NewAIMS in brief
Conceptualization, study and demonstration of strategies to obtain cost-effective high-performance steel in metal 3D printing processes
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Additive Manufacturing (AM), and 3D Printing in particular, offer attractive possibilities for design optimization and production of limited series of components. These aspects fit perfectly some industrial and economical sectors: a clear match is that of hot forming tools. Tooling for hot stamping, die casting, plastic injection moulding benefit enormously from free-form refrigeration channels, that cannot currently be obtained by conventional (substractive) manufacturing.
However, 3D printing is hampered by a limited selection of available materials. In the case of tool steels, and hot work tool steels in particular, the choice comes down to expensive superalloys or special high-alloy steels, such as Maraging grades. Moreover, even though they command a price premium, these materials are inferior to conventional tool steels in terms of durability and properties.
The main objective of NewAIMS is to research, study and demonstrate strategies to obtain cost-effective high-performance steel in AM processes, through concepts of modified AM with integrated heat treatments.
In addition to generating fundamental knowledge, NewAIMS will propose two high-performing steel grades and a demonstration of printing solutions based on Powder bed Fusion (PBF); while linking processes and microstructures to their final performance.
NewAIMS will demonstrate these solutions in a use case based in tool steels, an essential family of steels used in virtually all manufacturing processes, and where the characteristics of AM offer immediate advantages and transversal implementation.
Key Data
NEWAIMS OBJECTIVES
Generation of fundamental knowledge on viable strategies to obtain complex microstructures through steel AM routes
NewAIMS will go beyond the current microstructures in AM, by virtue of proposing an integrated process route spanning the AM process itself and subsequent post-treatments coupled with tailored steel alloying
Development of high-performance tool steel grades specifically designed for Powder bed Fusion
Current AM steels are common grades, selected by their compatibility with the process. NewAIMS will generate fundamental knowledge on how to design steels for AM with potential for generating advanced microstructures.
Development and demonstration of temperature-enhanced AM materials using complex microstructures in high-C steel
High carbon steels and low weldability steels are notoriously difficult to consolidate by PBF technology. NewAIMS will generate two viable variants of this technology (Laser PBF/L-PBF and Electron Beam PBF/E-PBF) and demonstrate them on the developed steels.
Achievement of material performance rivalling wrought material with AM
Advanced microstructures will provide performance beyond the current additively manufactured steels.
PROGRESS BEYOND THE STATE OF THE ART
Development of microstructural concepts specific for AM
Current state: Additively manufactured steels, particularly those generated by L-PBF, have unique microstructural characteristics. Despite considerable progress, there is a lack of overview on how these will potentially result in advanced properties.
NewAIMS contribution: NewAIMS will generate fundamental knowledge about the metallurgy and evolution of microstructure in the time-temperature history characteristic of AM.
Use of advanced thermal routes in AM
Current state: AM tool steels can be fully treated but this requires re-austenitization; this is costly and runs the risk of distortions or cracking.
NewAIMS contribution: Solutions developed in NewAIMS will integrate AM at elevated temperature with thermal post-processing to generate advanced microstructures.
Advanced Laser Powder Bed Fusion technology
Current state: L-PBF is a mature technology for a series of metal alloys; however, its applicability to steel is still limited.
NewAIMS contribution: The effect of pre-heating will be systematically studied in the project, analysing how the complex time-temperature profile in AM interacts with the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformation.
Development of Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion technology
Current state: E-PBF technologies, specifically Electron Beam Manufacturing, has mainly focused industrially on the manufacturing of Titanium- based and Nickel superalloys.
NewAIMS contribution: In NewAIMS, process and materials development will be implemented for the manufacturing of tool steels using the E-PBF technology.
Steelmaking for additive manufacturing
Current state: Steels used in AM correspond to common grades, chosen for compatibility with the process. Some materials cannot fulfil the requirements of a tool steel.
NewAIMS contribution: Fundamental knowledge will be generated enabling development of steels tailored to the process and requirements of AM. Moreover, at least two steel grades based on different development strategies will be demonstrated in the project.
ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF THE EUROPEAN STEEL INDUSTRY
NewAIMS is aligned with the key strategic orientations within the Horizon Europe strategic plan, as it deals with advancements in digital manufacturing by incorporating the whole value chain of AM.
The project is also aligned with objectives of the European Green Deal:
- Energy-intensive industries, such as steel, are indispensable to Europe’s economy, as they supply several key value chains. The decarbonisation and modernisation of this sector is essential.
- Protect people and workers most vulnerable to the transition, providing access to re-skilling programmes, and jobs in new economic sectors.
