Use of ultrasonic consolidation for fabrication of multi‐material structures

Purpose Ultrasonic consolidation (UC) is a novel additive manufacturing process developed for fabrication of metallic parts from foils. While the process has been well demonstrated for part fabrication in Al alloy 3003, some of the potential strengths of the process have not been fully explored. One of them is its suitability for fabrication of parts in multi‐materials. This work aims to examine this aspect. Design/methodology/approach Multi‐material UC experiments were conducted using Al alloy 3003 foils as the bulk part material together with a number of engineering materials (foils of Al‐Cu alloy 2024, Ni‐base alloy Inconel 600 ® AISI 347 stainless steel, and others). Deposit microstructures were studied to evaluate bonding between various materials. Findings It was found that most of the materials investigated can be successfully bonded to alloy Al 3003 and vice versa. SiC fibers and stainless wire meshes were successfully embedded in an Al 3003 matrix. The results suggest that the UC process is quite suitable for fabrication of multi‐material structures, including fiber‐reinforced metal matrix composites. Originality/value This work systematically examines the multi‐material capability of the UC process. The findings of this work lay a strong foundation for a wider and more efficient commercial utilization of the process.