Chinese Innovation: Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Ultrafast Laser Impact "Forge Printing" Technology*

Panda3dp.com's guide: At the "4th Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Conference" on October 24, 2024, Xi'an Aerospace Electromechanical Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (XAEM) presented its latest research achievements and market applications of the "Forge Printing" technology, developed for aerospace applications. This breakthrough technology significantly enhances the mechanical properties of metal additive-manufactured structural parts. For instance, the fatigue life of a certain aircraft's 0.8mm-thick hydraulic duct was extended by a remarkable 4.6 times after reinforcement.

△The Technical Principle of "Forging Printing"

According to what Panda3dp.com knows, the "Forge Printing" technology, jointly developed by XAEM and Xi’an Jiaotong University, primarily addresses the residual stress issues in conventional LPBF additive manufacturing, which often lead to deformation, cracking, or even porosity in components. Utilizing a fiber laser paired with a reinforcing laser, the process involves alternating additive and forging layers, achieving precise control over stress fields, microstructure, and defects within components. Consequently, "Forge Printing" markedly improves the mechanical strength and overall quality of printed parts.

△In-Depth Report

Refined Grain, Enhanced Hardness, and Increased Fatigue Limit

The domestically developed "Forge Printing" equipment by XAEM represents advanced real-time stress field control technology, combining the thermal field of laser additive manufacturing with the force field of laser impact. This approach effectively mitigates deformation and cracking challenges during part formation. Notably, the equipment allows for the successful printing of refractory metals, including 7075 aluminum and nickel-based superalloys, without relying on additives or altering powder composition.

Compared to conventional LPBF techniques, the 7075 aluminum alloy printed with this technology exhibits a 20%-40% increase in overall microhardness and over 30% grain refinement. For AlSi10Mg alloy, the process removes most of the unmelted surface defects, enhancing cross-sectional microhardness by 15%-20%.

Reduced Deformation and Simplified Post-Processing

Equipped with the DD1 laser module, the "Forge Printing" technology achieves high-precision contour processing, effectively minimizing or eliminating support structures and forming near-net-shape products. It also suppresses deformation in thin-walled structures during additive manufacturing. Testing on a 200×200×1mm sample showed that the maximum deformation could be reduced by over 50% using "Forge Printing."

Additionally, the technology transforms internal residual tensile stresses into compressive stresses—laser forging of 316L steel achieves residual compressive stress values around 50-100 MPa. This feature facilitates minimal-support or even support-free printing, reducing the need for subsequent machining and heat treatment, thus lowering production costs and time.

Applications of "Forge Printing" Technology

The "Forge Printing" process, powered by the XK-CK300S intelligent monitoring system, ensures comprehensive monitoring throughout the printing process, enhancing manufacturing reliability and final product quality control.

Future applications of "Forge Printing" will focus on:

- High-performance additive manufacturing for blades/disks, advanced shafts/gears, and main load-bearing structures of high-end equipment;

- Additive manufacturing of complex casings, intricate internal channels, integrated combustion chambers/boosters, and challenging thin-walled structures;

- Agile, low-support, heat-treatment-free additive manufacturing;

- Low-cost materials for high-performance components (e.g., equiaxed crystal complex cooling structures to replace certain single-crystal blades);

- Additive manufacturing of difficult-to-print materials like 7075 aluminum and IN738 superalloys.

XAEM’s "Forge Printing" technology brings groundbreaking advancements in mechanical properties, quality consistency, reduced post-processing requirements, and enhanced reliability in complex component printing, providing new momentum for the aerospace sector. It bridges a crucial technological gap domestically, reaching advanced international standards and paving the way for more efficient, reliable industry progress.

XAEM looks forward to in-depth exchanges and collaboration with industry experts and peers to foster technological advancements and accelerate industry application.