Pulverwerkstoffe - Die Ausgangsbasis für Qualitätsbauteile in der additiven Fertigung

Laser Beam Melting (LBM) is increasingly applied for the production and repair of end use parts. As of today, the technology is mainly used in the aerospace and medical industry, which are both characterized by high requirements regarding mechanical material properties and part quality. One significant influence on the quality of LBM components lies in the condition of the metal powder. Due to insufficient powder properties, microstructure failures, such as pores or cracks, can occur during the LBM process. Metal powders used for LBM are prone to effects, such as oxidation or foreign particle contamination. These effects on the powder quality can occur during multiple steps of the powder process chain. This contribution shows the motivation for powder quality management and proposes an approach to investigate the role of powder property changes in the context of LBM quality assurance.