Failure-based design validation for effective repair of multi-metal additive manufacturing: the case of remanufacturable brake caliper

Abstract

The inclusion of additive manufacturing (AM) as an automated repair method leads to a sustainable remanufacturing process, which is known as additive repair. Despite its potential in improving the efficiency of repair and restoration, additive repair remains in its infancy and requires a thorough investigation on part design and process parameters. The major concern raised in additive repair is the capability to create perfect bonding between two metals, which will affect the mechanical properties of the complete repaired part. Hence, performing evaluation from the beginning is crucial to validate the feasibility of the process through appropriate structural analysis and to obtain deformation and stress results. Brake caliper housing is selected as a remanufacturable component for case exemplary purposes. Prior to analysis, the potential damages and failures of the brake caliper component were initially evaluated through literature surveys and direct interviews with industry experts where two types of damages were identified, namely, cracks and broken or fractured parts. Then, the validation focuses on comparative analysis of two different conditions of the brake caliper housing: original, and repaired caliper model using finite element analysis in ANSYS. Results indicate that the strength of the repaired caliper model shows equal and higher strength compared with the original model. This result confirms that the repair process through AM can retain or improve the quality of the remanufactured brake caliper housing. Therefore, this paper provides a systematic framework for the evaluation of mechanical properties in multi-metal additive repair with the integration of failure analysis techniques.