GB2552934A

GB2552934A - Integrated cladding materials (ICM)

Info

Publication number: GB2552934A
Application number: GB1613204.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Su Lin Goh Carol; Lai Ching Ho Helen; Seng Lau Ooi; Choy Wong Tuck
Original assignee: Meiban International Pte Ltd
Current assignee: Meiban International Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2016-08-01
Filing date: 2016-08-01
Publication date: 2018-02-21
Also published as: GB201613204D0; SG10201606350SA

Abstract

The present invention here relates to a method of tool and/or component making via the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM). Such laser-based additive manufacturing techniques would include laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition, laser sintering, etc. By utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM), the cladding material chosen will need to have a good metallurgical bond / clad with the substrate material, i.e. the tool, which refers to the mould insert, mould pins, etc or a component part. This is important in order to achieve the desired properties such as improved thermal management and pressure sensing measurement, superior physical, mechanical and chemical properties as well as improving the cosmetic requirement for both the tool and the end-product. Moreover, the use of laser-based additive manufacturing processes can also incorporate complex features that are difficult or almost impossible to be fabricated using traditional conventional manufacturing techniques. Such complex features include conformal cooling channels, inner cavities, etc.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Meiban International Pte Ltd (Incorporated in Singapore)

Ubi Road 1, Meiban Industrial Building, Singapore 408723, Singapore (72) Inventor(s):

Carol Su Lin Goh Helen Lai Ching Ho Ooi Seng Lau Tuck Choy Wong (56) Documents Cited:

None (58) Field of Search:

Other: No search performed: Section 17(5)(b) (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Jason Ng

Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Integrated cladding materials (ICM)

Abstract Title: A method of tool and/or component making (57) The present invention here relates to a method of tool and/or component making via the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM). Such laser-based additive manufacturing techniques would include laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition, laser sintering, etc. By utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM), the cladding material chosen will need to have a good metallurgical bond I clad with the substrate material, i.e. the tool, which refers to the mould insert, mould pins, etc or a component part. This is important in order to achieve the desired properties such as improved thermal management and pressure sensing measurement, superior physical, mechanical and chemical properties as well as improving the cosmetic requirement for both the tool and the end-product. Moreover, the use of laser-based additive manufacturing processes can also incorporate complex features that are difficult or almost impossible to be fabricated using traditional conventional manufacturing techniques. Such complex features include conformal cooling channels, inner cavities, etc.

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2A

FIGURE 2B

4/7

FIGURE 2C

FIGURE 20

6/7 oo

FIGURE 2E

| Clad |

Engineering Ceramics

CL O

CL o

CL O

o z

CL o

Nickel / Copper / Cobalt Alloy

CL O

o z

CL O

CL o

Magnesium

O Z

o z

O Z

O z

Chromium

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes I

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

Titanium

CL o

o z

CL o

Aluminum

O z

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

Zinc / Tin

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

I Yes |

Copper

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o Z

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

CL o

Super Alloy Steels

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o Z

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

CL O

Stainless Steels

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o Z

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

CL O

Low / Medium / High Carbon Steels

I Yes |

1 Yes |

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o Z

I Yes |

1 Yes |

o z

1 Yes |

CL O

Substrates

Sub Category

Low / Medium / High Carbon Steels |

I Stainless Steels 1

| Super Alloy Steels I

1 Copper I

Zinc/Tin |

Aluminum I

Titanium |

Chromium I

Magnesium |

I Tungsten I

| Nickel / Copper / Cobalt Alloy I

Category

;nojjej

snojjej uon

FIGURE 3

INTEGRATED CLADDING MATERIALS (ICM)

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention here relates to a method of tool and/or component making via the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM). More particularly, the present invention relates to making a tool I component which exhibits improved thermal conductivity and pressure measurement, superior physical, mechanical and chemical properties as well as improving the cosmetic requirement for both the tool and the end-product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In any manufacturing industry such as injection molding process, blow-molding, diecasting, fabrication of components for various industries etc., tools such as mold inserts, pins, other ancillary components etc. do play an important role in fabrication processes.

They can be sub-assemblies used in tools I machines I systems. Depending on the complexity of the end product, different variations of interchangeable tools I components can be fabricated for such usage.

