Shawn P. Moylan

An Additive Manufacturing Test Artifact

A test artifact, intended for standardization, is proposed for the purpose of evaluating the performance of additive manufacturing (AM) systems. A thorough analysis of previously proposed AM test artifacts as well as experience with machining test artifacts have inspired the design of the proposed test artifact. This new artifact is designed to provide a characterization of the capabilities and limitations of an AM system, as well as to allow system improvement by linking specific errors measured in the test artifact to specific sources in the AM system. The proposed test artifact has been built in multiple materials using multiple AM technologies. The results of several of the builds are discussed, demonstrating how the measurement results can be used to characterize and improve a specific AM system.

A review on measurement science needs for real-time control of additive manufacturing metal powder bed fusion processes

Additive manufacturing technologies are increasingly used in the development of new products. However, variations in part quality in terms of material properties, dimensional tolerances, surface roughness and defects limit its broader acceptance. Process control today based on heuristics and experimental data yields limited improvement in part quality. In an effort to identify the needed measurement science for real-time closed-loop control of additive manufacturing (AM) processes, this paper presents a literature review on the current AM control schemes, process measurements and modelling and simulation methods as it applies to the powder bed fusion process, though results from other processes are reviewed where applicable. We present our research findings to identify the correlations between process parameters, process signatures and product quality. We also present research recommendations on the key control issues to serve as a technical basis for standards development in this area. Complimentary details to this paper with summary tables, range of values, preliminary correlations and correlation figures can be accessed from a National Institute of Standards and Technology Report (http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2015/NIST.IR.8036.pdf). This paper is developed based on the report.

Investigating the Role of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing in Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) has increasingly gained attention in the last decade as a versatile manufacturing process for customized products. AM processes can create complex, freeform shapes while also introducing features, such as internal cavities and lattices. These complex geometries are either not feasible or very costly with traditional manufacturing processes. The geometric freedoms associated with AM create new challenges in maintaining and communicating dimensional and geometric accuracy of parts produced. This paper reviews the implications of AM processes on current geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) practices, including specification standards, such as ASME Y14.5 and ISO 1101, and discusses challenges and possible solutions that lie ahead. Various issues highlighted in this paper are classified as (a) AM-driven specification issues and (b) specification issues highlighted by the capabilities of AM processes. AM-driven specification issues may include build direction, layer thickness, support structure related specification, and scan/track direction. Specification issues highlighted by the capabilities of AM processes may include region-based tolerances for complex freeform surfaces, tolerancing internal functional features, and tolerancing lattice and infills. We introduce methods to address these potential specification issues. Finally, we summarize potential impacts to upstream and downstream tolerancing steps, including tolerance analysis, tolerance transfer, and tolerance evaluation. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4031296]

Infrared thermography for laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionize discrete part manufacturing, but improvements in processing of metallic materials are necessary before AM will see widespread adoption. A better understanding of AM processes, resulting from physics-based modeling as well as direct process metrology, will form the basis for these improvements. Infrared (IR) thermography of AM processes can provide direct process metrology, as well as data necessary for the verification of physics-based models. We review selected works examining how IR thermography was implemented and used in various powder-bed AM processes. This previous work, as well as significant experience at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in temperature measurement and IR thermography for machining processes, shapes our own research in AM process metrology with IR thermography. We discuss our experimental design, as well as plans for future IR measurements of a laser-based powder bed fusion AM process.

Neutron measurements of stresses in a test artifact produced by laser-based additive manufacturing

A stainless steel test artifact produced by Direct Metal Laser Sintering and similar to a proposed standardized test artifact was examined using neutron diffraction. The artifact contained a number of structures with different aspect ratios pertaining to wall thickness, height above base plate, and side length. Through spatial resolutions of the order of one millimeter the volumetric distribution of stresses in several was measured. It was found that the stresses peak in the tensile region around 500 MPa near the top surface, with balancing compressive stresses in the interior. The presence of a support structure (a one millimeter high, thin walled, hence weaker, lattice structure deposited on the base plate, followed by a fully dense AM structure) has only minor effects on the stresses.

