Detection of Typical Metal Additive Manufacturing Defects by the Application of Thermographic Techniques

Abstract

One of the most advanced technologies of Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the Laser Powder Bed Fusion process (L-PBF), also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This process involves the deposition and fusion, layer by layer, of very fine metal powders and structure and quality of the final component strongly depends on several processing parameters, for example the laser parameters. Due to the complexity of the process it is necessary to assure the absence of defects in the final component, in order to accept or discard it. Thermography is a very fast non-destructive testing (NDT) technique. Its applicability for defect detection in AM produced parts would significantly reduce costs and time required for NDT, making it versatile and very competitive.