At the University of Siegen, alloys made of aluminum, steel or titanium powder can be melted using a powerful powder bed printer. Scientists have now published initial research results on the behavior of the material from the Siegen metal printing system.
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. 3D printing of metal is developing rapidly. Metal 3D printing has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly in medical technology, the automotive and aerospace industries. The University of Siegen has a powerful metal printing system (powder bed printer), which, after extensive laboratory conversion, is now also available for research collaborations.
Alloys from powders
The metal printing system (3DS DMP Flex 350) was purchased as part of a large-scale equipment application by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tamara Reinicke (product development) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Manns (production automation and assembly).
It can be used to melt numerous alloys made of aluminum, steel or titanium powder into complex geometries that cannot be produced using conventional manufacturing technologies. In order to increase confidence in the use of this technology in safety-relevant areas, intensive research is required to determine the material behavior under high stress.
First scientific research work
The first scientific research work with samples from the Siegen metal printing plant was recently published in "Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics", one of the leading specialist journals in the field of fracture mechanics. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the scanning strategy (travel path of the laser) on component strength. As part of this research, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tamara Reinicke and Dr.-Ing. Mohammad Reza Khosravani from the Chair of Product Development worked closely with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Engel and Dr.-Ing. Peter Frohn-Sörensen from the Chair of Forming Technology.
Dr. Khosravani explains that the fracture behavior of double-notched samples made of an aluminum alloy (AlSi10Mg) was investigated here. Test specimens with different geometric specifications and pressure parameters were produced and the fracture behavior and mechanical strength were investigated in detail. Notches play an essential role in the design of components and are often responsible for component failure. The test results help designers to design and align fatigue-resistant component features.