Metal Additive Manufacturing Research Articles

High nitrogen steels produced by laser powder bed fusion – Processability of an additivated austenitic steel powder

The additivation of conventional metal powders allows the expansion of the range of materials and alloys suitable for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of metals. The combination of material properties, the improvement of currently used powder properties, and their processability are the focus of this technique. This work investigates the influence of the additivation of Si3N4 particles to X2CrNi18–9 austenitic stainless-steel powder on the resulting powder properties and processability by PBF-LB/M. The aim is to process a composite material consisting of a steel matrix in which retained Si3N4 particles are embedded. A subsequent heat treatment by hot isostatic pressing should allow dissociation of Si3N4 and the associated nitrogen diffusion into the austenitic matrix to produce a high nitrogen steel (HNS). Despite some degradation in powder properties, as indicated by a decrease in the Hausner ratio from 1.24 to 1.15, PBF-LB/M successfully produced samples in a process window of 30–36 J/mm3.

Ultrasonic field-assisted metal additive manufacturing (U-FAAM): Mechanisms, research and future directions

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology that provides unprecedented design freedom and manufacturing flexibility for the forming of complex components. Despite its unparalleled advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, the existence of fatal issues still seriously hinders its large-scale industrial application. Against this backdrop, U-FAAM is emerging as a focus, integrating ultrasonic energy into conventional metal AM processes to harness distinctive advantages. This work offers an up-to-date, specialized review of U-FAAM, articulating the integrated modes, mechanisms, pivotal research achievements, and future development trends in a systematic manner. By synthesizing existing research, it highlights future directions in further optimizing process parameters, expanding material applicability, etc., to advance the industrial application and development of U-FAAM technology.

Evaluating residual stresses in metal additive manufacturing: a comprehensive review of detection methods, impact, and mitigation strategies

Evaluating residual stresses in metal additive manufacturing: a comprehensive review of detection methods, impact, and mitigation strategies

A New Zero Waste Design for a Manufacturing Approach for Direct-Drive Wind Turbine Electrical Generator Structural Components

An integrated structural optimization strategy was produced in this study for direct-drive electrical generator structures of offshore wind turbines, implementing a design for an additive manufacturing approach, and using generative design techniques. Direct-drive configurations are widely implemented on offshore wind energy systems due to their high efficiency, reliability, and structural simplicity. However, the greatest challenge associated with these types of machines is the structural optimization of the electrical generator due to the demanding operating conditions. An integrated structural optimization strategy was developed to assess a 100-kW permanent magnet direct-drive generator structure. Generated topologies were evaluated by performing finite element analyses and a metal additive manufacturing process simulation. This novel approach assembles a vast amount of structural information to produce a fit-for-purpose, adaptative, optimization strategy, combining data from static structural analyses, modal analyses, and manufacturing analyses to automatically generate an efficient model through a generative iterative process. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the importance of developing an integrated structural optimization strategy at an early phase of a large-scale project. By considering the typical working condition loads and the machine’s dynamic behavior through the structure’s natural frequencies during the optimization process coupled with a design for an additive manufacturing approach, the operational range of the wind turbine was maximized, the overall costs were reduced, and production times were significantly diminished. Integrating the constraints associated with the additive manufacturing process into the design stage produced high-efficiency results with over 23% in weight reduction when compared with conventional structural optimization techniques.

Laser power density distribution metrology to support emerging trends in metal Additive Manufacturing

The laser power density distribution (PDD) applied to a material is a predominant process parameter that directly affects the properties of parts that are built with metal additive manufacturing (AM). Despite its prevalent effect on melting (especially melting depth and cooling rate), accurate characterization of PDDs in metal AM has been largely inadequate because of the challenging nature of such measurements. The metrological challenges include 1) withstanding power densities on the order of 10 MW/cm2, 2) accurately positioning optical devices (ideally within ±50 µm) relative to a reference plane, 3) intercepting and accurately profiling high-power beams at incidence angles up to 20° off-normal, 4) accurately measuring beams that are scanned significantly faster than 1 m/s, and 5) measuring highly-dynamic, non-Gaussian beam profiles (beam shaping). This paper describes measurement approaches, challenges, and future research directions for metal AM beam metrology. Preliminary results of laser directed energy deposition experiments illustrate the importance of accurately quantifying PDDs.

