Evolutionary based Design and Control of Geometry Aims for AMD manufacturing of Ti 6Al 4V Parts
Abstract Additive Metal Deposition (AMD) is an additive manufacturing process building parts based on a nozzle fed powder by laser assisted solidification. The AMD technology offers unique advantages for the production of near net shape parts. In contrast to the powder bed based technologies it provides a high productivity grade. Today AMD lacks reproducible process strategies manufacturing large parts in narrow tolerances. The building height of a single layer and the geometrical shape of a whole part alter progressively with increasing part dimensions consecutively leading to a higher effort in the manufacturing process development for such parts. To reduce this effort, in this paper first an iterative identification of optimal process parameters is performed by following an evolutionary algorithm under varied BC. Based on the geometry related parameter sets, tolerances are defined. The process strategies and tolerances are validated for a prototype application considering the defined quality aims. Finally the results are discussed and summarized in an a priori process design guideline for AMD Ti6Al4V parts.