In situ alloying: investigation of the melt pool stability during powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam in a novel experimental set-up

The limited access to materials for the Powder Bed Fusion of Metals using a Laser Beam (PBF-LB/M) is compensated by in situ alloying. Individual melt pool characteristics can be specifically influenced to improve the mechanical properties of the final part. However, conventional PBF-LB/M machines allow only limited access for detailed observation of the process zone and, in particular, the melt pool. This paper presents a methodology for systematically analyzing the melt pool in the cross section to determine the in situ variation of the melt pool depth. A custom PBF-LB/M test bench was devised to enable investigation of the process zone using high-speed infrared cameras. The image data were processed automatically using a dedicated algorithm. The methodology was applied to analyze the effect of additives on the melt pool stability. Stainless steel 316L powder was blended with the aluminum alloy AlSi10Mg by up to 20 wt.%. It was found that the blended powder significantly reduced the variation of the melt pool depth.