An Empirical Approach for the Development of Process Parameters for Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• Process Engineering

Background:

• Material selection is limited in additive manufacturing, particularly for powder bed technologies.
• Developing process parameters for new alloys is complex and lacks standardized procedures.
• Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) requires elaborate parameter optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel methodology for the initial development of process parameters for new L-PBF alloys.
• To establish a systematic approach for optimizing L-PBF process parameters.
• To enable efficient material development for L-PBF.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing single laser track experiments to analyze laser-powder-bed interaction.
• Employing an iterative Design of Experiments (DoE) approach for volumetric parameter development.
• Conducting one-dimensional parameter variation and metallographic investigations for near-surface properties.

Main Results:

• Single laser track experiments provide data on track dimensions, surface roughness, and melt pool characteristics.
• A defined process window is established by iteratively reducing parameters based on experimental data.
• Methodology facilitates identification of suitable parameters for production and measurement.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology offers a structured approach for initial L-PBF alloy parameter development.
• This method can be adapted for optimizing existing parameters for new targets like productivity or mechanical properties.
• The approach supports microstructural design and component-specific parameter optimization in L-PBF.