Determination of cell size/structures and mechanical properties of additively manufactured metallic components using X-ray technique

• Published in: Rapid prototyping journal Vol. 29; no. 10; pp. 2039 - 2060
• Main Authors: Moj, Kevin, Owsiński, Robert, Robak, Grzegorz, Gupta, Munish Kumar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 27.11.2023
• Subjects: 3-D printers; Additive manufacturing; Cells; Cellular structure; Classification; Composite materials; Computed tomography; Density; Design; Heat conductivity; Laser beam melting; Load; Mathematical models; Mechanical analysis; Mechanical properties; Numerical analysis; Parameters; Porous materials; Rapid prototyping; Specific gravity; Tensile strength; Tensile tests
• ISSN: 1355-2546; 1758-7670
• DOI: 10.1108/RPJ-02-2023-0048

PurposeAdditive manufacturing (AM), a rapidly evolving paradigm, has shown significant advantages over traditional subtractive processing routines by allowing for the custom creation of structural components with enhanced performance. Numerous studies have shown that the technical qualities of AM components are profoundly affected by the discovery of novel metastable substructures in diverse alloys. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of cell structure parameters on its mechanical response.Design/methodology/approachInitially, a methodology was suggested for testing porous materials, focusing on static tensile testing. For a qualitative evaluation of the cellular structures produced, computed tomography (CT) was used. Then, the CT scanner was used to analyze a sample and determine its actual relative density, as well as perform a detailed geometric analysis.FindingsThe experimental research demonstrates that the mechanical properties of a cell’s structure are significantly influenced by its shape during formation. It was also determined that using selective laser melting to produce cell structures with a minimum single-cell size of approximately 2 mm would be the most appropriate method.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies of cellular structures for testing their static tensile strength are planned for the future. The study will be carried out for a larger number of samples, taking into account a wider range of cellular structure parameters. An important step will also be the verification of the results of the static tensile test using numerical analysis for the model obtained by CT scanning.Originality/valueThe fabrication of metallic parts with different cellular structures is very important with a selective laser melted machine. However, the determination of cell size and structure with mechanical properties is quiet novel in this current investigation.