Real-Time Additive Manufacturing Process Models Applied to Wire Fed Electron Beam Processed 4340 Steel

This STTR will focus on demonstrating methods to integrate additive manufacturing (AM) structure, processing, and property-geometry modeling methods that will facilitate the qualification and certification of AM-fabricated 4340 steel alloy parts and enable their rapid deployment. During the Phase I feasibility demonstrations the contractor and Research Institute (RI) defined and developed a concept for utilizing innovative real-time process models for wire fed, robotic pulsed-arc AM of 4340 materials. They demonstrated the feasibility to monitor and model the fabrication AM process. They identified the analytical models for development during Phase II to enable the capability to predict the resulting material microstructures in the as-deposited condition and upon HIP and heat treatment the mechanical properties of AM fabricated 4340. More specifically, during Phase II they will further develop and apply an advanced thermal model with mass added to enable real time adjustment of the deposition cycle dwell time between deposited layers under model predicted and controlled conditions. To verify the integration of AM structure, processing and property-geometry modeling methods and their integration with the AM system, the contractor plans to deposit a generic component shape with several defined features, perform metallurgical analysis and conduct mechanical property testing. During the optional phase of