A research team at the Centre for Additive Manufacture – Metal (CAM2) has developed a method in additive manufacturing that could enhance the reliability of gas turbine components. The focus is on the high-performance alloy CM247LC, which is widely used in turbine blades due to its excellent temperature resistance. The challenge: parts made from this alloy frequently suffer from cracking and residual stresses during production, compromising their mechanical integrity.
The researchers investigated various laser exposure strategies in powder bed laser melting. Instead of using long, continuous laser scan tracks—as is common practice—they implemented shorter scan vectors. This modified exposure technique enables more uniform heat distribution in the material, thereby reducing the likelihood of solidification cracks and minimizing the formation of internal stresses.
“The results indicate that such a scan strategy helps in minimizing both solidification cracking and residual stress, which improves the overall processibility of this alloy,” says Ahmed Fardan Jabir Hussain, Doctoral Student in Metal Additive Manufacturing at Chalmers University of Technology.
Another key aspect of the study is the targeted control of microstructure in critical regions. By selectively applying the short scan vectors, the researchers were able to generate grain structures less prone to strain age cracking (SAC)—a common failure mechanism in components exposed to stress concentrations. This localized approach could be particularly beneficial in highly loaded zones, such as turbine blade roots.
“Cracking occurs both in the production process and during heat treatments, which limits the use of these materials. This research brings us closer to making these materials more viable for such applications,” says Ahmed Fardan Jabir Hussain.
“The scan strategy of short vectors can be applied locally near stress concentrators to create a microstructure resistant to strain age cracking. This microstructure tailoring is very attractive to industries that use such alloys for manufacturing,” says Ahmed Fardan Jabir Hussain.
In addition, the team is working on improving the creep resistance of printed components. Their goal is to align the material performance of additively manufactured parts with that of cast counterparts. For applications in the hot sections of gas turbines, high creep resistance is essential to maintain structural integrity under prolonged thermal stress.
“These alloys are designed for use in the hot sections of gas turbines, such as turbine blades. These blades endure very high loads and temperatures, so they must have strong high-temperature creep performance. We’re currently working on improving this to bring the creep performance closer to that of cast material,” says Ahmed Fardan Jabir Hussain.
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