can be optimized on parts with complex geometry. Such a tool would decrease the number of weld trials, increase productivity and reduce costs. Assumptions and principles behind the modeling techniques are presented together with experimental evaluation of the correlation between modeled and measured temperatures.

Laser beam welding has gained a significant interest during the last two decades. The suitability of the process for high volume production has the possibility to give a strong advantage compared to several other welding methods. However, it is important to have the process in full control since various quality issues may otherwise occur. During laser welding of boron steels quality issues such as imperfections, changes in local and global geometry as well as strength reduction can occur. The aspects that need to be considered are strongly depending on alloy content, process parameters etc. These problems that can occur could be fatal for the construction and the lowest level of occurrence is wanted, independent of industry.

The focus of this study has been to investigate the properties of laser welded boron steel. The study includes laser welding of boron alloyed steels with strengths of 1500 MPa and a recently introduced 1900 MPa grade. Focus has been to investigate weldability and the occurrence of cracks, porosity and strength reducing microstructure that can occur during laser welding, as well as distortion studies for tolerances in geometry. The results show that both conventional and 1900 MPa boron alloyed steel are suitable for laser welding.

Due to the martensitic structure of welds the material tends to behave brittle. Cracking and porosity do not seem to be an issue limiting the use of these steels. For tolerances in geometry for larger structures tests has been done simulating laser welding of A-pillars and B-pillars. Measurements have been done with Vernier caliper as well as a more advanced optical method capturing the movements during the welding sequence. Results from the tests done on Ushaped beams indicates that depending on the geometry of the structure and heat input distortions can be controlled to give distortions from 1 to 8 mm, at a welding length of 700 mm. This means that important geometry points can be distorted several millimeters if the laser welding process not is controlled.

Ultra high strength steels are frequently used within the automotive industry for several components. Welding of these components is traditionally done by resistance spot welding, but to get further productivity and increased strength, laser welding has been introduced in the past decades. Fusion welding is known to cause distortions due to built-in stresses in the material. The distortions result in geometrical issues during assembly which become the origin of low joint quality due to gaps and misfits.

U-beam structures of boron steel simulating B-pillars have been welded with laser along the flanges. Welding parameters and clamping have been varied to create different welding sequences and heat input generating a range of distortion levels. The distortions have been recorded dynamically with an optical measurement system during welding. In addition, final distortions have been measured by a digital Vernier caliper. The combined measurements give the possibility to evaluate development, occurrence and magnitude of distortions with high accuracy. Furthermore, section cuts have been analyzed to assess joint geometry and metallurgy.

The results shows that final distortions appear in the range of 0-8 mm. Distortions occur mainly transversely and vertically along the profile. Variations in heat input show clear correlation with the magnitude of distortions and level of joint quality. A higher heat input in general generates a higher level of distortion with the same clamping conditions. Section cuts show that weld width and penetration are significantly affected by welding heat input.

The present study identifies parameters which significantly influence the magnitude and distribution of distortions. Also, effective measures to minimize distortions and maintain or improve joint quality have been proposed.

Finally, transient FE simulations have been presented which show the behavior of the profiles during the welding and unclamping process.

One of the most common titanium alloys for aerospace industry is Ti-6Al-4V (usually designed as Ti-64) which is used for manufacturing aero-engine components, such as fan discs, compressor discs, blades andstators. The maximum service temperature for this alloy is limited partly because of degradation of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures (above 480 ºC). During the first stage of oxidation the oxidescale is protective, whereas after prolonged oxidation time it loses its protective nature and favours higher diffusion of oxygen through the oxide. In the present study, cyclic thermal treatments were performed in air at 500 and 700 ºC, up to 500 hours, and compared with similar studies carried out on isothermal oxidation conditions. The evolution of the surface oxidation was analyzed by metallographic techniques and X-ray diffraction, together with a detailed advanced characterization of the microstructure by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Focus Ions Beam. The results point out that the cyclic thermal treatments induced a strong increase of the weight gain compared to isothermal treatments. The analysis of the oxide scale revealed not only the presence of rutile, at 700 ºC, but also anatase and TiOx at 500 ºC for both isothermal and cyclic thermal treatments. At 700 ºC, thermal stress caused by cyclic thermal treatments promoted the fracture of the oxide after the first 20 hours.

Microstructural evolution during the early stages of ageing (less than one hour) in a Ni-Cr-Fe based superalloy Inconel 718 (IN718) has been investigated using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). The effects of precipitate kinetics on the precipitate size distribution are compared indirectly with SAXS measurements by using Vickers microhardness data. The microhardness increased after 4 min of ageing at a temperature of 760 degrees C, although the recorded SAXS data did not reveal the precipitate size distribution. This indicates that the precipitates had not evolved enough to be detected, but still a small number of precipitates increased the yield strength. After ageing the alloy for the shortest period for which data were available, 8 min, clear evidence of precipitates could be found from the SAXS data, showing that the gamma ‘’ - precipitates are about 6 nm in width and 3 nm in height. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electron beam melting (EBM) has emerged as an important additive manufacturing technique. In this study, Alloy 718 produced by EBM was investigated in as-built and post-treated conditions for microstructural characteristics and hardness. The post-treatments investigated were hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and combined HIP + heat treatment (HIP + HT) carried out as a single cycle inside the HIP vessel. Both the post-treatments resulted in significant decrease in defects inevitably present in the as-built material. The columnar grain structure of the as-built material was found to be maintained after post-treatment, with some sporadic localized grain coarsening noted. Although HIP led to complete dissolution of δ and γ′′ phase, stable NbC and TiN (occasionally present) particles were observed in the post-treated specimens. Significant precipitation of γ′′ phase was observed after HIP + HT, which was attributed to the two-step aging heat treatment carried out during HIP + HT. The presence of γ′′ phase or otherwise was correlated to the hardness of the material. While the HIP treatment resulted in drop in hardness, HIP + HT led to 'recovery' of the hardness to values exceeding those exhibited by the as-built material. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

