PowderMet          AMPM          Special Interest          TNT Presentations

013 - Compaction Force Applied Within a Tool Component Causing Tool Failure
David Morales, Capstan

Compaction forces applied within a Tool Component can be minimized by avoiding stress risers, lube percentage of powder, tool steel, tool heat treatment and tool design. This presentation reviews the methods used, data collected, and actions that can be considered during RFQ and Tool Design.

096 - Development of Improved Density and Properties of a High Strength Steel Using the Micro-Ingot Processing Route
Todd Palmer, Penn State University

Components produced using conventional press and sinter (P&S) processing routes are typically limited to low strength steels and display significant inter-connected porosity that limits their application space. In order to extend powder metallurgy components into higher performance fatigue critical applications, increased densities and the use of higher strength steels are needed but cannot be achieved with current low strength steels or P&S processing routes. The micro-ingot processing route, which is a novel variation on current double press double sinter (DPDS) processing routes, represents a pathway for economically producing these full density high strength steel parts. Using a pre-alloyed 4600V high strength steel powder, representative parts have been produced, and the properties of the components produced at each step in the micro-ingot process have been systematically explored. Characterization of the pore structures and microstructures in both standard test specimens and a representative gear geometry was performed using a combination of advanced x-ray computed tomography (CT) and microscopy tools. Significant improvements in the final density and properties of the high strength steels were obtained through the use of the micro-ingot processing route using existing compaction and sintering equipment in an industrial setting.

101 - New Developments on the Formulation and Post Processing of Pure Copper Premixes for the Production of Parts for E-Vehicles and Electronic Applications
Ivan Lorenzon, Pometon SpA

Thanks to its high electrical conductivity, durability and malleability, copper is widely used for EV and for electronic components. EV use more than double the copper of an internal combustion engine automobile and it is also used heavily in EV-infrastructure like charging stations and in electrical grid infrastructure. Sintered Copper components could be part of the transition from combustion to electric engine and EV revolution. Pometon, by the experience on production of ECP and WA copper, continues to develop improved ready to press products to meet the needs of the classical sintering production process for the fabrication of copper components.

This new study shows the developing of a high purity and highly densifying copper powders in particular improving the usage of the Premixes (flowability, compressibility and dimensional changes) and the conductivity of the sintered parts to obtain the chemical, physical and mechanical characteristics needed for E-automotive and electronic applications.

054 - Measurement and Evaluation of the Surface Area of Metal Powders
Christopher Schade, FAPMI, Hoeganaes Corporation

The current shift from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) has led to a reduction in the number of parts made from conventional powder metallurgy techniques. This in turn has led to a reduction in the need for metal powders. Powder metal producers have long sought applications outside the primary automotive market. Although, typically lower in the powder volume required, applications such as water remediation, batteries, catalysts, heat generation and oxygen absorption have potential to increase the use of metal powders. Most of these applications require high surface area of the powder. The surface area of a powder particle is a measure of the area of the surface which the powder particle occupies. The surface area can vary by the shape, size, surface roughness and internal porosity of the powder, which all can vary depending on the method in which the powder was produced. The purpose of this review is to provide a current overview of various metal powders produced by different manufacturing methods and their influence on the “anatomy” of the powder and how these characteristics influence the measured surface area by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and metallographic methods.

005 - The Effect of Permeability on the Powder Bed Porosity in Binder Jetting Applications
Filip Francqui, Granutools

The powder bed properties are essential for powder-bed based AM processes like SLM or Binder Jetting. Among these properties, the porosity of the bed is essential to control the porosity of the green part and the percolation of the binder in Binder Jetting applications. During the layer deposition over the powder bed, the powder will see its bulk density increase due to packing. This bulk density increase leads to a reduction of the bed porosity. However, for efficient packing, the air has to get out, a mechanism that is directly linked to the powder permeability properties. In this study, the permeability properties of metal powders classically used in Binder Jetting have been investigated. A new methodology combining tapped density analysis and permeability measurements (GranuPack, Granutools, Belgium) has been employed. The change in permeability is evaluated at different stages of the packing corresponding to different bulk porosity. The results allow us to get a better understanding of bed densification during recoating and open up new possibilities for bed porosity prediction.

