“The Effects of Subsystem Performance on Static and Dynamic Properties of Inconel 718 Built with Laser Powder Bed Fusion”, a collaborative paper authored by several EWI associates, including Data Science Director Alex Kitt, Post-Doc Research Fellow Zachary Corey, Engineering Group Leader Luke Mohr, Senior Technicians Cameron Carter and Bryan Donahue, Principal Engineer William Mohr, and Senior Program Manager Amy Kiedrowski has been published in the Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance.
This paper discusses a cost-effective alternative to traditional additive manufacturing (AM) process qualification. Current approaches to AM process qualification often treat each system as unique, leading to high engineering costs. This paper explores a low-cost, quality assurance-based alternative that uses variations in subsystem performance to predict changes in tensile and fatigue properties. Experiments across six builds and 300 specimens were designed to replicate historically measured ranges of subsystem performance. By adjusting factors such as gas flow speed and laser defocus, and analyzing their impact on mechanical properties, the research revealed a strong correlation between laser subsystem performance and material properties. Additionally, the study demonstrated improved fatigue results within a subsystem performance-based quality envelope.
Additional authors include former EWI employees Ron Aman and Ajay Krishnan; Ed Nemeth from America Makes; Derek Zbikowski, David Hicks, Jim Wolbers, and Amberlee Haselhuhn from LIFT; Michael Taylor from Hexagon; and William Frazier from Pilgrim Consulting.
This paper can be found on the Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance website. EWI members can reach out to EWI’s Library Services at [email protected] to request access to the full article.