NewAIMS is aimed at a high added value sector, by potentiating a novel and growing technology (AM) that will enhance the competitivity of the European industry. In addition to a higher technological level and added value, AM also offers possibilities to reduce energy consumption, generation of waste and, particularly, reduce the consumption of valuable raw materials.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
New technology concepts for AM
Increased viability of AM for tooling
Specific steels for AM
EXPECTED RESULTS
CONSORTIUM
NewAIMS partners counts with specific knowledge and experience in different fields, with a solid R&D background and experience in European multi-partner projects.
The NewAIMS consortium, coordinated by Eurecat Technology Centre, is made up of five partners from Spain, Poland and Sweden.
Eurecat is the leading Technology Centre of Catalonia, providing the industrial and business sector with differential technology and advanced expertise.
The centre offers solutions to their innovation needs and boosts their competitiveness in a fast-paced environment. It brings together the expertise of 650 professionals who generate a volume of income of 50M€ per year. Serving more than a thousand companies, Eurecat is involved in 200 projects of R&D national and international with high strategic value.
Contribution to NewAIMS
Eurecat is in charge of coordinating the project through the Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit. Eurecat has an important expertise and equipment for experimental characterisation of fracture, toughness, crash and fatigue of the developed manufacturing solutions. Within NewAIMS project, Eurecat is leading the tasks related to characterization and testing of materials. Moreover, the centre is also responsible for managing the project’s exploitation, communication and dissemination activities.
The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is Spain’s largest public research institution and ranks third among Europe’s largest research organisations. The Spanish Research Center for Metallurgy (CENIM) at CSIC is focussed on basic and applied research throughout the lifecycle of metallic materials (extraction, design, production, processing, conservation and recycling) and transferring it to the industry with a staff of 100 scientists and technicians fully trained in the most innovative metallic materials.
Contribution to NewAIMS
The main objective of the Spanish Research Center for Metallurgy (CENIM-CSIC) at NewAIMS is to understand the relationship among the steel processing, its structure, and its mechanical properties. In this sense, CENIM will investigate the transformation mechanisms, characterize the structure of the material from the micro to the nanoscale describing the physics and chemistry that govern the transformation processes of steel and its properties in real conditions of use.
AMAZEMET is the Warsaw University of Technology spin-off which develops ultrasonic atomization of metal-based materials (alloys and metal matrix composites) providing boost in alloy development for additive manufacturing. AMAZEMET offers modular system for ultrasonic atomization of wide range of materials – aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, gold, platinum up to high-entropy alloys based on refractories. As with it own laboratory equipped in ultrasonic atomizers, LPBF system with heating system up to 1200 °C, HIP, high vacuum furnace and own production capabilities especially for R&D prototyping may perform as a consortium member in research projects.
Contribution to NewAIMS
AMAZEMET is in charge of ultrasonic atomization of new steels with tailored chemical composition developed within the scope of the project and overcoming the susceptibility to cracking of tool steels with laser powder bed fusion system equipped in high-temperature platform preheating up to 1200°C. The unique process conditions will enable the in-situ formation of desired microstructures of the steels for demanding applications tested within the scope of the project.
Mid Sweden University (MIUN) is a two-campus university with campuses in the cities of Östersund and Sundsvall, located in the middle of Sweden. It is a global university with a regional commitment focusing on research and education for life, leading to increased attractiveness, relevance and quality, as well as a sustainable development.
Contribution to NewAIMS
MIUN´s role in NewAims relates to the process and materials development for selected alloys using the electron beam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) technology. MIUN is involved in WPs 3-5 and 7, but main focus is within WP5 “Generating Complex Microstructures”, where microstructural design will be tailored in combination with heat treatments.
INNOMAQ21, S.L. is a Spanish SME founded in 2014 dedicated to the design, manufacture, installation and commercialisation of advanced and customised industrial equipment for the metallurgical industry, as well as the development of innovative additive manufacturing processing technologies and the production of raw materials for these technologies (atomised powders).
INNOMAQ21 is increasingly focusing its resources on emerging technologies in demanding and advanced markets, especially those related to new additive manufacturing technologies, jointly developing optimized, high-quality powder alloys.
Contribution to NewAIMS
INNOMAQ21 participates throughout the project in different activities, however the strongest points of participation take place along WP3 and WP7, being the latter where it acts as leader. INNOMAQ21 mainly will work on the development of powder steel with high thermal conductivity and provide the hot stamping (press hardening) use case for the project.
