Small Batch Production Of Stainless Steel Powders For Additive Manufacturing And Their Characterisation

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is an innovative manufacturing process that has become an integral part of today’s industrial production. Powder bed-based processes require powders that are as round and satellite-free as possible and that produce layers that are as dense and defect-free as possible during the application process.To date, only a few powder production processes fulfil these criteria. Most of these are extremely costly. This is particularly true when small quantities of powders are required for material development. Ultrasonic atomisation offers new possibilities for producing an ideal powder with excellent roundness and narrow particle size distribution for powder bed-based processes on a laboratory scale. The present study shows that stainless steel powders of the highest quality can be produced from wire-shaped precursors (316L and 316LSi). The chemical, physical and technological analysis of the produced powders shows that they are an excellent starting material for LPBF or EPBF.