Yong-Jae Cho

Effect of heat treatment on the characteristics of tool steel deposited by the directed energy deposition process

The directed energy deposition process has been mainly applied to re-work and the restoration of damaged steel. Differences in material properties between the base and the newly deposited materials are unavoidable, which may affect the mechanical properties and durability of the part. We investigated the effect of heat treatment on the characteristics of tool steel deposited by the DED process. We prepared general tool steel materials of H13 and D2 that were deposited onto heat-treated substrates of H13 and D2, respectively, using a direct metal tooling process. The hardness and microstructure of the deposited steel before and after heat treatment were investigated. The hardness of the deposited H13 steel was higher than that of wrought H13 steel substrate, while that of the deposited D2 was lower than that of wrought D2. The evolution of the microstructures by deposition and heat treatment varied depending on the materials. In particular, the microstructure of the deposited D2 steel after heat treatment consisted of fine carbides in tempered martensite and it is expected that the deposited D2 steel will have isotropic properties and high hardness after heat treatment.

Porthole Extrusion Process Design for Magnesium-Alloy Bumper Back Beam by Using FE Analysis and Extrusion Limit Diagram

In recent years, several studies with focus on developing state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies have been conducted to produce light vehicles by employing parts made of light materials such as aluminum and magnesium. Of such materials, magnesium has been found to pose numerous issues, because it cannot be deformed (plastic deformation) easily at low temperatures. Furthermore, oxidation on the surface of manganese occurs at high temperatures. This study analyzes the extrusion process for manufacturing magnesium bumper back beams used in vehicles, using finite element (FE) analysis. The properties of magnesium were determined through a compression test performed at high temperatures. And the temperature at which oxidation occurs at its surface was evaluated via an extrusion test. FE analysis was used to evaluate the extrusion load and temperature during the extrusion process, according to changes in initial material temperature and ram speed. Extrusion limit diagram of the extrusion process was derived based on the results of the FE analysis. Process conditions required to be established during the extrusion process were determined by using the derived extrusion limit diagram. The conditions were further validated by the extrusion test.