Hot Isostatic Pressing of Additively Manufactured Space-Use Components in Aluminum and Titanium

Burloak Technologies是精密工程部件和支持服务的供应商。它最近创建了一个世界领先的增材制造工厂，专注于航天领域的组件。在航天工业中，热等静压（HIP）是铸造和增材制造（AM）部件的重要后处理操作。在热挤压过程中，金属被保持在高温高压下，以消除内部孔隙，改善材料性能。航天工业目前正在使用与低性能铸件相同的基本HIP工艺和控制定义。对于高度关键和高性能的AM硬件，这些实践远远不是最佳的。这限制了增材制造在航天工业中的创新可能性。Burloak将很快在其Oakville工厂完成加拿大唯一的商用HIP船的安装。该联盟提案的目标是在伯洛克和麦克马斯特之间建立伙伴关系，以开发“以空间为中心”的HIP工艺规范，重点关注航天工业的两种战略合金；Al10SiMg和Ti-6Al-4V。提出的工作将确定由上述材料增材制造的组件的最佳时间-温度-压力循环。它还将利用Burloak最先进的HIP容器的气淬能力，开发更有效的处理方法，减少处理步骤。拟议的工作将致力于开发专门设计的新型铝合金，以利用AM工艺和Burloak HIP容器的特定能力。这将允许Burloak消除几个昂贵的热处理步骤。拟议的工作将巩固Burloak在航天工业增材制造领域的地位。它还将填补加拿大航天零部件供应链的关键空白。目前，由于缺乏有关HIP的当地设施和专门知识，所有加拿大空间部件都运往海外加工。这对与空间有关的管制货物构成安全风险，并导致成本和交货时间大幅增加。因此，这项建议将有助于加拿大航天工业的发展。它还将在这个关键和不断扩大的领域培训HQP。

Burloak Technologies is a supplier of precision engineered components and support services. It recently created a world leading additive manufacturing facility which is focused on components for the space sector. In the space industry, Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is a vital post-process operation for cast and Additive Manufactured (AM) components. During HIP the metal is held at high temperatures and pressures to eliminate internal porosity and improve the material properties. The space industry is currently using the same basic HIP processes and control definitions established for low performance castings. These practices are far from optimum for highly critical and high-performance AM hardware. This limits the innovation possible with AM for the space industry. Burloak will soon complete installing Canada's only, commercial HIP vessel at its Oakville facility. The goal of this Alliance proposal is to create a partnership between Burloak and McMaster to develop "space-centric" HIP process specifications focusing on two strategic alloys for the space industry; Al10SiMg and Ti-6Al-4V. The proposed work will identify the optimal time-temperature-pressure cycles for components that are additively manufactured out of the above materials. It will also exploit the gas quenching capabilities of the state-of-the-art HIP vessel at Burloak to develop more efficient treatments that involve fewer processing steps. The proposed work will pursue the development of new Al alloys that are specifically designed to take advantage of AM processes and the specific capabilities of the Burloak HIP vessel. This would permit Burloak to eliminate several expensive heat-treatments steps. The proposed work will solidify Burloak's position in AM for the space industry. It will also fill a critical gap in Canada's space component supply chain. Presently, the absence of local facilities and expertise on HIP results in all Canadian space components being shipped overseas for processing. This poses a security risk to space-related controlled goods, as well as, resulting in a substantial increase in cost and lead times. The proposal will, therefore, aid the development of Canada's space industry. It will also train 3 HQP in this critical and expanding sector.