| Scope |
Additive manufacturing (AM) provides distinct benefits over conventional manufacturing processes and is increasingly embraced in new products. However, the promotion of AM is challenged by the quality of AM parts and limited available acceptance standards in terms of material properties, dimensional accuracy, and surface perfections. Similar to conventional materials, the understanding of process – microstructure – performance relationship is a key in successful implementation of AM parts. Over the past decade, there has been a considerable efforts in understanding how AM processes impact the defects in AM parts of simple geometries. In contrast, the evolution of performance-driven attributes in AM parts with more complex shapes is much less studied. Moreover, it is now recognized that the thermal processes perfected for conventional materials over several decades may not result in similar optimized properties in their AM counterparts and, hence, new post-build thermal processes are needed for AM parts. In order to address these gaps, both experimental and computational techniques should be utilized to move AM further from just producing topologically optimized parts toward making qualified parts with desired performance.
While we are improving our understanding of AM processes and learning how to successfully build complex shapes, we also need to enhance our efforts in identifying challenges in qualifying AM parts and defining approaches to overcome them. Process qualification involves the establishment of material and process specifications in support of process control and acquisition of data to determine statistically-substantiated mechanical properties and design values. Certification of components produced by qualified processes involves demonstration of component performance in expected, service-like conditions. The objective of this symposium is to provide a platform for the AM community to exchange ideas and determine how, for instance, feedstock, process parameters, build strategy and layout, shape and topology, build envelop, and post-build processes can impact local and global microstructures and properties. Discussions and presentations of recent attempts at AM qualification and certification, successes, failures, and future expectations are much encouraged. Such insights will lead to more reliable inspection techniques and help better define AM-related standards. Then, the measures for process calibration and process qualification will be more effectively defined. All these will, eventually, result in faster qualification of AM parts.
The symposium scopes include, but are not limited to:
- The path to qualification of AM parts; challenges, gaps, standards
- Process Control
- Feedstock; specifications for AM powders:
- Control of feedstock characteristics influencing AM material quality and build quality
- Evolution of microstructure and properties:
- Effect of build strategy
- Post-build thermal processes for desired part properties
- The case for using as-built microstructures in service, risks and rewards
- The effects of HIP versus homogenization thermal treatments
- Key metallurgical characteristics and properties for process qualification:
- Determining ‘acceptable’ build envelop with regard to part quality and performance
- Schema for mapping metallurgical AM process quality throughout the build volume accounting for thermal history extremes
- Definition of calibration ranges in AM machine with regard to part performance
- Controlling factors that influence the evolution of microstructure, defects and part quality:
- Part geometry, build layout, scan strategies, process parameters
- Similarities and differences between coupon properties and part performance, i.e. from test coupons to part
- Non-destructive inspection techniques for AM parts |