Measurement of powder bed density in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes

Many factors influence the performance of additive manufacturing (AM) processes, resulting in a high degree of variation in process outcomes. Therefore, quantifying these factors and their correlations to process outcomes are important challenges to overcome to enable widespread adoption of emerging AM technologies. In the powder bed fusion AM process, the density of the powder layers in the powder bed is a key influencing factor. This paper introduces a method to determine the powder bed density (PBD) during the powder bed fusion (PBF) process. A complete uncertainty analysis associated with the measurement method was also described. The resulting expanded measurement uncertainty, U PBD (k = 2), was determined as 0.004 g cm−3. It was shown that this expanded measurement uncertainty is about three orders of magnitude smaller than the typical powder bed density. This method enables establishing correlations between the changes in PBD and the direction of motion of the powder recoating arm.

Development of a metrology frame to improve the positioning accuracy of micro/meso-scale machine tools

The small work volumes of Micro/Meso-scale Machine Tools (MMMTs) often present problems for calibration and error compensation, but also allow solutions not practical on the traditional scale. Measuring tool position with a separate metrology frame and compensating for error motions is one such solution. The metrology frame design follows principles of precision design and allows measurement of the position of the tool tip with respect to the workpiece while minimising Abbe errors. Kinematic analysis provides the relationship between metrology frame measurements and machine tool coordinates. Error analysis reveals that sensor error has the only first order influence on measurement accuracy.

Multiple sensor detection of process phenomena in laser powder bed fusion

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process in which a high power laser melts metal powder layers into complex, three-dimensional shapes. LPBF parts are known to exhibit relatively high residual stresses, anisotropic microstructure, and a variety of defects. To mitigate these issues, in-situ measurements of the melt-pool phenomena may illustrate relationships between part quality and process signatures. However, phenomena such as spatter, plume formation, laser modulation, and melt-pool oscillations may require data acquisition rates exceeding 10 kHz. This hinders use of relatively data-intensive, streaming imaging sensors in a real-time monitoring and feedback control system. Single-point sensors such as photodiodes provide the temporal bandwidth to capture process signatures, while providing little spatial information. This paper presents results from experiments conducted on a commercial LPBF machine which incorporated synchronized, in-situ acquisition of a thermal camera, high-speed visible camera, photodiode, and laser modulation signal during fabrication of a nickel alloy 625 AM part with an overhang geometry. Data from the thermal camera provides temperature information, the visible camera provides observation of spatter, and the photodiode signal provides high temporal bandwidth relative brightness stemming from the melt pool region. In addition, joint-time frequency analysis (JTFA) was performed on the photodiode signal. JTFA results indicate what digital filtering and signal processing are required to highlight particular signatures. Image fusion of the synchronized data obtained over multiple build layers allows visual comparison between the photodiode signal and relating phenomena observed in the imaging detectors.

Recommended Protocol for Round Robin Studies in Additive Manufacturing

One way to improve confidence and encourage proliferation of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and parts is by generating more high quality data describing the performance of AM processes and parts. Many in the AM community see round robin studies as a way to generate large data sets while distributing the cost among the participants, thereby reducing the cost to individual users. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has conducted and participated in several of these AM round robin studies. While the results of these studies are interesting and informative, many of the lessons learned in conducting these studies concern the logistics and methods of the study and unique issues presented by AM. Existing standards for conducting interlaboratory studies of measurement methods, along with NISTs experience, form the basis for recommended protocols for conducting AM round robin studies. The role of round robin studies in AM qualification, some of the limitations of round robin studies, and the potential benefit of less formal collaborative experiments where multiple factors, AM machine being only one, are varied simultaneously are also discussed.

Interlaboratory Study for Nickel Alloy 625 Made by Laser Powder Bed Fusion to Quantify Mechanical Property Variability

Six different organizations participated in this interlaboratory study to quantify the variability in the tensile properties of Inconel 625 specimens manufactured using laser powder bed fusion-additive manufacturing machines. The tensile specimens were heat treated and tensile tests were conducted until failure. The properties measured were yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation. Statistical analysis revealed that between-participant variability for yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elastic modulus values were significantly higher (up to four times) than typical within-participant variations. Only between-participant and within-participant variability were both similar for elongation. A scanning electron microscope was used to examine one tensile specimen for fractography. The fracture surface does not have many secondary cracks or other features that would reduce the mechanical properties. In fact, the features largely consist of microvoid coalescence and are entirely consistent with ductile failure.