In the present work, a combined process of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and hot working in terms of microstructure refinement was investigated for Fe-25Al-1.5Ta alloy samples. Uniaxial compression tests were carried out parallel and perpendicular to the building direction (BD) at 1000 °C, where BCC A2-phase was stable, at a strain rate of 0.0013 s⁻¹. The true stress–true strain curves indicated a broad flow stress peak followed by a slight decrease, which is typical for dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of conventional BCC metals such as ferritic iron. A negligible dependence in the flow stress behavior on the compression direction was observed. DRX initiated at a stress of 18.7 MPa for the sample compressed parallel to the BD, corresponding to a true strain of 0.011, and at 18.1 MPa for the samples compressed normal to the BD, which corresponded to a true strain of 0.010. The microstructural investigations by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) showed that the relatively coarse and elongated grains of the as-LPBF builds were significantly refined after hot working. The microstructure of the compressed samples mainly consisted deformed grains. These were fragmented by sub-grains bounded by low-angle boundaries independent of the compression axis, indicating the occurrence of dynamic recovery (DRV) during hot working. In addition, a few equiaxed, small grains were observed in the pre-existing grain boundaries, which formed due to DRX. Most pores in the as-LPBF builds were closed after hot compression, particularly in the central region of the deformed specimens where the compressive stress state is dominant. In summary, hot compression reveals a practical thermomechanical post-processing treatment for Fe-Al-Ta iron aluminides built by LPBF. The hot working refines the epitaxially elongated microstructure of the as-LPBF builds by DRV/DRX and reduces the porosity.

Improving the structural integrity of challenging to manufacture LPBF components with toolpath correction JENSCH Felix, EISSING Katharina, WILLIAMS Richard,

Within the scope of these investigations, the feasibility of a material bond between Ti-6Al-4V and the magnesium alloy AZ91 is analyzed. Ti-6Al-4V is frequently used for implants due to its biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and specific strength. However, depending on the surface quality, the attachment behavior of the bone to the implant varies. Magnesium implants promote the regeneration of bone tissue and biodegrade as the bone tissue heals. Combining the properties of both materials in one implant enables a reduced implant volume and increased stability. For this reason, this study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a material bond between the materials Ti-6Al-4V and AZ91. For this purpose, Ti-6Al-4V truncated cones and AZ91 sleeves were produced using the additive manufacturing process of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). The as-built sleeves were then pressed onto machined truncated cones. Since zinc serves as a lubricant and has good diffusion properties with the materials used as a result of heat treatment, a comparison was made between zinc-coated and the as-built Ti-6Al-4V samples. This showed that a bond was created after hot isostatic pressing and that the push-out force could be increased by more than 4.5 times. Consequently, a proof of feasibility was demonstrated, and a high potential for applications in medical technology was shown.

In the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process for metal components, a CAD file is sliced into layers with a thickness of 20-80 micrometers and the component is built up layer by layer. For this purpose, a metal powder layer is applied in each case and melted locally. This process is repeated until the geometry is completely established. The mechanical properties of the manufactured part are controlled by the cooling rate. It is currently not considered in the design of LPBF components, that the printed part has a varying heat flow into the surrounding powder and into the support plate depending on its slenderness. As a result of the different temperature histories, different microstructures with correspondingly different mechanical properties are formed in the untreated state (as-built). These differences must be considered in the component design. In this work, walls of various thicknesses were produced from 316L stainless-steel alloy using the LPBF process. The walls could be used to create plane-strain-compression-test specimens of various heights and orientations. The tests were performed according to Graf et al. [1] and the flow curve was calculated from the force-displacement curve while taking friction into account. Following that, tensile strength, Young’s modulus, yield strength, and yield stress were determined inversely. A clear dependence of the mechanical parameters on the degree of slimness was discovered, which was confirmed by microscopic examinations. To summarize, the plane-strain-compression-test is a quick and reliable method for determining the local variation of mechanical properties.

This study investigates the influence of machine learning (ML) based process parameter adjustments on the microstructure, relative density, and mechanical properties of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-manufactured components, focusing on AlSi10Mg and Ti6Al4V. The ML algorithm optimizes the thermal history by adjusting laser power and exposure time at the vector level, ensuring consistent cooling and solidification dynamics. Microscopy revealed a refined and homogeneous microstructure in the optimized AlSi10Mg samples, with reduced grain size (4.92 µm compared to 6.37 µm in non-optimized samples). Relative density analysis showed a significant improvement for optimized samples, achieving consistent values across top, middle, and bottom sections of the specimen. Hardness measurements confirmed the homogenized mechanical properties, with more uniform and elevated hardness values observed in optimized samples. This study demonstrates that ML-based process optimization minimizes defects like porosity and microcracks, enabling improved mechanical performance and efficient process qualification for LPBF-manufactured parts. The findings underline the potential of AI-driven solutions for addressing complex geometrical and thermal challenges in LPBF process.

In this study, the influence of various process parameters on the porosity of Ti-6Al-4V parts fabricated via Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Based (PBF-LB) is investigated. Three different layer thicknesses (30 μm, 60 μm, and 120 μm) were analyzed to define process windows enabling a build-rate acceleration while keeping the porosity below 0.1%. Through iterative parameter refinement, the effects of laser power, scan speed and hatch distance were examined in terms of linear energy density (LED), energy transmission density (ETD) and volumetric energy density (VED), and their influence on the formation of process-related defects such as pores. Correlations between these energy metrics and pore formation types (keyhole vs. lack-of-fusion) are discussed. The results demonstrate that process acceleration by a factor of more than 3 is possible while maintaining high quality of the components in terms of internal porosity. In addition, an accelerated method for manufacturing components using the PBF-LB process is presented, in which components are manufactured at very high build-rates but with increased porosity and then brought to the target porosity of 0.1% using the HIP process. This has made it possible to accelerate the build-rate in PBF-LB production by a further 32%. Accounting for the additional time required for HIP, the HIP route is faster than using the accelerated, which achieves the target porosity in as-built condition, for parts larger than 1421 cm ³ .