Expanding the horizons of metal additive manufacturing: A comprehensive multi-objective optimization model incorporating sustainability for SMEs

Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) has seen significant growth in recent years, with sub-processes like Metal Material Extrusion (MEX) reaching industrial readiness. MEX, known for its cost-effectiveness and ease of integration, targets a distinct market segment compared to established high-end MAM processes. However, despite technological improvements, its overall integration into the industry as a viable manufacturing technology remains incomplete. This paper investigates the competitiveness of MEX, specifically its integration into the supply chain and the implications on cost and carbon emissions. Utilizing real-world data, the research develops a multi-objective optimization (MOO) model for a four-echelon supply chain including suppliers, airports, production facilities, and customers. The optimization model is combined with a previously developed cost model for MEX to optimize facility location in Norway using the NSGA-II algorithm. Employing a case study approach, the paper examines the production of an industrial part using stainless steel 17-4PH, detailing concrete process costs and system-level costs across four different production scenarios: 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 parts. The findings indicate MEX’s potential for cost-effective production at low and diversified volumes, supporting the trend towards customization and manufacturing flexibility. However, the study also identifies significant challenges in maintaining competitiveness at higher production volumes. These challenges underline the necessity for further advancements in MEX technology and process optimization to enhance its applicability and efficiency in larger-scale production settings.

Fatigue life prediction of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg based on surface roughness and residual stress

AbstractLaser‐based powder bed fusion (PBF‐LB) has gained prominence in the realm of additive manufacturing of metals. This technique utilizes a laser beam to consolidate powder layers, which inherently introduces high thermal gradients and rapid cooling rates. This results in characteristic process effects, including inhomogeneities, surface roughness, anisotropy, and residual stress, which play a pivotal role in altering the fatigue properties of the manufactured components. This paper presents fatigue tests involving samples of AlSi10Mg manufactured using PBF‐LB with varying surface roughness and residual stress. An approach to predict fatigue life based on stress amplitude, residual stress, and crack size is presented, using a smooth sample as a reference. An empirical model for fatigue life prediction is developed from experimentally measured values of fatigue life, peak surface roughness, and residual stress.

Effect of Powder Reuse on Powder Characteristics and Properties of DED Laser Beam Metal Additive Manufacturing Process with Stellite® 21 and UNS S32750

In this work, the influence of powder reuse up to three times on directed energy deposition (DED) with laser processing has been studied. The work was carried out on two different gas atomized powders: a cobalt-based alloy type Stellite® 21, and a super duplex stainless steel type UNS S32750. One of the main findings is the influence of oxygen content of the reused powder particles on the final quality and densification of the deposited material and the powder catch efficiency of the laser deposition process. There is a direct relationship between a higher surface oxidation of the particles and the presence of oxygen content in the particles and in the as-built materials, as well as oxides, balance of phases (in the case of the super duplex alloy), pores and defects at the micro level in the laser-deposited material, as well as a decrease in the amount of material that actually melts, reducing powder catch efficiency (more than 12% in the worst case scenario) and the initial bead geometry (height and width) that was obtained for the same process parameters when the virgin powder was used (without oxidation and with original morphology of the powder particles). This causes some melting faults, oxides and formation of undesired oxide compounds in the microstructure, and un-balance of phases particularly in the super duplex stainless steel material, reducing the amount of ferrite from 50.1% to 37.4%, affecting in turn material soundness and its mechanical properties, particularly the hardness. However, the Stellite® 21 alloy type can be reused up to three times, while the super duplex can be reused only once without any major influence of the particles’ surface oxidation on the deposited material quality and hardness.

Reactive formation of C3N4 as a by-product of AISI 1070 parts produced by laser powder bed fusion in N2 atmosphere

AbstractIn metal additive manufacturing (AM), inert gases are traditionally used to achieve a controlled atmosphere and mitigate the effects of residual reactive gases. However, the interaction between gases and laser processes, particularly in reactive laser powder bed fusion (RL-PBF) technology, offers the possibility of opening up new avenues for material synthesis. In this experimental work, the authors observed the presence of C3N4 in the residual powder during the manufacture of AISI 1070 steel parts by L-PBF, indicating a reactive process occurred during parts production. This investigation revealed the formation in the working chamber of a waste product containing C3N4 carbon nitride, due to the reaction between the carbon released from the steel and the nitrogen in the chamber. Remarkably, despite carbon depletion, the final product of AISI 1070 steel complies with the specifications of use. Hence, the L-PBF machine was modified to allow black powder sampling from various locations in the chamber. Authors attempted to enhance the production of the C3N4 material by increasing the SED up to 7143 J/mm2 to sublimate a pure graphite rod and concurrently manufacture parts in AISI 1070, in a nitrogen atmosphere. The results obtained at higher SED values showed that in both cases (graphite rod or AISI 1070 steel) a C3N4 compound in the black powder is formed in the investigated atmosphere by reaction of nitrogen atoms with the carbon atoms vaporized by the laser beam. Thus, the study highlights the novel achievement of synthesizing carbon nitride as a high-value by-product while producing functional AISI 1070 steel parts via L-PBF through reaction with nitrogen atmosphere.

