Flow-Conducting Component

Abstract

A flow-conducting component having at least one functional region for contact with a flowing medium and at least one functional region having supporting characteristics is provided. The two functional regions are produced from a material by successively solidifying layers using radiation in a manner that provides different material characteristics in the different functional regions.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A flow-conducting component, comprising: at least one flowing medium functional region; and at least one load-bearing functional region, wherein the functional regions are formed from a construction material, and the functional regions have different material characteristics resulting from consecutive solidification of layers of the construction material using radiation, the radiation being varied between the functional regions.

15. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the construction material comprises metallic powder particles.

16. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 15, wherein the construction material has a single chemical composition.

17. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 15, wherein the construction material comprises at least one of low-alloyed and high alloyed steel powder particles.

18. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flow-conducting component formed from the functional regions is a one-piece component.

19. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different material characteristics of the functional regions are produced by varying at least one of an energy input from the radiation, an intensity of the radiation, and a scanning speed of the radiation in the different functional regions.

20. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the functional regions have different structural shapes.

21. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region has a tensile strength of more than 600 MPa, and the at least one flowing medium functional region has a tensile strength of less than less than 600 MPa.

22. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region tensile strength is more than 650 MPa, and the at least one flowing medium functional region a tensile strength is less than 550 MPa.

23. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region tensile strength is more than 700 MPa, and the at least one flowing medium functional region a tensile strength is less than 500 MPa.

24. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one flowing medium functional region has a hardness in HB of more than 250, and the at least one load-bearing functional region has a hardness in HB of less than 250.

25. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one flowing medium functional region hardness in HB is more than 300, and the at least one load-bearing functional region hardness in HB is less than 200.

26. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one flowing medium functional region hardness in HB is more than 350, and the at least one load-bearing functional region hardness in HB is less than 150.

27. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region has an elongation at breaking point of more than 10%, and the at least one flowing medium functional region has an elongation at breaking point of less than 10%.

28. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region elongation at breaking point is more than 15%, and the at least one flowing medium functional region elongation at breaking point is less than 5%.

29. The flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one load-bearing functional region elongation at breaking point is more than 20%, and the at least one flowing medium functional region elongation at breaking point is less than 1%.

30. A method for producing a flow-conducting component having at least one flowing medium functional region and at least one load-bearing functional region, the functional regions being formed from a construction material and having different material characteristics resulting from consecutive solidification of layers of the construction material using radiation, the radiation being varied between the functional regions, comprising the steps of: applying a layer of a construction material to a plate; impinging the radiation upon the layer; applying a further layer of the construction material on the preceding layer and impinging the radiation on the further layer; and repeating the step of applying of a further layer of the construction material on the preceding layers and impinging the radiation until the flow-conducting component is complete, wherein the impinging of the radiation on the applied layers is varied in a manner that results in creation of the functional regions with the different material characteristics.

31. The method for producing a flow-conducting component as claimed in claim 30, wherein the different material characteristics of the functional regions are produced by varying at least one of an energy input from the radiation, an intensity of the radiation, and a scanning speed of the radiation in the different functional regions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a centrifugal pump arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an impeller of a centrifugal pump in accordance with the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a valve in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through a centrifugal pump arrangement with an impeller 1 which is arranged in a casing 2. The casing has a fluid inlet opening in the form of a suction connector 3 and a fluid outlet opening in the form of a discharge connector 4. The casing 2 in the exemplary embodiment is a spiral casing.

[0027] The impeller 1 is designed as a radial impeller and is driven by a shaft 5. The shaft 5 is made to rotate by a motor, which is not shown in this view. The shaft 5 is supported via bearings 6.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows an impeller 1 which has a plurality of functional regions 7, 8, 9, 10. The functional region 7, which forms the hub for the shaft 5, has a high degree of strength and a low degree of brittleness.

[0029] The functional regions 8 of the impeller, which form the vanes, are provided with a high degree of hardness, however, so that this functional region is particularly resistant to wear and cavitation.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, the impeller features the functional regions 9 which form the cover disk, and also functional regions 10 which form the rear shroud. Each functional region is provided with characteristics which are specially geared to this application.

[0031] For generating these characteristics of the impeller, the following steps are carried out in succession:

[0032] First of all, a metal powder consisting of a ferrous material is applied to a plate in a thin layer. In the exemplary embodiment, the powder is a powder of chromium-molybdenum steel.

[0033] At the places at which the impeller is to be formed, a laser beam acts and fuses the powdered particles to each other.

[0034] After solidification, a material layer of the respective functional regions of the impeller 1 is formed.

[0035] The base plate is then lowered by the amount of the layer thickness and powder applied again.

[0036] This cycle is repeated until all the layers are remelted.

[0037] The finished component is cleaned of surplus powder.

[0038] The 3D shape of the impeller is stored as a data set in software. The laser beam is moved by a control device so that it fuses the shape of the impeller by corresponding selective fusing of the respective regions on the plate which is coated with the powder layer and these regions then solidify.

[0039] According to the invention, the energy input is varied so that different functional regions 7, 8, 9, 10 with different structures and different specific characteristics are formed so that an impeller is generated with an optimum composition. In the case of the impeller, it is a one-piece component.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a valve. The valve has a one-piece housing 11. Arranged in the housing 11 is a shut-off body 12 which via a spindle 13 can be displaced in the vertical direction by means of a drive 14.

[0041] The functional region 15 of the one-piece housing 11 which forms the valve seat has a high degree of hardness. The functional region 16 of the one-piece housing 11, which in FIG. 3 is designed as a connecting element in the form of a flange, has a high degree of tensile strength.

[0042] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.