Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a commonly used Additive Manufacturing (AM) method for the production of geometrically complex metal components that are used in high-value sectors. It uses high power fibre lasers directed by a galvanometric scanner to rapidly melt powdered feedstock. LPBF systems...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785424030552 |
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| author | Alkim Aydin Erhan Cetin S. Can Erman Kamran Mumtaz |
| author_facet | Alkim Aydin Erhan Cetin S. Can Erman Kamran Mumtaz |
| author_sort | Alkim Aydin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a commonly used Additive Manufacturing (AM) method for the production of geometrically complex metal components that are used in high-value sectors. It uses high power fibre lasers directed by a galvanometric scanner to rapidly melt powdered feedstock. LPBF systems are expensive, making them inaccessible to many sectors and have challenges related to in-process thermal control, production of large components and scalability limitations. As an alternative to traditional LPBF, this study introduces Diode Point Melting (DPM), combining multiple low-power, energy efficient blue (450 nm) diode lasers into a single focal point. DPM's laser source is fixed to a scanning gantry axis that traverses across the powder bed, creating a low-cost alternative to traditional LPBF (∼x10 lower laser hardware cost). DPM processes slower than LPBF, generating reduced thermal gradients with improved material laser energy absorption due to use of a shorter laser wavelength. DPM processing of Ti6Al4V was undertaken using 38W creating samples that were 99.41% dense. DPM's slower melt pool solidification rate enabled the formation of a stable α + β phase creating harder samples. The grain size of Ti6Al4V samples fabricated using DPM were significantly larger compared to those produced by LPBF (grain size area ∼ x30 larger). Young's modulus of the samples produced via DPM was found to be higher than LPBF manufactured Ti6Al4V, indicating increased stiffness. DPM is a promising low-cost alternative to LPBF, offering the opportunity to make net-shape metal AM more widely accessible in both academic and industrial sectors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf2ccfcc01ca424baaaf414b3df83765 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2238-7854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf2ccfcc01ca424baaaf414b3df837652025-01-19T06:25:58ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-01-013428142827Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point meltingAlkim Aydin0Erhan Cetin1S. Can Erman2Kamran Mumtaz3School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom; Department of Automotive Engineering, Cukurova University, Adana, 01250, Turkiye; Corresponding author. School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom.School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hitit University, Çorum, 19030, TurkiyeSchool of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United KingdomSchool of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United KingdomLaser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a commonly used Additive Manufacturing (AM) method for the production of geometrically complex metal components that are used in high-value sectors. It uses high power fibre lasers directed by a galvanometric scanner to rapidly melt powdered feedstock. LPBF systems are expensive, making them inaccessible to many sectors and have challenges related to in-process thermal control, production of large components and scalability limitations. As an alternative to traditional LPBF, this study introduces Diode Point Melting (DPM), combining multiple low-power, energy efficient blue (450 nm) diode lasers into a single focal point. DPM's laser source is fixed to a scanning gantry axis that traverses across the powder bed, creating a low-cost alternative to traditional LPBF (∼x10 lower laser hardware cost). DPM processes slower than LPBF, generating reduced thermal gradients with improved material laser energy absorption due to use of a shorter laser wavelength. DPM processing of Ti6Al4V was undertaken using 38W creating samples that were 99.41% dense. DPM's slower melt pool solidification rate enabled the formation of a stable α + β phase creating harder samples. The grain size of Ti6Al4V samples fabricated using DPM were significantly larger compared to those produced by LPBF (grain size area ∼ x30 larger). Young's modulus of the samples produced via DPM was found to be higher than LPBF manufactured Ti6Al4V, indicating increased stiffness. DPM is a promising low-cost alternative to LPBF, offering the opportunity to make net-shape metal AM more widely accessible in both academic and industrial sectors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785424030552Additive manufacturingLaser powder bed fusionTi6Al4VDiode point melting (DPM)Process optimizationMicrostructure |
| spellingShingle | Alkim Aydin Erhan Cetin S. Can Erman Kamran Mumtaz Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting Journal of Materials Research and Technology Additive manufacturing Laser powder bed fusion Ti6Al4V Diode point melting (DPM) Process optimization Microstructure |
| title | Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| title_full | Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| title_fullStr | Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| title_short | Laser powder bed fusion of Ti6Al4V using low-cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| title_sort | laser powder bed fusion of ti6al4v using low cost high efficiency 450 nm diode point melting |
| topic | Additive manufacturing Laser powder bed fusion Ti6Al4V Diode point melting (DPM) Process optimization Microstructure |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785424030552 |
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