Abstract
Additive manufacturing is a high-potential technique that allows the production of components with almost no limitation in complexity. However, one of the main factors that still limits the laser-based additive manufacturing is a lack of processable alloys such as carbon martensitic hardenable tool steels, which are rarely investigated due to their susceptibility to cold cracking. Therefore, this study aimed to expand the variety of steels for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) by investigating an alternative alloying strategy for hot work tool steel powder. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was performed on the powder and L-PBF processed specimen properties and their correlation with the existing defects. Cubical specimens were created using the following two alloying strategies by means of L-PBF: conventional pre-alloyed gas-atomized powder and a mixture of gas-atomized powder with mechanically crushed pure elements and ferroalloys. The influence of the particle parameters such as morphology were correlated to the defect density and resulting quasi-static mechanical properties. Micromechanical behavior and damage evolution of the processed specimens were investigated using in situ computed tomography. It was shown that the properties of the L-PBF processed specimens obtained from the powder mixture performs equal or better compared to the specimens produced from conventional powder.
Highlights
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the possibility to create near net shape parts without the need for further assembling or post-process joining and almost with no limits regarding the geometrical complexity [1]
The considered carbon martensitic tool steel was selected for its low susceptibility for cold cracking, which is associated with its low martensite start temperature (
This study study investigated investigated the the defect defect density density and andthe themechanical mechanicalproperties propertiesof ofL-PBF
Summary
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the possibility to create near net shape parts without the need for further assembling or post-process joining and almost with no limits regarding the geometrical complexity [1]. AM technologies present an ecological and economic solution for products improvement and sustainability by enabling the repair and refurbishment of components with minimal material usage [2,3,4,5,6,7]. This technique soon became a suitable alternative to conventional casting routes for medium to low-batch productions in automotive, aerospace, health care, and consumer goods industries [6]. Based on the mentioned advantages, the L-PBF process allows for the production of complex-shaped tools with optimal geometries [10], which are exceedingly time and energy consuming using conventional manufacturing processes
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