A practicable and reliable test for metal powder spreadability: development of test and analysis technique

A practicable and reliable test for metal powder spreadability : development of test and analysis technique

QC 20230524
A crucial step in the powder bed metal additive manufacturing process is the formation of a thin layer of powder on top of the existing material. The propensity of the powder to form thin layers under the conditions used in additive manufacturing is critically important, but no test method has yet been established to measure this characteristic, which is sometimes referred to as spreadability. The current work spreads a single layer of powder using commercial equipment from the paint and food industries and derives the density of a layer of powder, which is of a similar thickness to that in additive manufacturing. Twenty-four powders from eight suppliers have been tested and the density of the layers has been measured as a function of various parameters. Twenty-two of the powders successfully form thin layers, with a density of at least 40% of each powder’s apparent density. Hall flow time did not correlate with the spread layer density, although the two powders that did not spread did not pass through the Hall funnel. The roughness of the plate onto which the powder was spread, the recoater speed, the layer thickness, particle size and aspect ratio all affect the measured layer density. Results of the new test are repeatable and reproducible. These findings can be used to develop a test for spreadability for metal powders that can be used for additive manufacturing, which will help to improve the quality of printed components.

In:Progress in Additive Manufacturing: Springer Nature8:3, s. 505-5172363-95122363-9520

By the author/editor: Hulme-Smith, Chr ...; Mellin, P.; Marchetti, Loren ...; Hari, Vignesh; Uhlirsch, M.; Strandh, E.; show more...; Saeidi, K.; Dubiez-Le Goff, ...; Saleem, S.; Pettersson, V.; Memarpour, A.; Jakobsson, K.; Meurling, F.; show less...

About the subject

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY: ENGINEERING AND ...; and Materials Engine ...; and Metallurgy and M ...

Kungliga biblioteket hanterar dina personuppgifter i enlighet med EU:s dataskyddsförordning (2018), GDPR. Läs mer om hur det funkar här.
Så här hanterar KB dina uppgifter vid användning av denna tjänst.