Plume Elimination System for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
Problem statement
Laser powder bed fusion is the dominant metal additive manufacturing technology due to its capabilities to make parts with complex geometries that cannot be achieved by conventional manufacturing processes. Laser powder bed fusion has been increasingly used in aerospace, defense, biomedical, energy and automotive industries. It has potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry, enable mass customization, and accelerate the pace of new product development. However, the parts produced by laser powder bed fusion technology are still not as reliable, repeatable, and predictable as those produced by conventional manufacturing processes. One major cause of the product quality uncertainty is caused by the vapor plume generated during laser powder bed interaction due to the localized high intensity laser heating caused intense boiling. The objective of this project is to develop a device to extract the vapor plume out of the laser material interaction area without disturbing the powder bed. If successful, it will provide a viable way to address the quality control challenge in laser powder bed fusion.
Team members
Abhinav Mushti – admin
Benjamin Weiss – communicator
David Romero-Silva – facilitator
Levi Karunaratne – accountant
Client
Lianyi Chen
UW – Mechanical Engineering