Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference 2018

The post-processing of AM metal parts is still an open issue and a crucial element in the process chain on the way to the use of additive manufacturing in industrial production. The 3D-printed metal parts leave the printer, independently from the way of printing in terms of LBM or EBM, with a whole bunch of support structures fixed to the part, adhering metal powder (especially in the case of EBM with a partly sintered powdercake) and a surface roughness that is about an order of magnitude too high for the technical application. All these issues have to be adressed by a proper post treatment of the printed metal parts. While mechanical methods are mostly work, time and cost intensive they also cannot provide a proper finishing on sterically hindered parts and inner surfaces. Here chemically based methods, such as the Hirtisation process, may provide a possibility that enables an integrated production process. While a printed part free of support structures and having a smooth surface might be ideal as prototype and demonstration part, real life industrial use brings additional issues that have to be adressed. While it is perfectly clear for classical produced metal components that wear and corrosion might affect the durability of the parts, such considerations have not yet found their way into the Additive Manufacturing world. This presentation gives a report of the results of different surface treatments of 3D-printed metal parts and will rise several questions regarding the post-finishing process including protective coatings and corrosion protection.