Investigating Powder Bed Printing Parameters on Metal Parts Thermal/Mechanical Properties
Ali – Idaho State University
Research Overview
In laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing processes, layers of powder are raked or rolled on a build plate and selectively melted using energy from a laser beam. The process can create metal parts with intricate geometries that are difficult or impossible to make using conventional techniques. LPBF is employed in aerospace and defense, and has recently been proposed for making advanced nuclear reactor parts.
Several challenges induce multi-scale flaw formation, including surface inhomogeneous microstructure, porosity, cracking and distortion, residual stress, poor surface roughness, and geometric flaws. Understanding the effects of printing parameters such as laser beam power and scanning speed on surface defects is crucial. Surface defects will be quantified and related to these parameters through measurements of surface energy, wettability, thermal conductivity, and mechanical tests.
Research Overview
Working in collaboration with staff at Idaho National Laboratory and Boise State University, students will participate in three key areas: (1) Additive manufacturing — learning from sample design and optimization through down-selection of printing parameters; (2) Surface Characterization using state-of-the-art tools including Goniometer (contact angle), surface profilometer (roughness), and SEM imaging; (3) Performing thermal conductivity and mechanical testing for a series of samples, comparing results to traditionally machined samples.
Students will also perform data analysis to understand the relationship between surface flaw formation, wettability measurements, and printing parameters to fine-tune and optimize the fabrication process.