Search for: All records

Abstract Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was utilized to create a series of aluminum alloy (i.e., AlSi10Mg) 5 mm-diameter support pillars with a fixed height of 5 mm containing varying filet angles and build orientations (i.e., 0 deg, 10 deg, 20 deg, 30 deg, 40 deg, 50 deg, and 60 deg from the normal surface) to determine surface roughness and water wettability effects. From experiments, anisotropic wetting was observed due in part to the surface heterogeneity created by the LPBF process. The powder-sourced AlSi10Mg alloy, typically hydrophobic, exhibited primarily hydrophilic behavior for build angles of 0 deg and 60 deg, a mix of hydrophobic and hydrophilic behavior at build angles of 10 deg and 20 deg, and hydrophobic behavior at 30 deg, 40 deg, and 50 deg build angles. Measured surface roughness, Ra, ranged from 5 to 36 µm and varied based on location. 3D-topography maps were generated, and arithmetic mean heights, Sa, of 15.52–21.71 µm were observed; the anisotropy of roughness altered the wetting behavior, thereby prompting some hydrophilic behavior. Build angles of 30 deg and 40 deg provided for the smoothest surfaces. A significantly rougher surface was found for the 50 deg build angle. This abnormally high roughness is attributed to the melt pool contact angle having maximal capillarity with the surrounding powder bed. In this study, the critical melt pool contact angle was near equal to the build angle, suggesting that a critical build angle exists, which gives rise to pronounced melt pool wetting behavior and increased surface roughness due to enhanced wicking followed by solidification. 

The effects of build orientation on the fatigue behavior of additively-manufactured Ti-6Al- 4V using a Laser-Based Power Bed Fusion (L-PBF) process is investigated. Ti-6Al-4V rods were manufactured in vertical, horizontal, and 45º angle orientations. The specimens were then machined and polished along the gage section in order to reduce the effects of surface roughness on fatigue behavior. Fully-reversed strain-controlled uniaxial fatigue tests were performed at various strain amplitudes with frequencies adjusted to maintain an average constant strain rate throughout testing. Results indicate slight variation in fatigue behavior of specimens fabricated in the different orientations investigated. Fractography was conducted using scanning electron microscopy after mechanical testing in order to investigate the crack initiation sites and determine the defect responsible for the failure. The experimental program utilized and results obtained will be presented and discussed. 

Parts fabricated via directed energy additive manufacturing (AM) can experience very high, localized temperature gradients during manufacture. These temperature gradients are conducive to the formation of a complex residual stress field within such parts. In the study, a thermo-mechanical model is employed for predicting the temperature distribution and residual stress in Ti-6Al-4V parts fabricated using laserpowder bed fusion (L-PBF). The result is utilized for determining a relationship between local part temperature gradients with generated residual stress. Using this numerical model, the effects of scan patterns are investigated.