Finish machining of Ti6Al4V SLM components under consideration of thin walls and support structure removal
Wolfgang Hintze, Robert von Wenserski, Sebastian Junghans, Carsten Möller
Abstract
Using additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as powder bed based selective laser melting, it is possible to realize new bionic designs for Ti6Al4V aerospace components, thus significantly reducing weight. With these technologies, the goals of reducing emissions in the aviation industry can be achieved while passenger numbers are growing at the same time. In order to fulfill the quality requirements of the components, the AM process chain includes many further process steps in addition to melting, such as heat treatment. Furthermore, the functional surfaces must be machined and the support structures removed. These are essential for selective laser melting. The paper shows how the deflection of the workpiece can be minimized by milling thin-walled functional surfaces using a clamping device with support points. This increases the geometric accuracy considerably. Finally, the paper shows the results for milling support structures. The design of the support structure has a high effect on the machining behavior. Finally, results are presented that show the influence of different milling strategies on the surface quality of AM components, considering the support structures.