The paper deals with the main formation patterns of structure and properties of a titanium alloy of the Ti-6Al-4V system during additive manufacturing using cold metal transfer (CMT) wire deposition. The work aims to find the optimal conditions for layer-by-layer deposition, which provides the high physical and mechanical properties of the titanium alloy of the Ti-6Al-4V system hybrid, additively manufactured using CMT deposition. Particular attention is paid to interpass forging during the layered printing of the product. Additionally, we investigate how the heat treatment affects the structure and properties of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy that has been CMT-deposited, both with and without forging. These studies have shown that the hybrid multilayer arc deposition technology, with interpass strain hardening, allows the use of high temperature and high technology titanium alloys to obtain products of a required geometric shape. It has been proven that the interpass deformation effect during CMT deposition contributes to a significant decrease in the sizes of the primary β-grains. In addition, forging enhances the effect of microstructure refinement, which is associated with phase recrystallization in deformed areas. It is shown that the heat treatment leads not only to a change in the morphology of the phases but also to additional phase formations in the structure of the Ti-6Al-4V-deposited metal while the mechanism is realized and consists of the gradual decomposition of the martensitic α′-phase and the formation of a dispersive α₂-phase. This structure formation process is accompanied by the dispersion hardening of the α-phase. The strength characteristics of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy obtained using layer-by-layer CMT with forging are given; they exceed the strength level of materials obtained with the traditional technologies of pressure treatment, and there is no decrease in plasticity characteristics. The use of the subsequent heat treatment makes it possible to increase the ductility characteristics of the deposited and forged Ti-6Al-4V material by 1.5–2 times without strength loss.

Electron beam welding (EBW) shows certain problems with the control of focus regime. The electron beam focus can be controlled in electron-beam welding based on the parameters of a secondary signal. In this case, the parameters like secondary emissions and focus coil current have extreme relationships. There are two values of focus coil current which provide equal value signal parameters. Therefore, adaptive systems of electron beam focus control use low-frequency scanning of focus, which substantially limits the operation speed of these systems and has a negative effect on weld joint quality. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for operational control of the electron beam focus during welding in the deep penetration mode. The method uses the plasma charge current signal as an additional informational parameter. This parameter allows identification of the electron beam focus regime in electron-beam welding without application of additional low-frequency scanning of focus. It can be used for working out operational electron beam control methods focusing exactly on the welding. In addition, use of this parameter allows one to observe the shape of the keyhole during the welding process.

The model of plasma formation in the keyhole in liquid metal as well as above the electron beam welding zone is described. The model is based on solution of two equations for the density of electrons and the mean electron energy. The mass transfer of heavy plasma particles (neutral atoms, excited atoms, and ions) is taken into account in the analysis by the diffusion equation for a multicomponent mixture. The electrostatic field is calculated using the Poisson equation. Thermionic electron emission is calculated for the keyhole wall. The ionization intensity of the vapors due to beam electrons and high-energy secondary and backscattered electrons is calibrated using the plasma parameters when there is no polarized collector electrode above the welding zone. The calculated data are in good agreement with experimental data. Results for the plasma parameters for excitation of a non-independent discharge are given. It is shown that there is a need to take into account the effect of a strong electric field near the keyhole walls on electron emission (the Schottky effect) in the calculation of the current for a non-independent discharge (hot cathode gas discharge). The calculated electron drift velocities are much bigger than the velocity at which current instabilities arise. This confirms the hypothesis for ion-acoustic instabilities, observed experimentally in previous research.

This paper investigates the effect of cold working via layer-by-layer peening on the microstructure and properties of a 308LSi steel workpiece produced by the wire deposition welding with a consumable electrode following the principle of 3D printing. The microstructure, phase composition and mechanical properties of the metal are studied before and after the workpiece synthesis. In the microstructure of the workpieces produced by peening, there is, in addition to austenite, a small quantity of fine-dispersed carbides and residual δ-ferrite in the interdendritic spaces. It is demonstrated that the use of layer-by-layer cold working in the process of deposition welding enables eliminating transcrystallization of the deposited metal, promotes an increase in the microstructure’s degree of dispersion and a more uniform distribution of fine-dispersed carbides in the volume of the dendrites. It is found that these structural features of the deposited metal in the additive manufacturing of a workpiece with layer-by-layer peening lead to an enhancement of the strength characteristics as compared to the material produced by the conventional wire deposition welding. Meanwhile, the level of the ductility characteristics remains high.