Selective Laser Melting
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a well established AM technology to produce metal parts. In the SLM process, metal powder is melted by the energy of a laser beam. The part is built layer by layer. After the laser has melted one layer a new layer of powder is added to the resulting work piece. Then the laser is used again and melts the next layer.
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/147354/601833/SLM-Scheme2_570px.jpg/16c7082c-5a30-4f4c-a878-c55e82d2d183?t=1466189370000&doAsUserId=mLYofz1ofIc4z2qdMCjTcg%3D%3D%3F_NewsPortlet_categoryId%3D56975](https://www.empa.ch/documents/147354/601833/SLM-Scheme2_570px.jpg/16c7082c-5a30-4f4c-a878-c55e82d2d183?t=1466189370000&doAsUserId=mLYofz1ofIc4z2qdMCjTcg%3D%3D%3F_NewsPortlet_categoryId%3D56975)
Processing characteristics
The key characteristics of the SLM process can affect the material selection, the component design and the final application:
- High cooling rates in the range of 10'000 – 100'000 °C/s can lead to problems with the processing of conventional alloys, but allow also to achieve novel microstructures and to process novel alloy compositions.
- The material must be available as powder with the right grain size and morphology.
- The amount of powder for a build job is determined by the sample height; High components require a large amount of powder
- Several part geometries need additional support structures, which will have to be removed from the part afterwards
Materials
- Commercially availabel : Stainless steel (1.4404), aluminium alloys (AlSi10), titanium alloys (TiAl6V4, Ti Grade 2), Nickel alloys (In 718, In 625), Co-Cr alloys
- Research: Metal-matrix-composites, structural intermetallic alloys, high temperature alloys
SLM Maschines at Empa
Empa operates in the Coating Competence Center two commercially available SLM machines from renowned machine manufacturers:
![Dr. Christian Leinenbach Dr. Christian Leinenbach](https://www.empa.ch/documents/147354/603458/Foto_Leinenbach_2018_128px-breit.jpg/3dcf01c0-b028-40d2-a33f-ec0e4d5fa9b1?t=1534360966000&doAsUserId=mLYofz1ofIc4z2qdMCjTcg%3D%3D%3F_NewsPortlet_categoryId%3D56975)
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