Inducing Known, Controlled Flaws in Electron Beam Wire Fed Additive Manufactured Material for the Purpose of Creating Non-Destructive Inspection Stand

Several military platforms are beginning qualification of fusion additive manufacturing such as e-beam of Ti-6Al-4V and other titanium alloys for production of new, replacement and repaired components. Non-destructive testing (NDT) standards are required to identify multiple defect types and their absence to qualify e-beam or other fusion additive manufactured parts. The Phase I program demonstrated plasma transferred arc (PTA) fusion additive manufacturing could produce the defect types lack of fusion, porosity and solidification cracking which provides a basis in Phase II to develop and produce these three types of defects in sizes of 0.05 +/- 0.0005. A thermal imaging system has demonstrated feasibility to detect such defects in real-time and interface with a physics based software model consisting of closed loop feedback control of the PTA to produce NDT defect standards for qualification of e-beam or other fusion additive manufactured components. The closed loop feedback control software model shall demonstrate control of the PTA system with input from the thermal imaging system to produce defect standards as well as confirmation to produce defect free pieces.