Analysis of Factors Affecting the Quality of Products Manufactured by Selec tive Laser Melting Technology
Abstract:
Additive technologies are currently actively developing, in particular selective laser melting (SLM), which allows for the layer-by-layer production of products from metal powder using high-power laser radiation. The development of SLM technology is aimed at increasing the productivity of installations and the quality of the manufactured product. The article considers the main factors influencing quality: related to the modes and strategies of laser processing, related to the accuracy of the geometric dimensions of the computer model of the manufactured product, related to the design solutions of a specific installation, related to the consumable pow der material. In the first case, it is necessary to experimentally or numerically select the process parameters (power, scanning speed and interval, layer thickness, etc.) and synchronize the control signals of the laser and the scanning system (delays on, off, transition, etc.). In the second case, it is necessary to establish a balance between the accuracy of triangulation and the size of the 3D model file, or implement step-by-step reading. In the third case, solutions to the problems discussed (wall deformation, spatter) are proposed to achieve high print quality. In the fourth case, control of the particle size distribution and morphology of the consumable powder material is necessary, especially when reusing it. It is also necessary to improve the accuracy of beam positioning by calibrating the installation and providing additional control systems: quality control of the ap plied powder layer, control of the geometry of the grown part using photo/video cameras, control of the thermal fields of each layer using thermal imagers, pyrometers, or other methods, control of the working atmosphere parameters in the build chamber, control of the hopper fill level. Software products also exist for compensating for process deformations in additive manufacturing, based on scanning manufactured parts and their re-pro duction taking into account the obtained deviations, which leads to an increase in the production cycle of the product. Thus, improving the quality of a product obtained using SLM technology is achieved through a com prehensive solution covering all stages of its creation: from the formation of a 3D model to post-processing.