In Situ Investigation of Tensile Response for Inconel 718 Micro-Architected Materials Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting.

Topology optimization enables the design of advanced architected materials with tailored mechanical properties and optimal material distribution. This method can result in the production of parts with uniform mechanical properties, reducing anisotropy effects and addressing a critical challenge in metal additive manufacturing (AM). The current study aims to examine the micro-tensile response of Inconel 718 architected materials utilizing the Selective Laser Melting Technique. In this context, three novel architected materials, i.e., Octet, Schwarz Diamond (SD), and hybrid Schwarz Diamond and Face Centered Cubic (FCC), were tested in three different relative densities. The specimens were then subjected to uniaxial quasi-static tensile tests to determine their key mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS), as well as the scaling laws describing the tensile response of each architected material. In situ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been performed to observe the structure and grain morphology of the 3D printed specimens along with the phase transitions (elastic, plastic), the crack propagation, and the overall failure mechanisms. The results highlight the effect of the lattice type and the relative density on the mechanical properties of architected materials. Topologically optimized structures presented a 70-80% reduction in overall strength, while the SD and SD&FCC structures presented higher stretching dominated behavior, which was also verified by the n-value range (1-2) extracted from the identification of the scaling laws.

Effect of fast frequency double pulse current on microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of wire arc additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy

This study introduces an innovative technique known as fast-frequency double pulse wire arc metal additive manufacturing (FFDP-WAAM). This method employs periodic fluctuations in arc plasma and force to enhance the stirring effect within the molten pool, resulting in the fragmentation of β grains and the formation of finer prior-β grains. The microstructure primarily comprises α', attributed to the high cooling rates and minimal heat accumulation. Compared to the conventional gas tungsten arc welding-based WAAM (CGT-WAAM) process, FFDP-WAAM significantly reduces α-variant selection, thereby achieving a more uniform α phase orientation distribution. Additionally, ultrasonic vibration in the FFDP-WAAM process facilitates recrystallization and mitigates residual strain. The tensile strength and elongation of the FFDP-WAAM specimens reached 939.2 MPa and 9.0 %, respectively, whereas the CGT-WAAM specimens showed a lower tensile strength of 830 MPa and elongation of 9.2 %. The enhanced strength, fatigue life and microhardness of Ti-6Al-4V produced by FFDP-WAAM is ascribed to the refined grain-size distribution. Furthermore, the low Schmid factor (SF) distribution and the stable triangular structure of Category I α-clusters are anticipated to contribute to the increased strength of the FFDP-WAAM-fabricated wall.

A Chimera method for thermal part-scale metal additive manufacturing simulation

This paper presents a Chimera approach for the thermal problems in welding and metallic Additive Manufacturing (AM). In particular, a moving mesh is attached to the moving heat source while a fixed background mesh covers the rest of the computational domain. The thermal field of the moving mesh is solved in the heat source reference frame. The chosen framework to couple the solutions on both meshes is a non-overlapping Domain Decomposition (DD) with Neumann–Dirichlet transmission conditions.Increased steadiness and accuracy within the vicinity of the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) are the main advantages of this approach. The steadiness gain allows for the use of larger time steps, which is vital in AM applications and, in particular, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), where the disparity of time scales represents a major hurdle. Moreover, enhanced accuracy can be observed in the resulting morphology of the melt pool. It will be shown that the method addresses classical shortcomings pointed out by Goldak without requiring the use of an asymmetrical heat source profile.

Photopolymerization of Stainless Steel 420 Metal Suspension: Printing System and Process Development of Additive Manufacturing Technology toward High-Volume Production

As the metal additive manufacturing (AM) field evolves with an increasing demand for highly complex and customizable products, there is a critical need to close the gap in productivity between metal AM and traditional manufacturing (TM) processes such as continuous casting, machining, etc., designed for mass production. This paper presents the development of the scalable and expeditious additive manufacturing (SEAM) process, which hybridizes binder jet printing and stereolithography principles, and capitalizes on their advantages to improve productivity. The proposed SEAM process was applied to stainless steel 420 (SS420) and the processing conditions (green part printing, debinding, and sintering) were optimized. Finally, an SS420 turbine fabricated using these conditions successfully reached a relative density of 99.7%. The SEAM process is not only suitable for a high-volume production environment but is also capable of fabricating components with excellent accuracy and resolution. Once fully developed, the process is well-suited to bridge the productivity gap between metal AM and TM processes, making it an attractive candidate for further development and future commercialization as a feasible solution to high-volume production AM.

