Authors:
Aurelien Neveu (1), Filip Francqui (1)
1- Granutools,Awans, Belgium
Abstract:
A good powder spreadability is essential in powder bed-based processes to ensure the production of smooth and homogeneous layers during recoating. However, the evaluation of the spreadability inside the printer requires a sufficiently large batch to fill the machine and is a very time-consuming process, especially the cleaning of the machine. Therefore, having a simple way to predict the spreadability beforehand should drastically reduce the cost at the powder selection stage. In this study, we show that a good correlation is found between the Cohesive Index metric evaluated in a rotating drum and the quality of the layer deposited in a SLM printer (SLM280, SLM Solutions). A wide range of metal powders of different materials and particle sizes have been characterized in the rotating drum. In addition, layers have been produced in the printer and analyzed with an image processing algorithm to obtain a measure of the spreadability.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/EP246283045
