Consultings

Scope:

SINTEF has strong profile and expertise on PBF-LB/M activities, including but not limited to AM alloys development, printing parameter development, design for AM, hybrid printing, heat treatment, advanced material characterization and testing etc. Many materials powder are available. 

Approach:

The SLM280 2.0 printer from SLM Solutions AG installed at SINTEF Industry is a state-of-art laser powder bed fusion printer for metallic materials. It is equipped with up to 700W single fibre laser. We have standard build chamber with maximum volume 280*280*350 mm^3, with preheating capability up to 200 degree C. We have also reduced high temperature build chamber, size Ø95*100 and preheating up to 500 degree C.

An in-house made recoating mechanism will enable printing test piece with very low amount powder. The printer has advanced monitor systems, for example imaged based recoating examination, emission based melting pool monitor (MPM) and laser power monitor (LPM) systems. Advanced in-sight study of the printer process can be processed based on results from those monitor systems. The powerful pre-processing software can easily import complex CAD files in native CAD format, generate different kinds of support structure, edit printing laser parameter and generate the slice file ready for printing by the SLM280 printer. We also have FEM software for the simulating the process. 

Outcome:

Some examples of the result: 

With industrial partners, we are developing high Si aluminum alloys for AM. For such new alloys, printing parameters have been developed which can give >99,9% relative density. In the other project, we have successfully printed and heat treated a complex tool part in steel with internal cooling channels, of a few kilogram weight. Hybrid manufacturing has been made with the interface mating accuracy of sub 100 microns. Pure copper have been printed for battery applications. We also managed multiple materials printing in the same layer.