Project description
Additive manufacturing processes for aluminium alloys in aeronautics
The EU-funded AlForAMA project aims to develop groundbreaking high-strength aluminium alloys specifically designed for aircraft structural components, alongside additive manufacturing (AM) technology processes tailored for these alloys. The innovative Al alloys will be produced using powder metallurgy, making them well-suited for selective laser melting (SLM). As a result, three different tailored high-strength aluminium alloys with good properties for SLM processing will be developed by means of the addition of Si, Zr and Cu. Finally, a large powder batch will be atomised at industrial scale, and two aeronautical components will be manufactured to demonstrate the feasibility of the new high-strength aluminium alloys.
Objective
The main goal of AlForAMA project is to develop an innovative High Strength Al alloy, feasible by powder metallurgy and suitable for Selective Laser Melting (SLM), with improved weldability and increased mechanical and corrosion resistance in comparison to cast grades Al alloys currently employed in Additive Manufacturing (AM).
AlForAMA project is focused on powder bed based additive manufacturing (AM) of the innovative Al alloy. Selective Laser Melting (SLM), that utilizes a laser as a thermal energy source to melt the powder has been chosen as the preferred AM technology.
Development of the innovative aluminium alloy specifically designed for SLM will be mainly focused on two different aspects: on one hand, on tailoring the chemical composition to improve processability and/or mechanical response of well-established commercial aluminium alloys and, on the other hand, on defining the specific P/M processing of the raw powder material.
Raw materials for SLM, produced in a powder form, will be obtained by atomization process or, alternatively, by a mixing procedure of different starting powders.
A suitable heat treatment will be defined for the developed innovative Al alloy after its SLM processing. To optimize thermal treatments AlForAMA project will consider the specific microstructural characteristics that SLM generates.
SLM process development will be performed to ensure a defect free material manufacturing. A deep characterization of the new material will be carried out including mechanical, chemical and corrosion aspects. Afterwards the manufacturing process will be validated at component level.
The AlForAMA project will be developed by a well-balanced consortium that brings together 3 partners: the technical institutes LORTEK and IMDEA (Spain) and the university KU LEUVEN (Belgium).
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringsubtractive manufacturing
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuels
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturing
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringmetallurgy
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CS2-IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
20240 Ordizia
Spain