Study on The Influence of the Blade on Powder Layers Built in Powder Bed Fusion Processes for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

AbstractFor Additive Manufacturing (AM) performed by the laser powder bed fusion process, important aspects are not only powder characteristics such as flowability but also the morphology of the top layer itself. In the present study, the quality of the first applied top layer was studied using a self-made tester for the layer building process and a digital microscope with a large depth-of-field to observe the surface of the top layer. The three-dimensional images obtained have then been analyzed by a program, written by the corresponding author, that calculates specific parameters as well as the size of the particles in the top layer to rate the quality of the surface. Using this technique, the influence of using different blades and varying the blade speed during the layer building process on the quality of the surface has been investigated.