037 - Development of S7 Tool Steel Through the Metal Binder Jetting Process
Tim Kriete, Hoeganaes Corporation

S7 is a shock-resisting tool steel that is utilized in a variety of applications. It has excellent mechanical properties including high hardness and toughness. As it is right now, producing S7 steel through Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes is relatively uncommon. Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ) is an AM process which uses powder metal to create parts with customizable geometries, reducing the need to machine the parts and therefore decreasing the amount of scrap produced in comparison to conventional metal processes. The objective of this paper is to analyze S7 tool steel made from the MBJ process. Parts comprised of S7 tool steel powder were printed, sintered, heat-treated, and tested for their physical and mechanical properties.

009 - In-Situ Defect Detection for Selective Laser Melting Additive Manufacturing
Xuan Wang, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a transformative technology in additive manufacturing. The advancement of SLM technology faces the barriers of consistency and reliability. The ability to detect defects in real-time would enhance the quality control process, leading to more consistent and reliable outcomes. This study aims to explore defect detection technologies and lay the groundwork for the development of a comprehensive SLM defect detection system at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

An ICP microphone was integrated inside the SLM 125 build chamber to capture acoustic data. The collected signals were processed using a Data Acquisition System (DAQ) and analyzed to identify signal characteristics associated with different laser parameters. Data was collected across three builds with varying parameters to induce non-defective parts, porosity defects, and lack of fusion defects.

The analysis revealed significant differences in the acoustic signals corresponding to the different laser parameters, validating the effectiveness of the acoustic sensing system. This study demonstrates that acoustic signal analysis can be a viable method for real-time, in-situ defect detection in SLM, paving the way for improved quality control in SLM additive manufacturing.

031 - Large Format Copper Printing and Simulation Studies Using Direct Metal Deposition
Rachel Mancuso, DM3D Technology

Manufacturing copper alloys with laser based additive manufacturing is a challenge due to its high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, along with its reaction with oxygen to form copper oxides making it hard to print fully dense without printing in an inert atmosphere. However, high thermal conductivity of copper makes it very attractive for various applications requiring good heat transfer. Recent advances in the technology and material synthesis have made AM of such alloys possible. Direct Metal Deposition (DMD®) is a type of DED (Directed Energy Deposition) technology utilizing high power laser as heat source and metal powder as feedstock. DM3D’s large inert chamber machine, DMD IC44R has shown promises to manufacture larger scale copper parts.

This presentation will give a brief overview of the DMD technology highlighting the benefits of the process with a focus on the GrCop42 alloy. Furthermore, we will discuss their DMD deposited microstructures and properties. We will discuss a sample part as a case study. This will showcase the part printing and distortion modeling and simulation studies. At the end, we will discuss some potential applications for space, aerospace, and other industries.

069 - Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) of Niti Shape Memory Alloy: Effect of Deposition Parameters and Rescanning on the Microstructure, Texture, and Thermomechanical Behavior
Naiyer Shokri, University of Louisville

Nitinol, also known as nickel-titanium or Ni-Ti, shape memory alloy (SMA), is highly valued in biomedical and aerospace applications due to its remarkable properties, including shape memory effect (SME) and super elasticity (SE). Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is a leading additive manufacturing process. Many researchers have utilized this method to create high-quality NiTi alloys with precise properties. This study systematically assesses the impact of laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (L-PBF-AM) parameters, specifically laser speed and energy density, and the effect of rescanning on the thermomechanical behavior and microstructure of Ni50.8Ti49.2 SMA. The samples were fabricated with hatch spacings and layer thickness of 80 and 40 µm respectively at a constant laser power of 180W and the laser speed differs from 500 mm/s to 800 mm/s resulting in parts with volumetric energy density levels from 70 to 110 J/mm3. Moreover, the rescanning strategy was applied to a set of samples to improve the density and reduce cracking of the AM parts. The energy density associated with rescanned parts is 25 J/mm3.

517 - Development and Production of Metal Powders Using Centrifugal Atomization Technology
Mark Hash, Ervin Industries

Centrifugal, or “spinning disc”, atomization techniques are used is to produce high-purity, metallic powders and shot that are dense and spherical with minimal satellite formation and narrow particle size distributions, with average diameters ranging from 20 to 500 microns. The technology is adaptable, allowing melting in air, inert atmospheres, or vacuum, making it suitable for diverse materials. Centrifugally atomized products are used in applications such as stainless steel blasting shot, hot isostatic pressing, and additive manufacturing methods, including powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and binder jetting. The techniques discussed are based on Pratt and Whitney’s rapid solidification rate (RSR) technology which was licensed circa 1989. Several examples of powders are presented highlighting the performance advantages enabled by centrifugal atomization methods.