CME339 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

IIIrd YEAR/ VI th SEMESTER

Dr. S.T Selvamani , Professor

Department of Mechatronics Engineering,
Chennai Institute of Technology,
Chennai - 600069
UNIT IV POWDER BED FUSION AND MATERIAL
EXTRUSION

Powder Bed Fusion: Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): Process -

Powder Fusion Mechanism - Materials and Application.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Electron Beam Melting (EBM):

Materials - Process - Advantages and Applications. Material

Extrusion: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)- Process-Materials

-Applications and Limitations.

 Powder bed fusion (PBF)
• Powder bed fusion (PBF) is an additive manufacturing approach that is the basis

for some of the most versatile 3D printing methods.

• A heat source fuses a powdered material together in a layer-by-layer process.

• Thin layers of powder are deposited one at a time into a heated powder bed,

where a guided heat source solidifies it into the shape of the desired 3D model.

• The acceptable materials used in PBF-type processes are powders

of plastics, ceramics, metals, metal alloys, or blends of each that fuse upon

contact with heat.

Working of PBF
 Working of PBF
• The first step is taking a 3D CAD model and converting it into
an .STL file- or a file that can be cut into layers by a so-called
slicing software.
• After slicing, the file is loaded into the printer and is oriented
to minimize supports and maximize part volume (if making
many copies).
• Then the interior space known as the powder chamber is
filled with powder material either with a hopper or an
automatic cartridge.
• The powder chamber is often heated to reduce the energy
expenditure of the heat source, and sometimes is filled with
an inert gas/brought to vacuum.
 Working of PBF
• The roller/re-coater then uniformly deposits a thin layer of powder
from the powder stock chamber onto the build platform, where
any excess powder is caught in an overflow reservoir.
• Once this layer is evenly flat, the energy source sinters/melts the
first 2D cross-section of the part. As described, sintering a powder
only welds solid particles together, while melting a powder causes
it to fully liquefy.
• Many processes will choose sintering over melting, as it is less
energy-intensive, but melting can be advantageous with certain
materials or if porosity is undesired.
• After the material has solidified, the elevator increments down on
the z-axis, and the powder stock chamber raises the exact same
height, ready for the next layer to deposit.
• This process continues until the part is complete, where it is then
dug out of the powder chamber and post-processed for use.
Types of Powder bed fusion
 Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• One of the first PBF methods, SLS was patented in the late 1980’s
at the University of Texas at Austin.
• SLS implements a laser (typically a pulsed CO2 laser) to sinter
powder together in a heated powder chamber.
• A laser solidifies powder evenly distributed by a roller on a build
platform and repeats this process until the full part is finished.
• SLS is almost solely an industrial PBF method, as it requires the
use of high-powered lasers that are both expensive and
potentially dangerous for consumer use.
• Also, the sintering process creates a fair amount of porosity in
the material (sometimes up to 30% air throughout), making its
surface naturally grainy.
• SLS shares many commonalities with SLM and DMLS methods
but is unique in that no melting occurs and SLS cannot use metal.
• Material Preparation:
– SLS starts with a powdered material as the raw feedstock.
– Common materials used in SLS include nylon, polyamide, metals, ceramics, and more.
– This powdered material is loaded into the build chamber of the 3D printer.
• Layer Creation:
– The SLS printer begins by spreading a thin, uniform layer of the powdered material
across the build platform.
– This layer thickness is typically in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 millimeters, depending on the
specific printer and material.
• Laser Sintering:
– A high-powered laser is used to selectively heat and fuse the powdered material in the
shape of the current layer.
– The laser follows the precise outline of the current cross-section of the 3D object as
specified in the 3D digital model.
• Fusion and Bonding:
– The laser's intense heat causes the powdered material to reach its melting or sintering
temperature.
– The unsintered powder surrounding the object acts as temporary support during this
process.
• Platform Lowering:
– Once a layer is sintered, the build platform is lowered by the layer thickness (e.g., 0.1 to
0.3 millimeters), making room for the next layer of powder.
• Powder Spreading:
– A new layer of powder is evenly spread over the top of the previously sintered layer.
– This new layer covers the entire build area.
• Repetition:
– This process of lowering the platform, spreading a new layer, and laser sintering is
repeated layer by layer until the entire 3D object is formed.
• Cooling and Solidification:
– As each layer is sintered, it begins to cool and solidify.
– This cooling is necessary for the layers to bond together properly and for the object to
maintain its shape.
• Post-Processing:
– After the entire object is printed, it is typically left to cool in the build chamber.
– Once cooled, the object is carefully removed, and excess unsintered powder is often
brushed or blown away.
– Depending on the material and the desired finish, additional post-processing steps such
as heat treatment, surface smoothing, or coating may be applied.
Materials
Material properties
 Materials
• Nylon (Polyamide): Nylon is one of the most popular materials for SLS. It's known for its durability,
flexibility, and resistance to wear and tear. It's used for functional prototypes, mechanical parts, and
consumer goods.
• DuraForm: Developed by 3D Systems, they offer a variety of DuraForm materials, including DuraForm PA
(Nylon), DuraForm GF (glass-filled Nylon), and DuraForm EX (engineering-grade materials).
• Metals: SLS can also be used with metal powders, such as aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and