Traditional tool I components fabrication are carried out using conventional techniques such as metal CNC milling, grinding, mechanical machining, EDM (Electrical Discharge

Machining) etc. Having the tool I components to be quickly and economically fabricated is a crucial success factor for modern product development. For free-form features fabrication using traditional means, the norm involves more than one conventional technique. Thus, it makes the fabrication process complex and time consuming. It is not productive in the long run or environmentally friendly as more resources are used meaning a bigger carbon footprint. In addition, the conventional method does not offer a solution to provide selective characteristics to different part of the tool I components to optimize its performance.

The emergence of laser cladding for additive manufacturing to manufacture these tool /components offers many distinctive advantages over the traditional means. Besides laser cladding, other similar additive manufacturing methods include laser layering, direct laser deposition as well as laser sintering can offer similar advantage. Such laserbased additive manufacturing process includes using a coaxial nozzle to direct a laser beam and metal powder onto a substrate via cladding in the metal infills (or other suitable integrated cladding materials or ICM). The metal infills bonds or clads directly to the substrate surface to form a homogeneous bonded structure, i.e. ICM. Multiple compatible layers can be deposited on top of the other layer to build the structure height using such a process. Substrate here refers to the foundation layer I surface where the metal infills can be layered onto. It can be the surface of the tool I component, i.e. mold inserts, pins, other ancillary components etc. The use of such laser-based additive manufacturing processes to clad the metal infills can help to improve the functional performance of the tool I component as compared to using traditional conventional means. In the long run, such a process can help to improve the overall productivity of the work flow.

The use of laser cladding or other similar laser-based additive manufacturing processes can help to build and fabricate composite materials with functional structures that are reactive to the environment. These composite materials termed as integrated cladding materials (ICM). ICM have properties that can be varied and modified for specific functions and applications, e.g. temperature and pressure sensing, improved physical, mechanical properties, better thermal management, etc. For such ICMs, typically it comprise of multiple cladding materials (or metal infills) with selective properties that can be clad together using laser-based additive processes. The unique features for ICMs makes it suitable not just in the manufacturing industry but is also applicable in the repair of high value industrial components (e.g. tool I component repair), medical industry (e.g.

prosthetics) aerospace (e.g. turbine parts), marine (e.g. propeller parts) oil and gas industry (e.g. drill bits parts) etc.

Moreover, the use of laser-based additive manufacturing processes (such as laser cladding, laser layering, direct laser deposition, laser sintering, etc.) can also incorporate complex features that are difficult or almost impossible to be fabricated using traditional conventional manufacturing techniques. Such complex features include conformal cooling channels, inner cavities, etc. Hence this process will speed up and increases the overall efficiency of the work flow, making it more attractive for industries such as precision industry, medical industry, marine, aerospace, oil and gas industries to adopt or utilize such methods.

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a tool I component-fabrication method using laser-based additive manufacturing techniques utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method to fabricate tools I components which exhibits improvements such as thermal conductivity and/or pressure measurement, and/or superior physical I mechanical properties and chemical characteristics and/or cosmetic requirements for both tool and end-product.

Such a tool I component can be a mold insert, mold pin, mold block, other ancillary components etc. The laser-based additive manufacturing techniques discloses here would include laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition techniques and laser sintering. The type of ICM disclosed in this present invention is compatible with the laser-based additive manufacturing process, and with each cladding material (or metal infills) needing to be metallurgical compatible with the other substrate material. Some examples of which cladding material is compatible with the other substrate material are shown here below. A full table will be described in the Drawings section later on.

	Substrates	Clad
Category	Sub Category	Low / Medium / High Carbon Steels	Stainless Steels	Super Alloy Steels
Ferrous	Low / Medium / High Carbon Steels	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stainless Steels	Yes	Yes	Yes
Super Alloy Steels	Yes	Yes	Yes
Non Ferrous	Copper	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zinc/Tin	No	No	No
Aluminum	No	No	No
Titanium	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chromium	Yes	Yes	Yes
Magnesium	No	No	No
Tungsten	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nickel / Copper / Cobalt Alloy	CP	CP	CP

NOTE: CP = Composition Dependent

Essentially the Table above illustrates the different substrate materials that is able to have a metallurgical bond or clad using different type of cladding materials or metal infills.

