Development of electro-spark deposition technology for repair of Ni-based superalloy components

高温合金部件修复技术的研究和开发对于航空航天和发电行业等大量依赖它们的行业至关重要。由于高温合金的性质，诸如电弧焊的正常修复操作实际上会通过热影响区内的微观结构的变化而对修复部件的机械性能造成有害影响。基于激光的熔覆工艺和增材制造的使用已经成为超级合金部件的构建和修复的热门。虽然与传统焊接工艺相比，基于激光的技术的使用减少了热影响区的体积，但是热影响区仍然存在。 该项目旨在探索电火花沉积（ESD）用于镍基高温合金部件的组装和修复。与基于激光的工艺相比，ESD的使用预计会导致更小的热影响区，因此对修复部件的机械性能的损害较小。该项目建立在Huys Industries的专利和正在申请专利的ESD技术基础上，旨在扩大其技术的适用性，例如用于航空航天和发电行业。与此同时，该项目将研究ESD过程中发生的基本现象，并旨在利用这些知识对其进行优化，以形成厚度大于数百微米的沉积层。该项目的成功将为安大略和整个加拿大的制造业、航空航天业和发电业提供进一步的支持，包括训练有素的人员和可转让的知识。在这个项目的过程中，一些高素质的人才HQP将被培训，包括一个博士和三个硕士，和九个本科合作学生。这些HQP将在世界级的先进材料连接中心接受培训，并将有机会与Huys的工程师密切合作。

The research and development of repair technology for superalloy components is of paramount importance for the large number of industries that depends on them, such as the aerospace and power generation industries. Due to the nature of superalloys, normal repair operations such as arc welding can actually cause detrimental effects to the repaired component's mechanical performances through changes of the microstructure within the heat affected zone. The use of LASER based cladding processes and additive manufacturing have become popular for the building up and repair of super alloy components. Although the use of LASER based techniques reduces the volume of the heat affected zone compared to traditional welding process, the heat affected zone remains to exist nonetheless. The proposed project aims at exploring the use of Electro-Spark Deposition (ESD) for the buildup and repair of Ni-based superalloy components. The use of ESD is expected to lead to an even smaller heat affected zone than that of the LASER based processes and thus should be less detrimental to the mechanical performances of the repaired parts. This project builds upon Huys Industries' patented and patent pending ESD technology and aims to broaden the applicability of their technology, such as for use in the aerospace and power generation industries. At the same time, this project will investigate the fundamental phenomena that takes places during the ESD process and aims to use that knowledge to optimize it for the building up of a thick, greater than several hundred microns, deposited layer. The success of this project will provide further support, in terms of trained personnel as well as transferable knowledge, to the manufacturing, aerospace, and power generation industries of Ontario and throughout Canada as well. In the course of this project, a number of highly qualified personnel HQPs will be trained, including one PhD and three MASc, and nine undergraduate co-op students. These HQPs will be trained within the world-class Centre for Advanced Materials Joining, and will have a chance to closely work with Huys' engineers.