INNOMAQ21 takes a leadership role in WP7, actively participating to offer an initial demonstration showcasing the potential of the developed technologies. Our company aims to upscale and automate the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) process to manufacture complex geometries for a final demonstrator. We will play a pivotal role in establishing a pilot environment dedicated to conducting the necessary demonstration tests. Additionally, our responsibility includes the production of a physical demonstrator tool, allowing us to assess its performance and compare it to that of a reference material.
NEWS & EVENTS
Eurecat-coordinated projects driving innovation for industry decarbonisation presented at Metal Madrid
Five projects committed to the green transformation of the steel and aluminum industry – COOPHS, CISMA, FlexCrash, SALEMA and ZEvRA - have been featured at Metal Madrid 2024, part of the Advanced Manufacturing Madrid exhibition. This fair has been held in Madrid, Spain, the 20th and 21st of November, [...]
NewAIMS is present at the MS&T24 Technical Meeting and Exhibition
Francisca G. Caballero, Research Professor at the Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) and NewAIMS partner, participated in the MS&T24 Technical Meeting and Exhibition, held from October 6th to 9th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. During the MS&T24 event, Francisca G. Caballero delivered a presentation titled “Phase Transformations [...]
CENIM-CSIC shares NewAIMS research at the FEMS Junior EUROMAT 2024 conference
The NewAIMS project was present in the FEMS Junior EUROMAT 2024 conference, held in Manchester (United Kingdom) on July 15th-18th. On July 16th, Ana Santana, project partner and PhD student from the Spanish National Center for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC), presented her work “Micro- and nanoscale study on austenite phase [...]
Presenting seven RFCS projects coordinated by Eurecat to the Cluster of the Automotive Industry of Catalonia
Eurecat organised a meeting with representatives from the Cluster of the Automotive Industry of Catalonia (CIAC) at the facilities of the centre in Manresa (Spain) on July 10th, 2024. The purpose of the meeting was to demonstrate the efforts made by Eurecat to promote R+D+I projects, laboratories, materials and [...]
The NewAIMS consortium gathers in Madrid for a General Assembly
Representatives from the partners making up the NewAIMS consortium have met in Madrid (Spain) on the occasion of a general assembly meeting, hosted by the Spanish National Center for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) and taking place on June 13th, 2024. During the meeting, the work carried out in the different [...]
Bringing NewAIMS to the Falling Walls Lab contest
Ana Santana, project partner and PhD student from the Spanish National Center for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC), participated in the final of Falling Walls Lab Spain, a national contest held at the facilities of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid on May 31st, 2024. In this event, 15 [...]
NewAIMS dissemination at the Metal AMS International Symposium on Metal Additive Manufacturing
Francisca G. Caballero, Research Professor at the Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) and NewAIMS partner, participated in the 2nd edition of the Metal AMS International Symposium on Metal Additive Manufacturing, held on March 20th-21st, 2024, at the facilities of the French Technical Centre for Mechanical Industries (CETIM) [...]
CENIM-CSIC introduces NewAIMS in its Third Seminar of Young Researchers in Metallurgy
The NewAIMS project has been present at the Third Seminar of Young Researchers in Metallurgy organised by the Spanish National Center for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) on March 21st, 2024, in Madrid (Spain). Ana Santana, doctoral student and NewAIMS partner, delivered the presentation “Study of the microstructure and heterogeneous distribution [...]
NewAIMS is present at the TMS 2024 Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Francisca G. Caballero, Research Professor at the Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) and NewAIMS partner, attended the TMS 2024 Annual Meeting & Exhibition, taking place on March 3rd-7th in Orlando (United States). During the event, she delivered the talk “Metastable phases in additive manufacturing produced maraging 300 [...]
Disseminating NewAIMS to students of the San Francisco School
Ana Santana, project partner from CENIM-CSIC, gave a speech to students coursing Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) at the San Francisco School, in El Pardo (Madrid). The talk, organised within the framework of the 9th edition of the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Festival organised by CSIC, was focused on the differences [...]
European consortium to promote new additive manufacturing processes of optimized high-performance steels
The project will demonstrate strategies and technologies to obtain high-performance steel in metal 3D printing processes, through a process that will integrate additive manufacturing with a custom-made steel alloy. The NewAIMS consortium, coordinated by the Eurecat technology center, has a budget of 2.6 million euros and is made up [...]
Students from the Athens Network programme learn about NewAIMS at the CENIM-CSIC facilities
NewAIMS partner CENIM-CSIC hosted students from the Athens Network, a programme made up of 15 universities from different European countries where master's and/or PhD students spend a week in other countries where they take classes, laboratory hours, visits to research centres and internships. The visit to CENIM-CSIC, on November [...]