Substrate here refers to the tool I component itself, be it mold insert, mold pin, other ancillary components etc. The substrate materials typically can be categorized as ferrous or non-ferrous. Through the use of laser additive techniques like laser cladding or laser layering, different substrate materials (ferrous or non-ferrous) can bond I clad to themselves and the substrate, depending on the chemical composition of those materials. Through this laser additive process, the present invention aims to achieve the advantages and desired properties that will be described in the subsequent paragraphs.

The present invention offers many benefits over the prior art, namely:

(a) Improved thermal management and/or in situ fabrication of sensors in the tool/component itself

Ability to improve the thermal efficiency of the tool I component (such as mold insert, pin, etc.) as well as inclusion of sensors like dynamic pressure sensing

i.e. via cladded lead zirconate titanate material (PZT).

Using a mold insert as an example, the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques such as laser cladding or laser layering can build up a mold insert with a mold surface with a high thermally conductive core (e.g. using brass or bronze substrate insert and cladding 6 to 12mm H13 jacket) for more uniform temperature distribution across the surface in addition to overall improvement of the thermal conduction capacity of the insert.

Moreover the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques allow the thermocouple to be formed and cladded into the tool I component (e.g. mold insert, pins, etc) as compared to using traditional conventional means by drilling holes to place the thermocouple component without thin material limitations.

In addition, the use of the different integrated cladding materials (ICM) allows structural inlays, whereby this inlay will have different expansion and contraction coefficients in order to control the tool I component surface geometry for high temperature precision molding, example LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) mold or steam molding. The traditional conventional way would be the use of strategically placed supports and adjusting these supports, which can be time-consuming and may result in lower productivity of the overall work flow.

Another example of good thermal management would be to use laser-based additive manufacturing techniques (e.g. laser cladding, laser layering) to build heat sink inlay matrix at small critical cooling areas on the tool in order to replace the machining of Beryllium Copper inserts for such applications.

(b) Improved physical / mechanical and chemical characteristics

The use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques such as laser cladding or laser layering can clad different materials with different properties to produce the desired end property required fora certain application.

Such physical and mechanical properties can include improving the tensile strength, hardness, weight reduction of the tool I component, for example mold inserts, increase the tooling / component reliability over time, etc. Cladding the substrate improving the corrosion resistance features of the tool

I component or even improve the lubricity and prolong the lifespan of a tool I component.

By cladding different layers of cladding materials with different properties, a tool /component (for example) can exhibit different properties within itself.

For example it can have a hard tribological layer at one end, one layer for toughness and one for thermal conductive property.

(c) Improved cosmetic requirement for the tool and the end product

By cladding different materials together with the right property, it can also improve the cosmetic surface finishing on the tool and the end product itself.

•ϊ Besides it can also improve the processability for subsequent secondary processes such as laser texturing and chemical etching process. Laser texturing is done on the tool I component itself such that after the whole fabrication process has been completed, the end product will have an aesthetic I kinesthetic feel to it. Other than giving the end product an aesthetic I kinesthetic feel, texturing can be done to create visual authentication for the end product itself.

Hence the embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of tool I component making via the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques (e.g. such as laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition and laser sintering etc.) utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM), wherein the cladding material chosen will need to have a good metallurgical bond / clad with the substrate material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings attached here are to aid comprehension of the description of the invention here. The drawings are not to scale and they are to be used for merely illustrating the principles and concepts of the invention only.

To aid in comprehension of the invention, the drawings are separated into the various

Figures as described below:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the different desired properties that can be achieved on an ICM (Integrated Cladding Material) block, which typically is done on a tool I component such as mold insert, pins, other ancillary components etc.

Figure 2A illustrates a close-up view of the laser layering utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM) process applied on cylindrical shape substrates.

Figure 2B illustrates a close-up view of the laser layering utilizing ICM process applied on rectangular shape substrates.

Figure 2C illustrates a close-up view of the laser layering utilizing ICM process with the cladding material clad via a ring or spiral-shaped format on a cylindrical shape substrate. Figure 2D illustrates a close-up view of the laser layering utilizing ICM process done on a stackable or layered format on a rectangular substrate.

Figure 2E illustrates a close-up view of the laser layering utilizing ICM process done on a stackable or layered format on a cylindrical substrate.

