Researchers from theIndian Institute of Science(IISc) have developed a new abrasion-based method of producing metal powders for 3D printing.
The approach is designed to provide an alternative to atomization, the technique by which most metal powders are currently produced. In atomization, a gas or water jet is used to break up a molten stream of metal into tiny droplets, which form powder particles once cooled.
Unfortunately, despite it being the gold standard in the industry, atomization-based powder production can suffer from poor material yield, it can be cost-inefficient, and it’s only compatible with a limited number of metals. The IISc approach aims to address these shortcomings.
Priti Ranjan Panda, a Ph.D. student at IISc’s Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, said, “We have an alternative, more economical and inherently scalable route for making metal powders, and the quality of the final powders appear to be very competitive when compared with conventional gas atomized powders.”
Metal grinding for powder production
在制造业中，从金属研磨工艺中取出的废料称为SWARF。这些金属碎片通常处于长条带的形状，但它们也可以包括球形粉末颗粒。
根据IISC团队的说法，人们长期以来一直认为这些球形SWARF颗粒在研磨过程中发生熔化，这首先使它们成为完美的球体。因此，研究人员认为，他们可以将基于磨损的工艺应用于3D打印粉末。
该研究表明，由于氧化的高热量熔化确实确实导致金属表面的放热反应形成粉末状金属颗粒。研究人员完善了磨削方法，并优化了它生产大量的钢3D打印粉，他们声称这提供了与商业气体雾化的同类产品相当的性能。磨削技术也比气体雾化更具成本效益。
需要经济高效的金属粉末
该研究的首席作者库西克·维斯瓦纳森（Koushik Viswanathan）指出，由于该技术的定制和设计自由益处，最近对采用金属3D打印的兴趣很大。但是，当今金属粉末的昂贵性质已被证明是许多公司的障碍，因此仍然需要更便宜，更容易获得的粉末。
Harish Singh Dhami, co-author of the study, adds, “Reducing the cost of the AM process (via economical powders) can widen the range of materials in situations such as manufacturing of biomedical implants, which could become cheaper and more accessible.”
Additionally, the team believes that their abrasion-based approach also has potential in other high-performance industrial applications, including parts for aerospace engines.
更多细节的研究可以发现paper titled“使用表面研磨的金属添加剂制造应用生产粉末”.
The industry for powdered 3D printing materials is as active as ever. Just recently, Sweden-based materials firmGränges粉冶金推出了其第一个添加剂制造粉。作为公司分配材料家族的一部分开发，AM S220 (AlSi35) is a high-performance aluminum alloy适用于激光粉床融合。该材料的特征是其高刚度，低热膨胀，出色的磨损行为，良好的可加工性和低密度。
Elsewhere,无限屈曲，位于德国的智能材料的开发商，最近启动了它声称是世界上第一个用于SLM 3D打印的纯铜粉. Dubbed INFINITE POWDER Cu 01, the material has already been successfully tested on a number of standard SLM 3D printers such as theEOS M290andTrumpf TruPrint 1000, and is now commercially available.
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Featured image shows steel 3D printing powder produced using surface grinding. Image via IISc.
