3D multi-material components bay laser-based powder bed fusion
Metal-based additive manufacturing processes enable the production of geometrically complex components. This is largely due to the build-up character of these technologies. One of the most widely used technologies – laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF) – is based on powder materials that are selectively melted and solidified in the manufacturing process through a laser beam. In a process developed at Fraunhofer IGCV, it is now possible to manufacture components made of two different materials with any distribution of both materials both in the build direction and the build plane. Due to the arbitrary material distribution in all spatial axes, these structures are called 3-D multi-material components. This approach holds the new potential for lightweight construction and functional integration and can also be used to manufacture mechatronic components. To fully exploit these possibilities, the influences of material properties, process parameters, and component characteristics must be investigated.
