Feasibility Study of 316L Stainless Steel for the Ultrasonic Consolidation Process

The viability of using 316L stainless steel in the ultrasonic consolidation process was examined in this work. Ultrasonic consolidation is an additive, free-form manufacturing process that employs ultrasonic welding and machining to form a part. The process ultrasonically joins layers of metal together by welding them one at a time. Once four layers of metal foil are welded together, welding is suspended and the system machines the part outline, and repeats this cycle until a component is completed. Experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility and processing parameters for ultrasonically welding stainless steel. Mechanical testing and optical microscopy were conducted. 316L stainless steel was successfully welded. Increasing welding amplitude and decreasing welding speed were the most effective way to increase weld peel strength. Unlike work in aluminum alloys, these experiments found no relationship between horn force and peel strength. Rough processing windows for ultrasonically welding 316L were identified.