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In the optimisation of processing parameters for additive manufactured parts using, e.g. selective laser melting (SLM) or electron beam melting, the measurement of the part densities is essential and of high interest. However, there is no common standard. Different institutes and system providers are using their own principles and guidelines. This study investigates the accuracies of the three measurement principles: Archimedes method, microscopic analysis of cross sections and X‐ray scanning.

A total of 15 test samples on five density levels (densities between 90 and 99.5 per cent) were produced using the SLM process. The samples are analysed regarding the accuracy of the measurement principles and their reproducibility taking into account influencing parameters like the buoyancy of a sample in air (Archimedes method) or different magnifications of a cross section.

The Archimedes method shows a very high accuracy (±0.08 per cent for high densities) and repeatability (±<0.1 per cent) on all density levels. In contrast to the Archimedes method, taking a micrograph of a specific cross section allows to influence the resulting density and the coefficient of variation reaches values>4 per cent. However, for low porosities, mean densities are comparable to the results of the Archimedes method even though calculated densities are typically somewhat too high. The advantage of the image guided analysis (2D and 3D) is getting more information about the distribution, size and form of pores in the part.

The findings do not only refer to metallic parts but generally to all parts having a specific porosity. The study is a contribution to the American Society for Testing and Materials initiative F42 “Additive Manufacturing Technology” and especially to the subcommittee “test methods”.

In binder jetting, the interaction between the liquid binder droplets and the powder particles defines the shape of the printed primitives. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction of the relative size of powder particles and binder droplets and the subsequent effects on macro-scale part properties.

The effects of different particle size distribution (5–25 µm and 15–45 µm) of stainless steel 316 L powders and droplet sizes (10 and 30 pL) on part density, shrinkage, mechanical strength, pore morphology and distribution are investigated. Experimental samples were fabricated in two different layer thicknesses (50 and 100 µm).

While 15–45 µm samples demonstrated higher green density (53.10 ± 0.25%) than 5–25 µm samples (50.31 ± 1.06%), higher sintered densities were achieved in 5–25 µm samples (70.60 ± 6.18%) compared to 15–45 µm samples (65.23 ± 3.24%). Samples of 5–25 µm also demonstrated superior ultimate tensile strength (94.66 ± 25.92 MPa) compared to 15–45 µm samples (39.34 ± 7.33 MPa). Droplet size effects were found to be negligible on both green and sintered densities; however, specimens printed with 10-pL droplets had higher ultimate tensile strength (79.70 ± 42.31 MPa) compared to those made from 30-pL droplets (54.29 ± 23.35 MPa).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper details the first report of the combined effects of different particle size distribution with different binder droplet sizes on the part macro-scale properties. The results can inform appropriate process parameters to achieve desired final part properties.

The purpose of this paper is to compare different powder metallurgy (PM) processes to produce ceramic parts through additive manufacturing (AM). This creates the potential to rapidly shape ceramic parts with an almost unlimited shape freedom. In this paper, alumina (Al₂O₃) parts are produced, as Al₂O₃ is currently the most commonly used ceramic material for technical applications.

Variants of the following PM route, with indirect selective laser sintering (indirect SLS) as the AM shaping step, are explored to produce ceramic parts: powder synthesis, indirect SLS, binder removal and furnace sintering and alternative densification steps.

Freeform-shaped Al₂O₃ parts with densities up to approximately 90 per cent are obtained.

The resulting Al₂O₃ parts contain inter-agglomerate pores. To produce higher-quality ceramic parts through indirect SLS, these pores should be avoided or eliminated.

The research is innovative in many ways. First, composite powders are produced using different powder production methods, such as temperature-induced phase separation and dispersion polymerization. Second, four different binder materials are investigated: polyamide (nylon-12), polystyrene, polypropylene and a carnauba wax – low-density polyethylene combination. Further, to produce ceramic parts with increased density, the following densification techniques are investigated as additional steps of the PM process: laser remelting, isostatic pressing and infiltration.

The purpose of this paper is to assess a new powder metallurgy process to make alumina parts through indirect selective laser sintering (SLS). Density measurements, some geometrical assessments and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructural analyses are performed after each stage of the process, allowing an objective overview to be provided of the challenges and possibilities for the processing of high density technical ceramic parts through SLS of ball milled alumina/polyamide powder agglomerates.

The powder production by ball milling, SLS, cold isostatic pressing (CIP) or quasi isostatic pressing (QIP), debinding and sintering (FS) stages of the powder metallurgy process were sequentially investigated.

Alumina parts with a density up to 94.1 per cent could be produced by a powder metallurgy process containing an SLS step. Microstructural investigation of the sintered samples reveals an alumina matrix with a grain size of ∼5 μm and two different kinds of pore morphologies, i.e. long elongated pores, which stem from the intergranular spacings during SLS, and intermediate pores, which likely originate from larger polyamide agglomerates in the ball milled powder. Also, QIPing at elevated temperatures is found to be a promising alternative for CIPing at room temperature to increase the final part density.

Cracks, long elongated pores and intermediate pores remained in the sintered parts. Homogenizing the microstructure of the parts through optimizing the composite starting powder, the deposition during SLS, the SLS parameters and QIPing parameters is essential to overcome these limitations.

Homogenizing the starting powder mixture and the microstructure of the SLS material is the key issue for producing ceramic parts through indirect SLS.

