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Published December 25, 2021 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Multi-faceted monitoring of powder flow rate variability in directed energy deposition

  • 1. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK

Description

Powder flow rate is a key parameter in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes. During a typical build, if powder flow rate is reduced for just 1 second, 30 mm of melt track is affected. Consequently, even a small variation in powder flow rate can have significant implications on build quality. In this work, the powder flow stability for different types of 316 L steel powders was quantified using a combination of methodologies including offline weight measurements, flow imaging, in-situ build data and coaxial melt pool imaging. Flow rate oscillation was observed, correlated with the periodicity of powder hopper turntable rotation, at sufficient magnitude to cause build quality effects and be identifiable in coaxial melt pool imaging. The implications of flow rate variation on the use of melt pool imaging for closed-loop control are discussed.

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Multi-faceted monitoring of powder flow rate variability in directed energy deposition.pdf

Additional details

Funding

INTEGRADDE – Intelligent data-driven pipeline for the manufacturing of certified metal parts through Direct Energy Deposition processes 820776
European Commission