The aim of this work is to characterize the precipitation kinetics in Haynes® 282® superalloys using in-situ high-energy Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) together with Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS). The phases identified by WAXS include γ (matrix), γ′ (hardening precipitates), MC (metallic carbides), and M23C6/M6C (secondary metallic carbides). The γ'-precipitates are spheroids with a diameter of several nanometres, depending on the temperature and ageing time. From the SAXS data, quantitative parameters such as volume fraction, number density and inter-particle distance were determined and correlated with ex-situ Vickers microhardness measurements. The strengthening components associated with precipitates and solid solutions are differentiated using the measured Vickers microhardness and SAXS model parameters. A square root dependence between strengthening attributable to the precipitates and the product of volume fraction and mean precipitate radius is found. The solid solution strengthening component correlates with the total volume fraction of precipitates.

The effect of base metal conditions on the weld cracking response of cast ATI 718Plus® was investigated in this study, comparing as cast microstructure with pseudo hot isostatic pressing (HIP) heat treatments at 1120, 1160 and 1190 °C for dwell times of 4 and 24 h. Linear grooves have been filled using multipass manual gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) to simulate repair welding conditions. Metallographic investigation revealed cracks in both base metal heat affected zone and fusion zone layers. The heat treatment temperatures chosen below, at and above incipient laves melting temperature of ATI 718Plus® were found to have an effect on weld cracking behaviour, with an increased average total crack length in the base metal heat affected zone for both 1160 and 1190 °C as compared to the as cast condition and the 1120 °C homogenization treatment. The increase in cracking susceptibility shows a correlation with the amount of Nb-rich secondary phases, with lower amounts leading to crack concentration to solidification grain boundaries present from the casting process, increasing the average crack length.

In this paper a novel approach towards automation of robotized laser metal-wire deposition (RLMwD) is described. The RLMwD technique is being developed at University West in cooperation with Swedish industry for solid freeform fabrication of fully dense metal structures. The process utilizes robotized fibre laser welding and metal wire filler material, together with a layered manufacturing method, to create metal structures directly from a CAD drawing. The RLMwD process can also be used for repair or modification of existing components. This paper faces the challenge of designing a control system for maintaining stable process variables, such as a constant layer height and a stable component temperature, during the entire manufacturing process. Several problems are identified and discussed in the paper, e.g. the difficulty of obtaining the bead height in the weld pool environment. The case study is a repair application for stamping tools, where worn out trim edges are to be repaired. Issues regarding the control design, system identification, and the practical implementation of this application are discussed.

This paper concerns the temperature evolution during white layer formation induced by hard turning of martensitic and bainitic hardened AISI 52100 steel, as well as the effects of cutting temperatures and surface cooling rates on the microstructure and properties of the induced white layers. The cutting temperatures were measured using a high speed two-colour pyrometer, equipped with an optical fibre allowing for temperature measurements at the cutting edge. Depending on the machining conditions, white layers were shown to have formed both above and well below the parent austenitic transformation temperature, Ac1, of about 750 C. Thus at least two different mechanisms, phase transformation above the Ac1 (thermally) and severe plastic deformation below the Ac1 (mechanically), have been active during white layer formation. In the case of the predominantly thermally induced white layers, the cutting temperatures were above 900 C, while for the predominantly mechanically induced white layers the cutting temperatures were approximately 550 C. The surface cooling rates during hard turning were shown to be as high as 104-105 C/s for cutting speeds between 30 and 260 m/min independent of whether the studied microstructure was martensitic or bainitic. Adding the results from the cutting temperature measurements to previous results on the retained austenite contents and residual stresses of the white layers, it can be summarised that thermally induced white layers contain significantly higher amounts of retained austenite compared to the unaffected material and display high tensile residual stresses. On the contrary, in the case of white layers formed mainly due to severe plastic deformation, no retained austenite could be measured and the surface and subsurface residual stresses were compressive. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Semisolid stir welding is a newly developed method suitable for joining of the magnesium alloy AZ91. In this study, the effect of tool geometries on the joint properties such as bending strength and the occurrence of porosity are studied. A 2 mm-thick Mg-25%Zn interlayer was placed between two AZ91 plates and the plate was heated up to 530°C before joining. At this temperature, when both the interlayer and the base metal were in the semisolid state, a stirrer was introduced into the joint. Drill-tip and round shape stirrer tools were employed at three different stirring rates. Welds produced with the two methods showed similar properties in the shear punch test. However, using the round tool geometry resulted in welds with excellent bending strength closely matching that of the base metal especially at the highest stirring rate. The improved properties when using the round tool was a result of the formation of a very fine and uniform microstructure with a low content of porosity.