metal powder particle before and after being used in an additive manufacturing process for five times
SEM micrographs of the surface of a metal powder particle before and after being used in an additive manufacturing process for five times. 
​Image​ credit: Eduard Hryha, Chalmers

Robust powder for additive manufacturing

We develop a robust metal powder for additive manufacturing through tailoring of the properties of the powder and alloy design, in synergy with the additive manufacturing process itself.

One of the benefits of additive manufacturing is the possibility to reuse the metal powder several times. However, since the chemistry of the surface of one single metal particle changes during the process of additive manufacturing, there is a need for tailoring the properties of the powder. Most of the metal powder used for additive manufacturing today is made of traditional engineering alloys. These alloys are optimized to fulfil requirements from a hardware point of view, disregarding the metallurgy of the additive manufacturing process. 

Two initiatives

​In each research area there are specific ongoing initiatives. In this area, there are two:​​

  1. Powder for Defect-Free Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing 
    The focus is placed on establishment of the properties of powder relevant for defect-free additive manufacturing. Only a fraction of the powder is used during the process. The understanding of how the powder degrades and its ability to recycle is crucial for assuring sustainability of powder-based metal additive manufacturing. 
  2. Tailored Material for Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing
    The aim is to establish a knowledge base concerning the effects of the alloying elements on the microstructure and defect formation during powder based metal additive manufacturing. By creating a methodology for tailoring of the alloy design, it is possible to satisfy the requirements of the specific additive manufacturing technology. 

Research Area Leaders 

Prof. Eduard Hryha​, Chalmers and Prof. Sven Bengtsson from Höganäs AB

Researchers involved

Mikael Henriksson, PhD student, Chalmers 
Hans Gruber, PhD student, Chalmers
Dmitri Riabov, industrial PhD student from Höganäs AB at Chalmers
Camille Pauzon, industrial PhD student from Linde Gmbh at Chalmers
Prof. Eduard Hryha, Chalmers
Prof. Lars Nyborg, Chalmers
Assoc. Prof. Yu Cao, Calmers

Partners involved

Chalmers, Swerea IVF, Alfa Laval, Arcam, Atlas Copco, GKN Aerospace, Höganäs, SAAB, Sandvik, Siemens ITAB, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo GTO, AGA Gas, Carl Zeiss, Quintus Technologies, RZ Riboverken, Cascade Control, Lasertech LSHAB, Modul System, Ortoma, Permanova Lasersystem and Tooltec.
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Page manager Published: Thu 15 Mar 2018.