About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium (SFF Symp 2026)
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| Symposium
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2026 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium (SFF Symp 2026)
|
| Presentation Title |
Observation of balling defect formation mechanism in laser melting using synchroton x-ray radiography |
| Author(s) |
Tharun Reddy, Zane Taylor, Debomita Basu, Rajib Halder, Samuel Clark, Kamel Fezzaa, Benjamin Gould, Tao Sun, Bryan Webler, Anthony Rollett, Leora Dresselhaus-Marais |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Tharun Reddy |
| Abstract Scope |
The productivity of metal additive manufacturing technologies strongly depends on laser power and scan velocity. However, high-power and high-scan velocity (high-PV) conditions often lead to balling defects, where material accumulates non-uniformly along melt tracks. These elevated regions and melt track discontinuities degrade part quality and can cause build failures. To investigate the origin of balling, we employed synchrotron high-speed X-ray radiography to directly observe its formation during laser melting of stainless steel. We find that vapor depression morphology and solidification velocity govern the periodicity and size of these defects. Our results reveal distinct melt pool dynamics at high-PV conditions that differ significantly from previously studied regimes. These quantitative insights into an underexplored region of the PV space will inform strategies to mitigate balling and support scalability efforts. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |