Additive Manufacturing
Module 2, Part 3
Powder Based Additive
Manufacturing
As shown in Fig. model material in powder
form (mean diameter ranges from a few
tens of microns to a few hundred microns)
is fed into and spread on a build plate
driven by a Z-positioning stage by a blade
or a wiper mechanism.
Layer height is an important factor
The height of a powder layer is typically in the powder bed fusion process,
between a few tens of microns to just along with other parameters
below 100 microns in metal systems and
energy beam geometry, power, as
between 50μm and 150 microns in
polymer systems. well as powder particle size and
size distribution.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
In the powder bed process the laser exposure
is typically adjusted such that a certain depth
in the previous layer is melted to allow full
fusion of each layer into the previous. As a
result, the properties of the finished part are
less directional as compared with those in
FDM technology.
The powder bed process is capable of processing a wide range of materials
including plastics, elastomers, metals, ceramics, and composites. Depending on
the materials used, the desired property, structure, and the limitations of
systems used, several variations of process can be implemented.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
When metals are used, two variations are
possible: SLS and Selective Laser Melting
(SLM).
In SLS, the powder particles do not fully melt,
but are heated by the energy beam to a high
enough temperature to allow solid-state
diffusion and bonding of powder particles into
a porous layer.
Alternatively, a thermoplastic binder solid is mixed into the model material
powder to create a mixture and allow the binder material to be heated by the
energy beam to bind the metal powder particles together. This method is
typically used in ceramics when re-melting of material is not possible.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
When metals are used, two variations are
possible: SLS and Selective Laser Melting
(SLM).
In SLS, the powder particles do not fully melt,
but are heated by the energy beam to a high
enough temperature to allow solid-state
diffusion and bonding of powder particles
into a porous layer.
Alternatively, a thermoplastic binder solid is mixed into the model material
powder to create a mixture and allow the binder material to be heated by the
energy beam to bind the metal powder particles together. This method is
typically used in ceramics when re-melting of material is not possible.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
Developed at the University of Texas at Austin, USA,
selective laser sintering (SLS) was the first
commercialized PBF process.
PBF processes which utilize lasers are known as
laser sintering (LS) machines.
Polymer laser sintering (pLS) machines and metal
laser sintering (mLS) machines are significantly
different from each other.
In addition, as electron beam and other thermal sources require significantly
different machine architectures than laser sintering machines.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
LS processes were originally developed to
produce plastic prototypes using a point-wise
laser scanning technique.
This approach was subsequently extended to
metal and ceramic powders.
The part building process takes place inside an
enclosed chamber filled with nitrogen gas to
minimize oxidation and degradation of the
powdered material.
The powder in the build platform is maintained at an elevated temperature
(using infrared heaters or resistive heaters) just below the melting point and/or
glass transition temperature of the powdered material.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
For polymers appropriate powder layer is
formed and preheated, a focused CO2 laser
beam is directed onto the powder bed and is
moved in such a way that it thermally fuses the
material.
Surrounding powder remains loose and serves
as support for subsequent layers, thus
eliminating the need for the secondary
supports which are necessary for vat
photopolymerization processes.
A cool-down period is typically required to allow the parts to uniformly come
to a low-enough temperature that they can be handled and exposed to
ambient temperature and atmosphere.
Powder Based Additive Manufacturing
If the parts and/or powder bed are
prematurely exposed to ambient temperature
and atmosphere, the powders may degrade in
the presence of oxygen and parts may warp
due to uneven thermal contraction.
Finally, the parts are removed from the powder
bed, loose powder is cleaned off the parts, and
further finishing operations, if necessary, are
performed.
Powder Fusion Mechanisms
Powder fusion Mechanisms are,
1. Solid-State Sintering
2. Chemically Induced Binding
3. Liquid-Phase Sintering (LPS), and
4. Full Melting.
Most commercial processes utilize primarily LPS and melting.
Solid-State Sintering