Surface topography investigations on nickel alloy 625 fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

Published

October 4, 2017

Author(s)

Alkan Donmez, Tugrul Ozel, Ayca Altay, Richard Leach

Abstract

Laser powder bed fusion as an additive manufacturing process produces complex surface topography at multiple scales through rapid heating, melting, directional cooling and solidification that are often governed by laser path and layer-to-layer scanning strategies and influenced by process parameters such as power, scan velocity, hatch distance, and resultant energy density. Investigations on manufactured surfaces, as-built and after applying electropolishing, are performed using stylus profilometry, digital optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy techniques to reveal the complex surface texture of the nickel alloy 625 test cubes that are produced by following an experimental design. Surface texture is further explored using image processing together with machine learning based algorithms. Measurement uncertainty is also discussed briefly. The results reveal a complex nature of laser powder bed fusion created surface topography and textures as exposed with electropolishing that may further lead to a quantitative understanding of such textures and their formations influenced by different scanning strategies and process parameters.

Citation

International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Volume

94

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

Powder Bed Fusion, Surface Topography, Surface Texture, Nickel Alloy

Citation

Donmez, A. , Ozel, T. , Altay, A. and Leach, R. (2017), Surface topography investigations on nickel alloy 625 fabricated via laser powder bed fusion, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, [online], https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-017-1187-z (Accessed July 18, 2024)