Abstract Scope |
Together, advanced technologies and metallic materials rapidly progress in the field of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing. Aluminium alloys are one of the most attractive metal systems processed with high reliability, being used in high-value applications for demanding industrial sectors. Although L-PBF drastically shortens the design-to-manufacturing time, post-processing operations on metal parts, including heat-treatments, are often time-consuming. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the viability of conducting in-situ heat-treatments during the additive production of AlSi10Mg parts. A build plate heated at set temperatures up to 500 ºC was employed to tune the microstructure of AlSi10Mg alloy, like in conventional post-process heat-treatments. For comparison, we also processed a batch of samples at similar temperatures followed by conventional solution heat-treatment. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of the heated build plate and printing time on the meso- and micro- structure of AlSi10Mg samples, correlating these with the mechanical properties. The experimental results showed that increasing the printing time at 220 ºC results in an in-situ direct aging heat-treatment with an actual increment of hardness and alloy strength. Printing at 300 ºC induces a significant Al lattice relaxation and consequent in-situ stress relieving on the as-built parts. Lastly, in-situ solution heat-treatment is possible when using build plate temperatures at 500 ºC, although a reduction in ductility occurs as compared to conventionally solution heat-treated counterparts. |