cobalt-chrome alloys. Metal SLS is often used for aerospace, automotive, and medical applications due
to the strength and heat resistance of these materials.
• Ceramics: Ceramics like alumina and zirconia can be used in SLS to create parts with excellent thermal
and electrical properties. Ceramic SLS is often used in electronics and high-temperature applications.
• Thermoplastics: In addition to nylon, other thermoplastics can be used in SLS, including polypropylene
and polystyrene. These materials can offer specific properties like chemical resistance or electrical
insulation.
• Elastomers: Certain SLS systems can work with elastomeric materials like TPU (thermoplastic
polyurethane) to produce flexible and rubber-like parts. These materials are used in applications such as
gaskets and seals.
• Biocompatible Materials: Some SLS materials are biocompatible and suitable for medical and healthcare
applications. They can be used to create patient-specific implants, surgical guides, and medical device
prototypes.
• Composite Materials: SLS can use composite materials, which combine a base material with additives
like fibers (e.g., carbon fiber) to enhance specific properties like strength and stiffness.
• Ceramic-Metal Mixtures: These hybrid materials combine the properties of ceramics and metals and are
used in specialized applications where a balance of properties is required.
 Advantages
• SLS accepts a wide range of materials from polymers such as
polyamides and PEKK, Alumide (a blend of aluminum and
polyamides), rubber-like material, glass, ceramics, etc.
• SLS is great for functional prototypes, as its prints are strong
and can be very complex without the need for lengthy post-
processing
• The surface is porous (also a disadvantage in some
applications)
 Disadvantages
• The surface is porous (can be an advantage in some
applications)
• Printers are very expensive and large, reserving SLS for
industrial use
• SLS is useful mostly for industries that need only a small
amount of high-quality objects, making it a poor choice for
high-volume applications.
 Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
• SLM is like SLS in form but achieves full melting when heating
powder and it is used to print metal parts.
• Just as SLS, SLM selectively melts parts in a thin deposit of
metal powder and incrementally adds layers on top.
• SLM requires an inert atmosphere (argon gas) so that the
metal powder does not oxidize/nitride, meaning its powder
bed is completely enclosed in an airtight chamber.
• SLM is used for both prototype parts and full production
components and shares many similarities with direct metal
laser sintering (DMLS).
Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
 Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
• The requirement energy is higher in SLM method compared
to SLS because intricate parts are fabricated at higher
temperature during SLM process to melt or fuse the powders.
• In SLM process, generally super alloys, stainless steel, cobalt
(Co), titanium (Ti) and aluminium (Al) are used
• Accordingly, studies have shown that the value of laser power
and scanning speed has varied from 100 to 120 W and from
200 to 700 mm/s respectively in the selective laser melting.
• Depending on the value of the laser power, the thickness of
the thin wall has varied from 123 to 276 µm
Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
 Advantages
• SLM creates fully-metal parts that are extremely dense and
strong
• SLM can reduce part numbers by printing whole assemblies,
rather than producing individual components
• With time, SLM could speed up metal manufacturing
techniques, reducing delays in repairs, and increase the pace
of production
 Disadvantages
• Only certain metals are acceptable in SLM such as single-
component aluminum, stainless steel, titanium alloys, cobalt
chrome, tool steel, and other specified materials with good
flow characteristics
• SLM is a high-energy process, leading to temperature
gradients that can stress/dislocate parts and compromise
structural integrity.
• SLM parts need additional support structures and require a
source of inert gas
 Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
• Just as its name implies, EBM deploys a high-energy electron
beam to melt powder on the build platform.
• It is comparable to SLM in both form and function, using the
same layer-by-layer approach as the previous PBF methods,
but EBM requires an enclosed powder chamber at a full
vacuum to work effectively.
• It accepts a limited range of metal powders such as titanium
alloys and cobalt chrome but forms very dense models once
printed.
• These parts are also less susceptible to the residual stresses
and defects of SLM parts but require more secondary post-
processing to reach a desired surface quality.
Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
 Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
• In the EBM process, electron beam is used instead of laser beam
as an energy source to sinter or fuse the materials.
• This process allows fabricating complex geometries by scanning
the cross-section of a layer selectively.
• The laser scans locally by melting or fusing by means of software
and hardware to form a layer of part desired by engineers.
• The next step is repeated by constructing one over the other.
• The building platform is pulled down as the layer thickness.
• EBM is more energy friendly due to that electric energy converts
more efficiently to electron beam energy.
• EBM provides more uniform thermal field distribution and much
higher throughput.
• Nevertheless, in EBM method, surface roughness and
dimensional accuracy are lower
Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
 Advantages
• EBM is much faster than SLS and SLM
• EBM parts are dense, reliable, and generally free of defects,
great for uses in the aerospace industry
• EBM uses less energy than SLS/SLM technology
 Disadvantages
• The EBM process emits dangerous X-ray radiation when in
use, requiring an enhanced level of safety
• EBM parts require additional post-processing procedures to
reach intended uniformity
• EBM is limited in material choice
 Material Extrusion
• Material extrusion is an additive manufacturing (AM) methodology where a spool