Figure 3 illustrates a Table showing the matrix for different substrate materials that is able to have a metallurgical bond or clad to certain types of cladding materials in order to achieve the desired properties/characteristics.

numbers

ICM (Integrated Cladding Material) Block Cladded Hot Junction - for thermal sensing

Conductive I soft matrix substrate

Cold Recess Thermal Management

Cladded PZT material - pressure sensing

Stacked laser cladded material with different properties Cladded layer for cosmetic finish

Laser cladding /layering process applied on cylindrical shaped substrate

Different integrated cladding materials Cylindrical shaped substrate

Laser cladding /layering process applied on rectangular shaped substrate

Rectangular shaped substrate

Laser cladding I layering process with cladding material clad via a ring or spiral-shaped format

Cylindrical shaped substrate

Laser cladding I layering process applied on stackable or layered format

Substrate material

Second (2^nd) cladding material Third (3^rd) cladding material Cylindrical shaped substrate

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT

INVENTION

In the following description, details are provided to describe the embodiment of the application. It shall be apparent to the person skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without such details.

The present invention here relates to a method of tool I component making via the use of laser-based additive manufacturing techniques utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM). Such laser-based additive manufacturing techniques would include laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition, laser sintering, etc. More particularly, the present invention relates the use of laser-based additive manufacturing technique utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM), wherein the cladding material chosen will need to have a sound metallurgical bond I clad with the substrate material in order to achieve the desired properties and characteristics such as, improvements in thermal management, pressure sensing measurement, superior physical/mechanical and chemical characteristics, improving the cosmetic requirements for both tool and endproduct.

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the different desired properties that can be achieved on an ICM (Integrated Cladding Material) block 1, which typically is done on a tool or component such as mold insert or end product. Utilizing integrated cladding materials (ICM) wherein the cladding material chosen will need to have a good metallurgical bond I clad with the substrate material, which in this case is the tool I component itself such as mold insert, pins, other ancillary components etc. Figure 1 demonstrates the use of the laser-based additive manufacturing techniques such as laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition and laser sintering etc that is being utilized to clad different cladding materials onto the substrate material of the tool I component (e.g. mold insert, pins, etc.) to achieve the desired material property, thus making the substrate to be an ICM block 1.

Firstly, the present invention can improve the thermal management and/or pressure sensing measurement of the tool I component. For example, laser cladding can be used to have a cladded hot junction for thermal sensing denoted as 2 in Figure 1. This means that the appropriate cladding material chosen (e.g. using copper alloys etc.) would need to be compatible with the substrate material such that the end property achieved after cladding would have thermal sensing feature. Another feature achieved after laser cladding would be that it is able to produce a conductive soft matrix mix denoted as 3 on the substrate. Similarly the conductive soft matrix mix 3 property is achieved using the appropriate cladding material chosen (e.g. copper or nickel alloy etc.) to match the property of the substrate material. Likewise the present invention is able to achieve cold recess 4 for thermal management, not just cladding hot junction for thermal sensing.

Besides thermal management function, the present invention can also enable cladding of PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) material for dynamic pressure sensing, denoted as 5 in Figure 1. With the PZT material cladded, the piezoelectric effect can then be used to measure changes in the pressure (for example) by converting electrical pulses generated by the piezoelectric effect. Hence the present invention allows the process to be more seamless, as compared to using the traditional conventional means by drilling holes to strategically place the pressure sensor component.

Secondly, the present invention can improve the physical, mechanical and/or chemical characteristics of the tool / component (i.e. be it mold insert, pin, other ancillary components etc.). Such physical and mechanical properties can include the tensile strength, hardness, reducing the weight of the tool I component (for example mold inserts), increasing the tooling I component reliability over time, etc. An example shown here in Figure 1 is denoted as 6, where it illustrates one portion of the tool having a stacked laser cladded material with different properties 6. For this example here illustrated in Figure 1, the cladded portion exhibits three (3) different properties. Depending on the cladding material chosen to match with the substrate material, portion 6 illustrates that it can have a hard tribological layer at one end of the stacked layer, one layer for toughness squeezed in between and one for thermal conductive property. This kind of stacked layer with a mix of properties is useful if a certain kind of property is needed when molding out the final end product.

