AM Workshop: Succeeding With Powder Bed Fusion

What does it mean for a machine shop to adopt laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing? What are the considerations? The half-day AM Workshop on Succeeding With Powder Bed Fusion will prepare machine shops and other established manufacturers for this method of metal 3D printing. The Workshop is Wednesday, Sept. 11, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the West Building Room W196. Registration is required.

LPBF is likely the best-established and most widely used industrial 3D printing process for metal part production. It allows for not only radical design possibilities but also radical time savings by replacing casting in some cases and assembly in others. But it also introduces engineering, qualification and material handling requirements unlike those familiar to many shops.

Large laser powder bed fusion build areas are bringing the chance to produce more parts per cycle. Nikon SLM Solutions will speak about this.

The topics and speakers for the AM Workshop on Powder Bed Fusion include:

Programming and Build Preparation

Success in LPBF is the result of complex choices that come before the build begins, and many of these choices can be automated. Dr. Michael Head from Dyndrite describes build parameters and other considerations of build setup, and how they affect the speed of 3D printing and the quality of the printed part.

Process Qualification

The U.S. Navy has detailed process qualification frameworks for powder bed fusion for its Submarine Industrial Base, and Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing pursued the infrastructure and quality system advances needed for LPBF on its EOS machines to meet the Navy’s requirements. James O’Toole of Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing and Dr. Ankit Saharan of EOS discuss this.

Laser powder bed fusion success involves, among other important considerations, postprocess machining. Source: Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, one of the workshop speakers.

Hardware and Software Integration

Software is an enabling tool for LPBF every bit as much as the hardware. Matt Karesh of Velo3D describes software’s increasingly important role in LPBF, and how hardware and software integration contribute to repeatability, with examples of success from various AM part producers.

Part Removal

After an intricate, high-value part has been successfully 3D printed, the process is far from complete. Clay Olson of EDM Performance Accessories describes the economics of removing the part from the build plate, and how to carry out this step safely, quickly and efficiently.

Scaling Up Production

Large-format LPBF machines are powerful not just for large parts, but for large quantities of smaller parts. Brad Lemke of Nikon SLM Solutions discusses how LPBF on larger scale machines is transforming serial production.

Registration is required. To register for the AM Workshop on Succeeding With Powder Bed Fusion, visit IMTS.com or any registration desk.