Influence of microstructure on the machinability and surface integrity of additively manufactured iron aluminides

Abstract The increasing global focus on energy and resource efficiency has stimulated a growing interest in additive manufacturing. AM offers economic advantages and enables an efficient use of materials. However, AM components often require subsequent mechanical post-processing, such as machining (e.g., milling), to achieve the final contours or surfaces. This is a particular challenge due to the heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of AM structures, which affect machining and the resulting component properties. High-performance materials such as iron aluminide represent a promising alternative to conventional high-temperature materials with a significant economic advantage. However, the strength and hardness properties, which are advantageous for applications in highly stressed lightweight components, pose a challenge for economical machining in addition to the AM microstructure properties. The difficult-to-cut material causes accelerated tool wear and insufficient surface quality. This study shows that crack-free additive manufacturing of the three-component system of iron-nickel-aluminum is possible, and advantages in terms of machinability compared to FeAl-AM components are achieved. The more homogeneous microstructure leads to a reduction in cutting forces, with positive effects on the machinability and optimized surface integrity. Ultrasonic assisted milling (USAM) offers great potential to address the major challenges posed by difficult-to-cut materials and additively manufactured weld structures. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing the transferability of previous positive results by USAM to the selected iron aluminide alloys. The machinability of the aluminides is analyzed by varying significant influencing variables in finish milling experiments and evaluated in terms of the loads on the tool and the resulting surface integrity.