| Abstrakt: |
Thin features are integral components of most lightweight cellular lattice structures; however, limited studies are carried out to understand their property/quality aspects. This experimental study investigates the influence of powder feedstock size, feature geometry, and process parameters on the property/quality of thin lightweight features fabricated using a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (L-PBF-AM) system. Three different Ti6Al4V powder feedstocks (fine, medium, and coarse) were utilized, and the dimensions of the features were varied in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. The experimental data were analyzed to gain insights into the powder feedstock-geometry-process-property/quality (PGPP/PGPQ) characteristics, which had not been previously explored but are crucial for designing lightweight structures using L-PBF-AM. The results indicated that both powder feedstock size and feature dimension significantly influenced the properties and quality of the fabricated thin features. Additionally, feature type, volumetric energy density, and their interactions exhibited varying effects on geometrical accuracy, porosity, grain size, and flexural properties. Struts showed lower success rates, grain sizes, and dimensional errors but higher mechanical properties compared to walls. However, both features exhibited similar porosity characteristics. Regarding powder feedstock size, smaller powder sizes were found to be advantageous for fabricating lower-dimensional features and improving their mechanical properties. The feature geometry type also significantly influences the final material properties. A notable observation was that the 0.1 mm wall features exhibited the lowest mechanical properties, particularly in terms of yield strength, while the 0.5 mm strut features exhibited lower mechanical properties among the struts. The findings of the study underscored the importance of understanding the compound relationships between powder feedstock, feature geometry, process parameters, and the resulting properties/quality for lightweight features in L-PBF-AM. Further research is necessary to establish the knowledge and understanding of L-PBF-AM thin features and elucidate the PGPP/PGPQ characteristics in greater detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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