Last but not least, the present invention can improve the cosmetic requirement for the tool and the end product. By cladding different materials together with the right property, it can also improve the cosmetic surface finishing on the tool and the end product itself, denoted as 7 in Figure 1. Some composite material compositions do also have added improved physical I mechanical features in addition to better cosmetic requirement or better cosmetic surface finishing. The present invention can also help to improve the processability for subsequent secondary processes such as laser texturing on the mold tool I component and chemical etching process. More so for injection molding process, laser texturing is done on the tool I component itself such that fine grains or patterns can be etched on the tool I component itself via laser. After the whole fabrication process has been completed, the end product will have an aesthetic I kinesthetic feel to it. Other than giving the end product an aesthetic I kinesthetic feel to it, laser texturing can aid in creating a form of visual authentication for the end product itself.

Figure 2A - 2E illustrates various methods of laser layering process by integrated cladding materials (ICM). It illustrates the use of the laser-additive manufacturing techniques such as laser cladding of the different integrated cladding materials 9 to give the desired end-property. The following respective Figures illustrate a close-up view of the use of different integrated cladding materials 9 being applied respectively on the following types of substrates (i.e. which can be a tool and/or end product):

(a) Figure 2A- laser layering process 8 on cylindrical shaped substrates 10;

(b) Figure 2B - laser layering process 11 on rectangular shaped substrate 12;

(c) Figure 2C - laser layering process with cladding material clad via a ring or spiralshaped format 13 on a cylindrical shaped substrate 14;

NOTE: For Figures 2A - 2C, the cladding of such different integrated cladding materials 9 can be carried out on the circumference of the substrate 10, 12 and or even at the interior core of the substrate 10, 12 and 14 depending on the process parameters or requirements. Also to take note of is that the cladding layer of the different integrated cladding materials 9 can also be carried out in an undulating manner, not just in the usual planar / linear format.

(d) Figure 2D -- laser layering process done on a stackable or layered format 15 on a rectangular substrate-based material 16.

(e) Figure 2E - laser layering process done on a stackable or layered format 15 on a cylindrical shaped substrate 19.

NOTE: For Figures 2D - 2E, multiple cladding materials such as 17 and 18 can be laser cladded in successive layers to provide certain desired properties for the tool and /or the end product. This stackable format is applicable for all shapes and sizes of the substrate.

Figure 3 illustrates a Table showing the matrix of the possible combinations of the integrated cladding materials (ICM) in order to achieve the desired properties for the tool and/or the end-product. The present invention here uses laser-based additive manufacturing techniques (e.g. laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition and laser sintering) to clad on the different substrate materials (ferrous and non-ferrous) with certain types of cladding materials. Essentially Figure 3 illustrates the different substrate materials that are able to have a metallurgical bond or clad to certain types of cladding materials or metal infills. Substrate here refers to the tool I component itself, be it mold insert, mold pin, other ancillary components etc. The substrate materials typically can be categorized as ferrous and non-ferrous. As illustrated in Figure 3, the different possible combinations of cladding materials that are able to clad onto the ferrous and non-ferrous substrate materials are generally grouped into three (3) different categories, i.e.

(i) the different types of carbon steels, alloy steels and stainless steel:

(ii) the different types of metals like copper, zinc, tin, aluminum, titanium and chromium;

(iii) the different types of alloys (e.g. nickel, copper and cobalt) and engineering ceramics materials.

Depending on the chemical composition of those materials and combining it with the laser-based additive manufacturing process, the present invention aims to achieve the advantages and desired properties for the end-product.

While what has been described hereinabove is the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will understand that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the invention, which can be expressly set forth in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating tools and I or components wherein it consists of:

a. selecting the appropriate cladding material or metal infills to bond with the substrate to give the desired end property;

b. utilizing laser-based additive manufacturing techniques or processes such as laser cladding, laser layering, laser deposition and laser sintering to bond the cladding material or metal infills with the substrate such that the desired end property serves a particular function as an integrated cladding material (ICM);

wherein the desired end property would be to (i) improve thermal management and pressure sensing measurement capabilities;

(ii) improve physical strength, mechanical and chemical properties;

(iii) improve cosmetic finishing and/or requirement.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes mold inserts;

mold pins;

other ancillary components; and/or component part