of material (usually thermoplastic polymer) is pushed through a heated nozzle in a

continuous stream and selectively deposited layer by layer to build a 3D object.

• Material is drawn through a nozzle, where it is heated and is then deposited layer

by layer.

• The nozzle can move horizontally and a platform moves up and down vertically

after each new layer is deposited.

• It is a commonly used technique used on many inexpensive, domestic and hobby

3D printers.
FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING (FDM)
• FDM is a widely explored melt extrusion technique for the manufacturing of
plastic materials.
• It is a robust technology, which is currently being exploited by thousands of
research groups across the globe for fabricating low-cost 3D printers.
• Compared to SLS, FDM process exhibits the advantage of low input energy, low
cost of materials, minimum wastage, and consistent accuracy in prototyping.
• In FDM, the 3D structures are created layer by layer by heating both build
material and supporting material via extrusion nozzles attached with the liquefier
head.
• After base deposition, the building platform moves downwards and allows space
for the deposition of the next polymeric.
• The process is repeated until the final structure is obtained.
FDM Process
• Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a manufacturing technology that uses a moving nozzle to extrude

fibers of polymeric material layer-by-layer in order to build a structural design.

• FDM is mainly used for mechanical system modeling, fabrication, and production. FDM printing also

creates external support structures that must be manually removed.

• FDM technology uses the melt extrusion method to construct a structural design from a thermoplastic

polymer.

• When a layer in the x,y plane is completed, the base platform (z axis) is lowered, and the procedure is

repeated until the complete structure is produced.

• In this process, the filament materials are heated and extruded the through a nozzle onto the base

plate following a path as set by the data implemented in CAD.

• It is possible to control pore size and porosity by changing the material deposition amount, the spacing

between the material paths, and the height interval (z axis)

 Materials
• The most commonly used thermoplastics in FDM
• PLA
• ABS
• PET-G
• TPU
• PVA
• PP
• PA
• Composite materials
• Fiber-filled materials
• Metals (Composed of a high degree of metal powders
and a part of binder polymers)
 Advantages
• FDM Technology Is Affordable
• FDM Works With Many Materials
• FDM Models Can Be Very Detailed
• FDM Filaments Aren’t Easily Contaminated
• Can Print Large Builds
• Fused Deposition Modeling Is Easy
• FDM Is Relatively Fast
 Disadvantages
• Limited Detail
• Quality Isn’t Perfect
• Lack Of Structural Integrity
• May Need Support Structures
• FDM Printers May Intimidate New Users