Monday  |  Executive AB  |  05:20 PM–05:40 PM

#19797, Effect of Helium Incorporation on Melt Pool Stability and Mechanical Response of 316L SS in PBF-LB

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-BPF) is a disruptive additive manufacturing technique transforming manufacturing capability in many advanced industries. Despite its ability to produce components with complexity far surpassing conventional techniques, the generation of unexpected defects that impact mechanical performance continues to hindering its adoption. Melt pool instability is generally believe to be the root cause of these defects. This work investigates the role that He additions to Ar and N2 process gases have on melt pool stability of 316L stainless Steel and their corresponding influence on the generation of defects and their impact on mechanical behavior. Most researchers consider only inertness of the process gas as the primary factor for its selection. However, this work considers and compares the benefits and negative aspects of each gas and how they impact melt pool stability. It independently measures both melt pool dimensions and plasma generation over a wide laser process parameters links them to conditions that produce the most stable melt pools. Tensile samples were fabricated with mechanical behavior linked to melt pool stability.

Andrii Shmatok   Auburn University
Barton Prorok   Auburn University