ERI: Study of Powder Spreading Behavior for Additive Manufacturing Applications in a Novel Test Bed Environment

ERI：新型试验台环境中增材制造应用的粉末铺展行为研究

• 批准号: 2347633
• 负责人: Jaime Berez
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2347633&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ERI; Study; Powder; Spreading; Behavior

High quality metal powder suitable for additive manufacturing is a key factor for producing defect-free parts for mission critical applications. Existing powder characterization methods are reported to have limited applications in additive manufacturing. This is because they do not directly address powder spreadability, a critical but not well understood metric. This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) project aims to fill this research gap by designing a testbed to better define and measure powder spreadability. Novel measurement methods, which determine the three-dimensional topography of spread powder layers, will be developed and advanced data processing solutions will be used to distill these complex measurements into easily interpreted summary metrics that directly imply powder quality and suitability for the additive manufacturing process. If successful, the researched testbed and metrics can facilitate the monitoring of the powder spreadability for virgin powder supplies as well as re-used and recycled powder. The expected outcomes will have a significant impact on the quality testing methods used in the standard communities and manufacturing industry. Spreadability is a poorly understood characteristic of powder which may lead to heterogeneity in the powder bed and thus lack of fusion in manufactured components. This correlation has been difficult to establish without a rigorous study of spreadability and supporting methodology for measuring the property of spreadability. The objective of work associated with this project is to interrogate the physics of powder spreading to define the main process variables and their influences on spreading behavior. Spreadability will be quantified via summary metrics derived from the physical topography of the formed powder bed via adapted surface texture analysis methods. A novel experimental test bed employing fringe projection profilometry to measure powder bed topography will be utilized. This will overcome existing limitations of powder characterization methods that were developed for powder metallurgy, not additive manufacturing. A screening experimental design will be applied to identify critical process variables and determine the most effective measures of spreadability. Research results will support the future development of standardized quality testing procedures for metal powder feedstocks that will promote overall process control and the wider adoption of laser powder bed fusion. The outcomes will impact other powder spreading processes, such as binder jet and selective laser sintering.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

适用于添加剂制造的高质量金属粉末是为关键应用程序生产无缺陷零件的关键因素。据报道，现有的粉末表征方法在添加剂制造中的应用有限。这是因为它们不能直接解决粉末的传播性，这是一种关键但尚未充分理解的度量。该工程研究启动（ERI）项目旨在通过设计测试床来更好地定义和测量粉末的扩散性来填补这一研究空白。将开发出新的测量方法，这些方法确定了散布粉末层的三维地形，并将使用先进的数据处理解决方案将这些复杂的测量结果提炼成易于解释的摘要指标，这直接暗示着粉末质量和对增材制造过程的适合性。如果成功的话，研究的测试床和指标可以促进对维珍粉末供应的粉末散布性以及再使用和再生粉末的监测。预期的结果将对标准社区和制造业中使用的质量测试方法产生重大影响。散布性是粉末的特征鲜为人知，可能导致粉末床的异质性，因此制成的组件缺乏融合。如果没有严格研究可传播性和支持可传播性能的方法，这种相关性很难建立。与该项目相关的工作的目的是询问粉末扩散的物理，以定义主要过程变量及其对扩散行为的影响。将通过适应的表面纹理分析方法从形成的粉末床的物理形态得出的摘要指标来量化可扩展性。将利用采用条纹投影的新型测试床来测量粉末床地形。这将克服用于粉末冶金，而不是添加剂制造的粉末表征方法的现有局限性。筛选实验设计将应用于确定关键过程变量并确定最有效的可扩展性衡量标准。研究结果将支持金属粉末原料的标准化质量测试程序的未来开发，这将促进整体过程控制并广泛采用激光粉末床融合。结果将影响其他粉末扩散过程，例如粘合剂喷气机和选择性激光烧结。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并且使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准，认为值得通过评估来获得支持。