Exploring spatial beam shaping in laser powder bed fusion: High-fidelity simulation and in-situ monitoring

Laser beam shaping is a novel and relatively unexplored method for controlling the melt pool conditions during metal additive manufacturing (MAM) processes, but even so it still holds good promise for achieving site-specific tailored properties. In this work, a comprehensive numerical and experimental campaign is carried out to explore this subject within metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). More specifically, a multiphysics numerical model is implemented for simulating the heat and fluid flow conditions during LPBF of Ti6Al4V using arbitrary circular beam shapes with various power distributions spanning from a pure Gaussian beam to a pure ring beam profile. The model is subsequently coupled with cellular automata to describe the beam shape effects on the microstructure evolution. Model validation is carried out in a two-fold manner. First, we compare the predicted melt pool cross-section with the one from ex-situ single track experiments, and we find a deviation of less than 9 % in melt pool dimensions. Secondly, advanced in-situ X-ray monitoring is carried out to unravel the melt pool dynamics and we find that the predicted morphology closely matches the in-situ X-ray results. Moreover, it is shown that at lower laser power, a bulge of liquid metal forms at the center of the melt pool when employing ring profiles, and this is ascribed to the absence of recoil pressure at the center of the ring beam. Furthermore, increasing the laser power seems to destabilize the melt pool regime, as the central bulge transforms into a liquid metal jet that periodically collapses and breaks up into hot spatter. Based on the results, we believe that our multiphysics modelling methodology, opens up new pathways for predicting how laser beam shaping influences porosity, surface roughness as well as microstructure formation in LPBF processes.

Multivariate process capability analysis for evaluating metal additive manufacturing via electron beam melting

Abstract Electron beam melting (EBM) as one of the relatively new metal AM techniques showed promising and increasing applications. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the quality of the EBM process using its critical quality characteristics. However, EBM and different AM process parts have many functionally or statistically correlated quality characteristics. Consequently, the quality characteristics of the EBM process should be evaluated together. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the quality of the EBM process using a multivariate process capability index (MPCI). In this study, the dimensional accuracy in different directions is considered as a quality characteristics. The proposed methodology involves producing a large sample of small specimens of square shape using EBM technology. Three critical dimensions of the specimen in the X, Y, and Z axis are investigated as quality characteristics. The dimensions of quality characteristics are measured using a precise measurement device. The normality and stability assumptions of the collected data are investigated using skewness measure, and multivariate process control chart respectively. Then a large sample of the multivariate normal data is simulated using computer software to estimate the percent of nonconforming (PNC) from the established specification limits, which is used to estimate MPCI. Finally, the capable tolerance of the process is estimated and the sensitivity analysis of variation is investigated. The results show the capability of the EBM process under different specification limits designations. Estimating MPCI revealed that the EBM process is capable under very coarse limits only. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis showed that variation in quality characteristics data is very sensitive for MPCI estimation, especially variation in width quality characteristic.

High efficiency and circular polarization in SATCOM phased arrays using tri-ridge apertures

A new antenna array architecture is proposed here to overcome a current bottleneck in phased arrays concerning the enhancement of radiation efficiency and avoidance of scan blindness. In contrast to the conventional approach of using patches with circular or square geometries that exploit 90∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^\\circ$$\\end{document} or 180∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^\\circ$$\\end{document} rotational symmetry, this work proposes to use waveguide radiating elements based on 120∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^\\circ$$\\end{document} symmetry. To implement such symmetry, the tri-ridge aperture is proposed, and its capability to scan widely within a broad frequency bandwidth is demonstrated. A modal analysis is performed to explain the physical phenomena underlying such superior performance. A successful experimental validation is provided by means of a monolithic prototype built in metal additive manufacturing. The measured results show, for the first time, that it is possible to achieve high radiation efficiency and circular polarization when scanning widely in a broad bandwidth. Such an accomplishment constitutes a major achievement in the field of active electronically steered phased arrays, and impacts significantly the capabilities and potential of modern radar and communication systems.

