Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference - MAMC 2021

A powder atomization plant for the production of high-quality metal powder for Additive Manufacturing (AM) was developed at SMS group. Low cost and simultaneously highest quality powders are key enablers for AM on its way to the next revolution in manufacturing. SMS strives for highest availability, productivity and yield of the powder atomization process through implementation of data-driven...

Metal atomization is a multifaceted process as being represented by different technologies that allow for achieving input material for 3d metal printers, opening the door to new possibilities. The focus area of the 3D LAB company together with their own ATO technology of atomization using ultrasonic system and melting electric arc stand for the key to make the door widely-open while offering a...

It is now widely accepted that there is an urgent need for a test to determine if a powder can be spread in to thin layers, as it must be for powder bed additive manufacturing. There is not yet any accepted or standardised test for this behaviour. Several techniques have been proposed in the last few years, most based on automated film applicators. A layer can be formed using similar settings...

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) facilitates near-net-shape fabrication of geometrically complex tools. This leads to significantly reduced post-processing effort compared to conventional manufacturing, for example in the case of hobbing cutters. However, due to the high carbon equivalent of high-speed steels, cracking of the brittle carbon martensite is very likely during LPBF. In contrast,...

The provision of the metal raw material (due to a low product yield) and inert gas consumption are the main energy consumers in powder production for additive processes. In standard gas atomization processes, any effort to produce finer powder (to increase product yield) is achieved by increasing inert gas consumption.

In order to decrease the carbon footprint of additively manufactured...

A continuous growth for high quality metal powders in Additive Manufacturing applications forced INTECO to develop a novel vacuum inert gas atomization system, as standard atomization equipment has not seen major developments or improvements to fulfill the demanding tasks from the industry. The new system is characterized by special features which are supposed to overcome disadvantages of...

In Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), a significant amount of metallic powder is not melted by the laser beam. Costs and material yield strongly depend on the ability to reuse metal powder efficiently. However, some of the unfused powder is exposed to high temperatures during the manufacturing process in an imperfectly controlled atmosphere. Therefore, there is a need to study and understand...

In laser powder bed fusion processes, spreading as dense and fully covered powder layers as possible is of crucial importance for good processability of powders. Poorly covered layers or layers with unappropriated features in it such as for instance elongated, powderless craters in the direction of spreading might result in insufficient quality of the printed parts. The reason for this could...

Bioresorbable materials for use in medical implants are attracting interest in current research projects. Recent studies show promising results for Zinc-Magnesium (ZnMgx) alloys as biodegradable materials due to the combination of degradation rate and high strength resulting from grain refinement due to magnesium addition. By using Additive Manufacturing (AM), complex scaffold-like structures...

Most alloys used in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) are conventional materials, which were designed for specific conventional processes and their constraints. These alloys are not capable to adapt to the special conditions in LPBF process e.g. the rapid solidification and cyclic heat treatments. Therefore, thermodynamic simulations are used to design new alloys for additive manufacturing (AM)....

Stainless steel (SS) of type 316L is one of the go-to materials for metal additive manufacturing (AM), due to its good weldability. As-printed 316L SS made by AM has unconventionally good mechanical properties exhibiting both high strength and high ductility. However, the corrosion resistance is inadequate, and not on par with conventional 316L. Our research team has demonstrated proof of...