Analysis and Method to Increase the Productivity of Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metals
Buch in deiner Nähe kaufen
Beschreibung
Additive manufacturing offers promising solutions to challenges in modern industries. Powder bed fusion with a laser beam for metals (PBF-LB/M) has reached high maturity, enabling decentralized, on-demand production of high-performance components that helps mitigate supply chain disruptions.
A key advantage of PBF-LB/M is its exceptional design freedom, enabling the tool-less fabrication of complex geometries—such as topology-optimized lightweight designs or patient-specific medical implants—that cannot be realized with conventional methods. This reduces manufacturing steps and material waste, making it widely used in aerospace and medical technology.
Despite these advantages, PBF-LB/M faces significant challenges in quality, time efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Long process times lead to high production costs, limiting competitiveness at high volumes. Increasing productivity without compromising quality is essential for broader industrialization.
This work optimizes the theoretical build rate for AlSi10Mg using a ring-shaped laser intensity distribution combined with high laser power. The optimized process achieved a 233% increase in build rate—from 10.8 mm³/s to 36 mm³/s—compared to a Gaussian reference process at 370 W. Economic analysis on an EOS M290 with 60 µm layer thickness revealed a maximum reduction of ~70% in process time and cost, with realistic savings of 50–65% under optimal conditions.
About the author
Gefei Li studied Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at RWTH Aachen University and the University of California, Davis. His research at the Fraunhofer Institute IAPT and Hamburg University of Technology focused on PBF-LB/M process and product development.
Additive manufacturing offers promising solutions to challenges in modern industries. Powder bed fusion with a laser beam for metals (PBF-LB/M) has reached high maturity, enabling decentralized, on-demand production of high-performance components that helps mitigate supply chain disruptions.
A key advantage of PBF-LB/M is its exceptional design freedom, enabling the tool-less fabrication of complex geometries—such as topology-optimized lightweight designs or patient-specific medical implants—that cannot be realized with conventional methods. This reduces manufacturing steps and material waste, making it widely used in aerospace and medical technology.
Despite these advantages, PBF-LB/M faces significant challenges in quality, time efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Long process times lead to high production costs, limiting competitiveness at high volumes. Increasing productivity without compromising quality is essential for broader industrialization.
This work optimizes the theoretical build rate for AlSi10Mg using a ring-shaped laser intensity distribution combined with high laser power. The optimized process achieved a 233% increase in build rate—from 10.8 mm³/s to 36 mm³/s—compared to a Gaussian reference process at 370 W. Economic analysis on an EOS M290 with 60 µm layer thickness revealed a maximum reduction of ~70% in process time and cost, with realistic savings of 50–65% under optimal conditions.
Analyses PBF‑LB/M with high laser power and a ring‑shaped beam profile Expands the process window toward ultra‑high scan speeds Enables direct transferability to industrial applications
Autor*in
Gefei Li
Themen in »Analysis and Method to Increase the Productivity of Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metals«
Additive manufacturing Beamshaping Productivity Metal 3D Printing Ring-mode Laser PBF-LB/M Process Development Laser Power Powder Bed Fusion of Metals