A modular testbed for mechanized spreading of powder layers for additive manufacturing
Name
nihms-1664200.pdf
Description
Accepted version
Size
4.06 MB
Format
Unknown
Checksum (MD5)
bec141458a5d961ddb467afef037717e
Author(s)
Oropeza, Daniel
Roberts, R.
Hart, A. John
Date Issued
2021
Journal
Review of Scientific Instruments
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Citation
Oropeza, D, Roberts, R and Hart, AJ. 2021. "A modular testbed for mechanized spreading of powder layers for additive manufacturing." Review of Scientific Instruments, 92 (1).
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
© 2021 Author(s). Powder bed additive manufacturing (AM) processes, including binder jetting (BJAM) and powder bed fusion (PBF), can manufacture complex three-dimensional components from a variety of materials. A fundamental understanding of the spreading of thin powder layers is essential to develop robust process parameters for powder bed AM and to assess the influence of powder feedstock characteristics on the subsequent process outcomes. Toward meeting these needs, this work presents the design, fabrication, and qualification of a testbed for modular, mechanized, multi-layer powder spreading. The testbed is designed to replicate the operating conditions of commercial AM equipment, yet features full control over motion parameters including the translation and rotation of a roller spreading tool and precision motion of a feed piston and the build platform. The powder spreading mechanism is interchangeable and therefore can be customized, including the capability for dispensing of fine, cohesive powders using a vibrating hopper. Validation of the resolution and accuracy of the machine and its subsystems, as well as the spreading of exemplary layers from a range of powder sizes typical of BJAM and PBF processes, are described. The precision engineered testbed can therefore enable the optimization of powder spreading parameters for AM and correlation to build process parameters in future work, as well as exploration of spreading of specialized powders for AM and other techniques.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0031191