Indirect SLS of ceramics has hardly been reported and the combined use of SLS and QIPing is innovative in the field of indirect SLS of ceramics.

The effect of powder bed temperature setting on the prediction of density of sintered parts produced by the selective laser sintering (SLS) process is reported. A crystalline polymer, nylon‐12 – commercially named Duraform polyamide – has been used in this work. To study the effect of the powder bed temperature, a two‐dimensional model of the sintering process for crystalline polymers has been developed. Latent heat has been considered in the model. Three powder bed temperature settings, 174, 178 and 182^○C, have been applied to study their effect on the sintered parts’ density and size accuracy. This paper only reports on density. Results show that at a powder bed temperature of 182^○C, a fully solid density, 970kg/m³, can be obtained at a default energy density of 0.0284J/mm². By reducing powder bed temperature to 178^○C, at the same energy density, density of a sintered part decreases by about 4 per cent.

The purpose of this paper is to improve the performance and quality of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated by laser powder bed fusion.

Single-track experiments were conducted during the fabrication process to obtain the single tracks with excellent wettability to narrow the process parameter window. The effects of process parameters on the build surface, cross-section, relative density, defects, surface roughness, microstructure and mechanical properties of the parts were analyzed through multilayer fabrication experiments and surface optimization experiments.

The point distance has the greatest influence on the build surface of the fabricated parts, and the unmelted defects can be eliminated when the point distance is 35 µm. The relative density of the fabricated parts decreased with the increase of the point distance, and the hatch spacing has different characteristics with respect to the relative density of the fabricated parts under different laser powers. It was observed that the most of experimental groups with higher relative densities than 99%, and the highest density could reach 99.99%. The surface roughness can be reduced to less than 10 µm through remelting optimization.

The research results can provide theoretical support for scientific researchers and data support for engineers.

This study aims to experimentally investigate the effect of the powder material characteristics on the qualities of the binder jetting additive manufacturing parts both before and after post processing (sintering).

Three different types of the 316L stainless steel powder feedstock with various mean particle sizes and size distributions were studied. The influence of the powder particle size distributions and pore sizes on the powder bed packing densities and on the dynamics of the binder droplet-powder bed interactions were characterized. In addition, the surface roughness and densities of these parts both in the green state and after sintering were studied.

The results revealed the significant role of the powder feedstock characteristics on the liquid binder/powder bed interaction and consequently on the dimensional accuracies of the green parts. It was observed that the parts printed with the smaller mean particle sizes resulted in better surface finish and higher final densities after sintering. Furthermore, the hardness of the sintered parts produced with smaller powder particles exhibited higher values compared to the parts fabricated with the larger particles. On the other hand, larger particle sizes are advantageous for various green part qualities including the dimensional accuracies, green part densities and surface roughness.

This study establishes more comprehensive correlations between the powder feedstock characteristics and various quality criteria of the printed binder jetting components in both green and sintered states. These correlation are of critical importance in choosing the optimal process parameters for a given material system.

Gives a brief overview of post‐processing of selective laser sintered (SLS) metal parts to improve structural integrity and/or to induce a material transformation. Presents results which show the effect of post‐processing liquid phase sintering temperature and time on material properties. Describes the hot isostatic pressing process, and discusses its application to SLS metal parts. Results gained from using this process show that it is suitable for achieving almost full‐density parts.

The selective laser sintering (SLS) process is used to prepare test bars from Al₂O₃/polymer binder powders. Finds that binder‐coated A1₂O₃ particles formed bars that were approximately twice as strong as could be formed from mixtures of alumina and polymer binder at the same binder level and processing conditions. In mixed systems, bar strengths increased nearly in proportion to increases in polymer binder content over the 20‐40 per cent volume binder range. Parts made in any particular laser scanning mode showed optimum values for strength and density as the laser energy density was systematically increased from 2‐8cal/cm². Suggests that optima result from the counteracting influences of energy density on binder fusion and thermal degradation. The optimum energy density is mode or geometry sensitive and shifts to lower values as the laser scanning vector is reduced. Concludes that this behaviour is probably the result of the lower heat losses. Equivalently better utilization of laser energy is associated with the shorter scan vectors. Some of the SLS fabricated bars were infiltrated with colloidal alumina, fired to remove the binder, and sintered at 1,600°C to achieve alumina bars with 50 per cent relative densities, interconnected porosity, and strengths between 2 and 8MPa.

The aim of this research is to reach a deep understanding on the effect of the process parameters of Direct Metal Laser Sintering process (DMLS) on macroscopic properties (hardness and density) of AlSi10Mg parts and resulting microstructure.

A full factorial design of experiment (DOE) was applied to determine the most significant process parameter influencing macroscopic properties of AlSi10Mg parts manufactured by DMLS process. The analysis aims to define the optimum process parameters and deduce the process window that provides better macroscopic properties of AlSi10Mg parts. Optical microscopy observations are carried out to link the microstructure to macroscopic properties.

Macroscopic properties of DMLS parts are influenced by the change in process parameters. There is a close correlation between the geometry of scan tracks and macroscopic properties of AlSi10Mg parts manufactured by DMLS process.

The knowledge of utilizing optimized process parameters is important to fabricate DMLS parts with better mechanical properties. The present research based on applying experimental design is the first analysis for AlSi10Mg parts produced in DMLS process.