Wed, 04 January, 2023
We are delighted to provide the latest update from the UKRI-funded Scalable AM Rule Creation and Dissemination (SAMRCD) project in collaboration with Authentise, Photocentric and the Materials Processing Institute (MPI).
Powder characteristics can greatly be influenced by the surrounding environment, which ultimately affect the material properties, e.g. laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) parts. The SAMRCD project is looking into the L-PBF manufacturing cycle with particular focus on powder production and properties to assess the influence of powder characteristics and storage conditions on the as-built microstructure and mechanical properties for Alloy 718 material.
To this end, plasma atomised (PA) Alloy 718 powder was fully characterised and then exposed to conditioning trials using the recently acquired Weiss environmental chamber as shown in Figures 1 and 2, below.
Fig 1. Powder morphology of PA Alloy 718
Fig 2. Weiss environmental chamber
The preliminary results show a direct correlation between conditioning environment and hold time and powder flowability. In fact, extended conditioning time drastically impaired the powder flowability, demonstrating the importance of powder storage in guaranteeing adequate powder quality with minimal moisture content.
TWI is now working on establishing a new L-PBF process parameter window for conditioned Alloy 718 powder. Once parameters have been established, the microstructure of as-built virgin Alloy 718 will be compared with the conditioned ones.
We will be in touch soon to keep you updated on the project progress but, in the meantime, if you are interested in having more information on the project or on any other aspects related to it, please do not hesitate to contact us using the below contact email.
The SAMRCD Project has received funding by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under No. 10002048