Research Progress of Laser Additive Manufacturing of Maraging Steels
TAN Chaolin1,2,ZHOU Kesong1,2(),MA Wenyou2,ZENG Dechang1
1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China 2. National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Materials Surface Engineering Technology, Guangdong Institute of New Materials, Guangzhou 510651, China
Cite this article:
TAN Chaolin,ZHOU Kesong,MA Wenyou,ZENG Dechang. Research Progress of Laser Additive Manufacturing of Maraging Steels. Acta Metall Sin, 2020, 56(1): 36-52.
Additive manufacture is recognized as a world-altering technology which triggered a world-wide intensive research interest. Here the research progress and application of the laser additive manufacturing maraging steel (MS) are systematically outlined. The advantages of selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacture of MS is emphasized. The processing parameter and properties optimizations, build orientation based anisotropies, age hardening mechanism, gradient materials, and applications in die and moulds of SLM-processed MS are reviewed in detail. Achieving relative density of >99% in SLM-processed MS is effortless, owing to the wide SLM process window of MS. Mechanical properties of MS produced with optimized SLM processing parameters and post heat treatments are comparable to traditionally wrought parts. The build orientation hardly affects the property anisotropies of MS. The age hardening behaviour in MS follows Orowan bowing mechanism. MS-based gradient multi-materials (such as MS-Cu, MS-H13, etc.) with high bonding strength are fabricated by SLM, which provides a new approach to produce high-performance functionally gradient multi-materials components. Lastly, the application in conformal cooling moulds of SLM-processed MS is elucidated, and future research interests related to MS are also proposed.
Fund: Guangdong Academy of Sciences Projects(2019GDASYL-0502006);Guangdong Academy of Sciences Projects(2019GDASYL-0402004);Guangdong Academy of Sciences Projects(2019GD-ASYL-0402006);Guangdong Academy of Sciences Projects(2019GDASYL-0501009);Guangdong Academy of Sciences Projects(2017A070701027);Exterior Science and Technology Cooperation Programs of Guangzhou(201907010008);Guangdong Industrial Technology Research Institute (Guangzhou Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals) Project(2014B070705007)
Fig.1 Schematic diagrams depicting the selective laser melting (SLM) system and SLM process parameters[16]
Fig.2 Typical OM (a, d) and SEM (b, c, e, f) images of microstructures taken from the horizontal (a~c) and vertical (d~f) cross-sections of SLM-processed maraging steel (MS)[43]
Machine
P / W
vs / (mm·s-1)
h / μm
t / μm
Ev / (J·mm-3)
Density / %
Ref.
EOS M280
80
400
50
40
100
>99
[45]
EOS M290
285
960
110
40
67
99.9
[16]
Concept laser M2
-
600
105
30
-
99.5
[38]
Dimetal-100
160
400
70
35
163
99.3
[50]
Concept laser M3
105
150
125
30
187
99.2
[51]
-
100
180
140
30
132
99.7
[52]
Renishaw AM250
200
-
90
40
60~77
About 99.0
[53]
Matsuura Avance-25
300
700
120
50
71
99.8
[54]
Concept laser M2
180
600
105
30
95
99.5
[55]
Table 1 Laser parameter, heat treatments and achievable properties of SLM-produced grade 300 maraging steels[16,38,45,50,51,52,53,54,55]
AF or HTed
UTS / MPa
YS / MPa
El / %
Hardness
Ref.
SLM AF
1065
901
11.5
30 HRC
[46]
840 ℃+490 ℃, 6 h
998
1895
4.5
52 HRC
SLM AF
1165±7
915±7
12.4±0.1
35~36 HRC
[16]
490 ℃, 6 h
2014±9
1967±11
3.3±0.1
53~55 HRC
840 ℃+490 ℃, 6 h
1943±8
1882±14
5.6±0.1
52~54 HRC
SLM AF
1178
-
7.9
381 HV
[49]
840 ℃+480 ℃, 6 h
2164
-
2.5
646 HV
SLM AF
1290±114
1214±99
13.3±1.9
396 HV
[51,56]
480 ℃, 5 h
2217±73
1998±32
1.6±0.3
635 HV
SLM AF
1192
-
8
35 HRC
[52]
SLM AF
1100
1050
12.1
About 420 HV
[38]
490 ℃, 6 h
1800
1720
4.5
About 600 HV
SLM AF
1125
-
10.4
About 400 HV
[54]
820 ℃+460 ℃, 6 h
2033
-
5.3
618 HV
SLM AF
About 1190
-
About 12.5
About 350 HV
[57]
490 ℃, 3 h
About 1860
-
About 5.6
About 560 HV
SLM AF
1188±10
915±13
6.2±1.3
-
[58]
460 ℃, 8 h
2017±58
1957±43
1.5±0.2
-
600 ℃, 10 min
1659±119
1557±140
1.6±0.1
-
Wrought
1000~1170
760~895
6~15
35 HRC
[56]
Wrought aged
1930~2050
1862~2000
5~7
52 HRC
[4,59]
Table 2 Post heat treatments and achievable properties of SLM-produced grade 300 maraging steels[4,16,38,46,49,51,52,54,56,57,58,59]
Fig.3 Effect of different heat treatments on the tensile strength (Rm) (a) and break elongation (At) (b)[60]
Fig.4 Effect of laser scan strategies on crystal orientations(a) X and X-Y scan[61] (b) X-Y scan[55]
SLM direction
Specimen
UTS / MPa
YS / MPa
El / %
Hardness
Ref.