Sub-surface thermal measurement in additive manufacturing via machine learning-enabled high-resolution fiber optic sensing

Microstructures of additively manufactured metal parts are crucial since they determine the mechanical properties. The evolution of the microstructures during layer-wise printing is complex due to continuous re-melting and reheating effects. The current approach to studying this phenomenon relies on time-consuming numerical models such as finite element analysis due to the lack of effective sub-surface temperature measurement techniques. Attributed to the miniature footprint, chirped-fiber Bragg grating, a unique type of fiber optical sensor, has great potential to achieve this goal. However, using the traditional demodulation methods, its spatial resolution is limited to the millimeter level. In addition, embedding it during laser additive manufacturing is challenging since the sensor is fragile. This paper implements a machine learning-assisted approach to demodulate the optical signal to thermal distribution and significantly improve spatial resolution to 28.8 µm from the original millimeter level. A sensor embedding technique is also developed to minimize damage to the sensor and part while ensuring close contact. The case study demonstrates the excellent performance of the proposed sensor in measuring sharp thermal gradients and fast cooling rates during the laser powder bed fusion. The developed sensor has a promising potential to study the fundamental physics of metal additive manufacturing processes.

A novel data-driven framework for enhancing the consistency of deposition contours and mechanical properties in metal additive manufacturing

The accuracy and quality of part formation are crucial considerations. However, the laser directed energy deposition (L-DED) process often leads to irregular changes in deposition contours and mechanical properties across parts due to complex flow fields and temperature variations. Hence, to ensure the forming accuracy and quality, it is necessary to achieve precise monitoring and appropriate parameter adjustments during the processing. In this study, a machine vision method for real-time monitoring is proposed, which combines target tracking and image processing techniques to achieve accurate recognition of deposition contours under noisy conditions. Through comparative verification, the measurement accuracy reaches as high as 98.98 %. Leveraging the monitoring information, a bidirectional prediction neural network is proposed to accomplish layer-by-layer forward prediction of layer height. Meanwhile, inverse prediction is employed to determine the processing parameters required for achieving the desired layer height, facilitating the optimization of the deposition contours. It was found that as the processing parameters were adjusted layer-by-layer to achieve consistent deposition contours, there was also a tendency towards consistent changes in microstructure and mechanical properties. The standard deviations of primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) at different positions decrease by over 52.2 % and 61.4 %, respectively. This study reveals the consistent patterns of variation in deposition contours and mechanical properties under data-driven variable parameter processing, laying an important foundation for future exploration of the complex process-structure-performance (PSP) relationship in L-DED.

Biocompatibility Evaluation of an Artificial Metallic Bone with Lattice Structure for Reconstruction of Bone Defect.

Mandibular reconstruction for large bone defects is performed with consideration of patients' specific morphology and sufficient strength. Metal additive manufacturing techniques have been used to develop biomaterials for mandibular reconstruction. Titanium artificial mandibles with a lattice structure have been proposed, and the optimal conditions for their strength to withstand mechanical stress around the mandible have been reported. This study investigated the biocompatibility of a titanium artificial bone with a lattice structure fabricated under optimal conditions. The samples were fabricated using metal additive manufacturing. Body diagonals with nodes (BDN) were selected as suitable lattice structures. Dode medium (DM) was selected for comparison. The samples were implanted into rabbit tibial defects and resected with the surrounding bone at two and four weeks. Specimens were evaluated radiographically, histologically, and histomorphometrically. Radiopacity in each lattice structure was observed at two and four weeks. Histological evaluation showed trabecular bone-like tissue inside the BDN compared to the DM at four weeks. No significant differences were noted in the bone volume inside the structures. This study demonstrated the in vivo compatibility of artificial metallic bones with a BDN structure under mechanical stress conditions.

Experimental insights into the supersonic close-coupled atomization process employed for metal powder production

The growing demand for high-quality metal powders as the raw product for metal additive manufacturing requires a better understanding of the physics involved in their production by means of supersonic close-coupled atomization. However, so far, the dominant breakup mechanisms have neither been identified nor theoretically described, hampering the development of suitable atomization models.In this experimental study, the spray produced by a generic supersonic close-coupled atomizer operated with water and air is visualized for a wide range of set points of operation. High-speed imaging is used to observe the primary atomization in a time-resolved manner. The secondary atomization is captured with a high spatial resolution employing double-frame imaging and an ultra-short illumination time, which additionally allows for the evaluation of the liquid motion and velocity.The primary atomization is shown to be governed by the interaction between the liquid jet and the recirculating gas flow in the wake downstream of the liquid nozzle, resulting in the liquid being driven into the surrounding high-velocity gas jet. The initial secondary atomization is found to be due to the violent interaction within the forming shear layer of the gas jet. Notably, a novel breakup mechanism based on the upstream formation of detached bow shocks is observed.