Abstract
Selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing (AM) exhibits uncertainties, where variations in build quality are present despite utilizing the same optimized processing parameters. In this work, we identify the sources of uncertainty in SLM process by in-situ characterization of SLM dynamics induced by small variations in processing parameters. We show that variations in the laser beam size, laser power, laser scan speed, and powder layer thickness result in significant variations in the depression zone, melt pool, and spatter behavior. On average, a small deviation of only ~5% from the optimized/reference laser processing parameter resulted in a ~10% or greater change in the depression zone and melt pool geometries. For spatter dynamics, small variation (10 , 11%) of the laser beam size could lead to over 40% change in the overall volume of the spatter generated. The responses of the SLM dynamics to small variations of processing parameters revealed in this work are useful for understanding the process uncertainties in the SLM process.
Highlights
Selective laser melting (SLM, called laser powder bed fusion) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that utilizes a high-power density laser to selectively fuse together metallic powders to form three-dimensional objects [1,2,3]
We investigate the sources of uncertainty in SLM due to deviations from the optimized/reference AM processing parameters for Ti6Al4V through in-situ high-speed
We reveal the sensitivity of the SLM process to the processing parameters and identify the leading cause of uncertainty by quantifying the percent change in the SLM
Summary
Selective laser melting (SLM, called laser powder bed fusion) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that utilizes a high-power density laser to selectively fuse together metallic powders to form three-dimensional objects [1,2,3]. The four most significant processing parameters [4,5] that can be manipulated to control the SLM process include: (1) laser beam size, (2) laser power, (3) laser scan speed, and (4) powder layer thickness Each one of these parameters will influence the resulting shape and size of the depression zone, the melt pool, and the spatter behavior. We reveal the sensitivity of the SLM process to the processing parameters and identify the leading cause of uncertainty by quantifying the percent change in the SLM dynamics (depression zone dynamics, melt pool dynamics, and spatter dynamics) due to the small variations of the four most important processing parameters: (1) laser beam size,.
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