Horizontal
SLM AF
1165±7
915±7
12.4±0.1
34.8 HRC
[43]
(X-Y plane)
SLM aged
2014±9
1967±11
3.3±0.1
54.6 HRC
[43]
Vertical
SLM AF
1085±19
920±24
11.3±0.3
35.7 HRC
[43]
(Z-X or Z-Y)
SLM aged
1942±31
1867±22
2.8±0.1
52.9 HRC
[43]
Horizontal
SLM AF
1100
1050
12.1
About 420 HV
[38]
SLM aged
1800
1720
4.5
About 600 HV
[38]
Vertical
SLM AF
1205
1080
12.0
-
[38]
SLM aged
1850
1750
5.1
-
[38]
Horizontal
SLM AF
1260±79
768±29
13.9±2.0
-
[55]
SLM aged
2216±156
1953±87
3.1±0.4
-
[55]
Vertical
SLM AF
1325±51
825±96
14.0±1.5
-
[55]
SLM aged
2088±190
1833±65
3.2±0.6
-
[55]
Horizontal
SLM AF
1174
1069
15.7
382 HV
[60]
SLM aged
1811
1729
10.5
552 HV
[60]
45°
SLM AF
1144
991
6.8
327 HV
[60]
SLM aged
1802
1714
9.9
558 HV
[60]
Vertical
SLM AF
1057
892
13.8
375 HV
[60]
SLM aged
1816
1723
10.1
375 HV
[60]
Standard
Wrought
1000~1170
760~895
6~15
35 HRC
[56]
Wrought aged
1930~2050
1862~2000
5~7
52 HRC
[4,59]
Table 3 Effect of built directions on mechanical properties of SLM-produced grade 300 maraging steels[4,38,43,55,56,59,60]
Fig.5 Atom probe tomography (APT) analysis of the aged MS (a)[42] and APT analysis comparing precipitates in conventionally produced and laser metal deposition (LMD)-produced MS after age treatment (b)[63]
Fig.6 TEM analyses of a SLM-produced MS sample after age-hardening (a~e)[43](a) overview showing massive nanoprecipitates embedded in amorphous matrix(b) local magnification showing precipitate morphology and(c) zoom-in image taken from the given region of Fig.6b(d, e) high-resolution TEM images showing the coherent interface with elastic strain (d) and the complete coherent interface (e)
Model
Fiber laser energy
Build volume
Scan speed
Build rate
mm×mm×mm
m·s-1
cm3·h-1
EOS M290
400 W
250×250×325
Max. 7
Max. 23
EOS M400
1 kW
400×400×400
Max. 7
Max. 30
M2 Cusing
200 W or 400 W
250×250×280
Max. 7
Max. 20
SLM250
200 W or 400 W
250×250×300
Max. 7
Max. 20
EOS M400-4
400 W×4
400×400×400
Max. 7
Max. 100
SLM 500HL
400 W×2 & 1 kW×2
500×280×325
Max. 15
Max. 70
SLM 280
400 W & 1 kW
280×280×350
Max. 15
Max. 35
Table 4 Features of different SLM machines[70,71,72]
Fig.7 Schematic diagram of SLM manufacturing of MS-Cu gradient multi-materials[73]
Fig.8 Interfacial bonding mechanism analysis of SLM-produced Cu-MS[73](a) SEM image of interfacial melt pool(b) image showing focused ion beam (FIB) extraction of a TEM sample(c) overview of TEM thin foil(d) EDX mapping of MS-Cu bonding region(e) schematics and formation mechanism of Marangoni convection in interfacial melt pool(f) TEM image of MS-Cu interface(g) HRTEM image taken from the region g in Fig.8d
Fig.9 Comparison between the SLM-produced conformal cooling and the traditional cooling moulds (a~c)[79]
Fig.10 The MS conformal cooling mould processed by SLM hybrid tooling manufacturing technique (CNC—computerized numerical control)
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