CENIM-CSIC presents the NewAIMS project to students of the IES Guadarrama high school
The students and the “Technology and Engineering” teacher from the 1st year of high school at IES Guadarrama visited CENIM-CSIC on November 2nd, 2023, to enjoy a day on “Sustainable metallurgy for a modern society”. During the day, Ana Santana, partner from NewAIMS, presented the project to the students [...]
Six RFCS projects coordinated by Eurecat presented at the SteelTech Congress
Eurecat has participated as exhibitor of the Steel Tech 2023 this week in Bilbao Exhibition Center from October 25-27. Amongst the center capacities in the steel sector, information on six Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS)-funded projects COOPHS, HELIX, SupreAM, NewAIMS, Sup3rForm and MiPRE was displayed and presented. [...]
The NewAIMS project kicks off
The NewAIMS project has started. The kick-off meeting was held in the facilities of Eurecat in Manresa (Spain) on September 27th, 2023. The main objective of NewAIMS is to research, study and demonstrate strategies to obtain cost-effective high-performance steel in Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, through concepts of modified AM [...]
RESOURCES
Here is a list of NewAIMS work packages and deliverables.
WP1 – Management, Coordination and Exploitation
D1.1 – Communication and Dissemination Plan
D1.2 – Comprehensive Overview of the Project
D1.3 – Publishable Report
WP2 – Microstructural Design for Additive Manufacturing
D2.1 – Metallurgy applied to AM
WP3 – Development of Tailored Steel Compositions
D3.1 – Report on the developed steels
WP4 – Research on Materials Processing Strategies
D4.1 – Strategies for printing difficult to weld steels
WP5 – Generating Complex Microstructures
D5.1 – Complex microstructures in AM steel
D5.2 – Potential for gradient microstructures in AM
WP6 – Characterization and Testing of Materials
D6.1 – Performance of AM microstructures
WP7 – Scale-up Studies
D7.1 – Report on the pilot tests
Download below the NewAIMS promotional materials, containing key information about the project.
|
Click here to download |
Click here to download |
Trifold
Click here to download |
 |
 |
  |
See below a selection of articles featuring NewAIMS.
April 22nd, 2024 | Metales & Máquinas
Los materiales avanzados transforman la industria catalana del metal y el acero (Spanish)
December 13th, 2023 | Interempresas
El proyecto NewAIMS ensaya nuevos procesos de impresión 3D de aceros de alto rendimiento (Spanish)
December 13th, 2023 | Metales & Máquinas
Ensayan nuevos procesos de impresión 3D de aceros de alto rendimiento (Spanish)
December 13th, 2023 | Metalindustria
Ensayan nuevos procesos de impresión 3D de aceros de alto rendimiento (Spanish)
December 13th, 2023 | Regió 7
December 13th, 2023 | Sumindustria
Ensayan nuevos procesos de impresión 3D de aceros de alto rendimiento (Spanish)
Solute and phase heterogeneous distribution at different scales and its effect on ageing physical phenomena in a laser powder bed fusion produced maraging steel
by Ana Santana, Adriana Eres-Castellanos, Jonathan D. Poplawsky, David San-Martin, Jose Antonio Jimenez, Esteban Urones-Garrote, Amy J. Clarke, Carlos Capdevila and Francisca G. Caballero
ABSTRACT
The Laser Powder Bed Fusion process involves complex thermodynamic and heat transfer mechanisms which results in a complicated understanding of the material’s microstructure and phase transformation processes. In the case of additive manufacturing maraging steels, these present heterogeneous structures which mainly consist of Body-Centred Tetragonal (BCT) martensite and retained austenite (Face-Centred Cubic (FCC) phase structure), unlike conventionally processed material. Research has already been done on the competitive or collaborative nature of austenite growth/reversion and precipitation in these materials. However, for Laser Powder Bed Fusion maraging steels, studies have focused on either the effect of the heterogeneous structures on austenite reversion kinetics or the formation, evolution and behaviour of precipitation. Still, no comprehensive research exists that covers in detail the relation between solute heterogeneity from the meso- to the nanoscale and its influence on both phase distribution and ageing physical phenomena. To do so, multiscale chemical analyses and microstructural characterisation techniques were used to investigate a maraging steel M300 in different transformed conditions: as-built, aged at 480 and 540 °C. The results showed that competing mechanisms during printing caused segregation at the mesoscale, which remains in aged samples. Vaporisation led to Cr segregation, while melt convections caused Ni and Ti depletion at melt pool boundaries. Retained austenite location was found at melt pool boundaries and away from them on the as-built structure. Its preferential location remains unclear. Dissimilarities from conventional material were identified in nanosized clustering and precipitates on aged samples.
CONTACT US
The NewAIMS project has received funding from the European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS): project num 101112371. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
