Additive manufacturing 

About: Additive manufacturing is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Microstructure & Ultimate tensile strength. It has an ISSN identifier of 2214-7810. Over the lifetime, 3069 publications have been published receiving 100292 citations.

Reducing porosity in AlSi10Mg parts processed by selective laser melting

Abstract: Selective laser melting (SLM) is widely gaining popularity as an alternative manufacturing technique for complex and customized parts. SLM is a near net shape process with minimal post processing machining required dependent upon final application. The fact that SLM produces little waste and enables more optimal designs also raises opportunities for environmental advantages. The use of aluminium (Al) alloys in SLM is still quite limited due to difficulties in processing that result in parts with high degrees of porosity. However, Al alloys are favoured in many high-end applications for their exceptional strength and stiffness to weight ratio meaning that they are extensively used in the automotive and aerospace industries. This study investigates the windows of parameters required to produce high density parts from AlSi10Mg alloy using selective laser melting. A compromise between the different parameters and scan strategies was achieved and used to produce parts achieving a density of 99.8%.

Mechanical characterization of 3D-printed polymers

Abstract: 3D printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing (AM), is already being adopted for rapid prototyping and soon rapid manufacturing. This review provides a brief discussion about AM and also the most employed AM technologies for polymers. The commonly-used ASTM and ISO mechanical test standards which have been used by various research groups to test the strength of the 3D-printed parts have been reported. Also, a summary of an exhaustive amount of literature regarding the mechanical properties of 3D-printed parts is included, specifically, properties under different loading types such as tensile, bending, compressive, fatigue, impact and others. Properties at low temperatures have also been discussed. Further, the effects of fillers as well as post-processing on the mechanical properties have also been discussed. Lastly, several important questions to consider in the standardization of mechanical test methods have been raised.

An overview of Direct Laser Deposition for additive manufacturing; Part I: Transport phenomena, modeling and diagnostics

Abstract: Laser-based additive manufacturing (LBAM) processes can be utilized to generate functional parts (or prototypes) from the ground-up via layer-wise cladding – providing an opportunity to generate complex-shaped, functionally graded or custom-tailored parts that can be utilized for a variety of engineering applications. Directed Energy Deposition (DED), utilizes a concentrated heat source, which may be a laser or electron beam, with in situ delivery of powder- or wire-shaped material for subsequent melting to accomplish layer-by-layer part fabrication or single-to-multi layer cladding/repair. Direct Laser Deposition (DLD), a form of DED, has been investigated heavily in the last several years as it provides the potential to (i) rapidly prototype metallic parts, (ii) produce complex and customized parts, (iii) clad/repair precious metallic components and (iv) manufacture/repair in remote or logistically weak locations. DLD and Powder Bed Fusion-Laser (PBF-L) are two common LBAM processes for additive metal part fabrication and are currently demonstrating their ability to revolutionize the manufacturing industry; breaking barriers imposed via traditional, ‘subtractive’ metalworking processes. This article provides an overview of the major advancements, challenges and physical attributes related to DLD, and is one of two Parts focused specifically on DLD. Part I (this article) focuses on describing the thermal/fluidic phenomena during the powder-fed DLD process, while Part II focuses on the mechanical properties and microstructure of parts manufactured via DLD. In this current article, a selection of recent research efforts – including methodology, models and experimental results – will be provided in order to educate the reader of the thermal/fluidic processes that occur during DLD, as well as providing important background information relevant to DLD as a whole. The thermal/fluid phenomena inherent to DLD directly influence the solidification heat transfer which thus impacts the part's microstructure and associated thermo-mechanical properties. A thorough understanding of the thermal/fluid aspects inherent to DLD is vital for optimizing the DLD process and ensuring consistent, high-quality parts.

Analysis of defect generation in Ti–6Al–4V parts made using powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes

Abstract: Ti–6Al–4V parts made using additive manufacturing processes such as selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM) are subject to the inclusion of defects. This study purposely fabricated Ti–6Al–4V samples with defects by varying process parameters from the factory default settings in both SLM and EBM systems. Process parameters are classified according to their tendency to create certain types of porosity. Finally, defect characteristics are discussed with respect to defect generation mechanisms; and effective process windows for SLM and EBM system are discussed.

An overview of Direct Laser Deposition for additive manufacturing; Part II: Mechanical behavior, process parameter optimization and control

Abstract: The mechanical behavior, and thus ‘trustworthiness’/durability, of engineering components fabricated via laser-based additive manufacturing (LBAM) is still not well understood. This is adversely affecting the continual adoption of LBAM for part fabrication/repair within the global industry at large. Hence, it is important to determine the mechanical properties of parts fabricated via LBAM as to predict their performance while in service. This article is part of two-part series that provides an overview of Direct Laser Deposition (DLD) for additive manufacturing (AM) of functional parts. The first part (Part I) provides a general overview of the thermo-fluid physics inherent to the DLD process. The objective of this current article (Part II) is to provide an overview of the mechanical characteristics and behavior of metallic parts fabricated via DLD, while also discussing methods to optimize and control the DLD process. Topics to be discussed include part microstructure, tensile properties, fatigue behavior and residual stress – specifically with their relation to DLD and post-DLD process parameters (e.g. heat treatment, machining). Methods for controlling/optimizing the DLD process for targeted part design will be discussed – with an emphasis on monitored part temperature and/or melt pool morphology. Some future challenges for advancing the knowledge in AM-part adoption are discussed. Despite various research efforts into DLD characteristics and process optimization, it is clear that there are still many areas that require further investigation.