Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing of metallic parts by selective laser melting and direct metal deposition

DescriptionThe mission of the laboratory is the research on materials and processes as well as on the design and characterization of products related to additive manufacturing with metals. The lab is equipped with a selective laser melting system based on powder bed consolidation and on several fiber laser sources equipped with coaxial cladding heads, fitted on anthropomorphic robot arms. A 3D X-Ray CT Scan microtomograph for non-destructive inspection of parts is also available to support the lab activities.

ReferencesBLM group, Fonderia Maspero SrL, Marposs SpA, Sapio SPA, Titalia SpA, Ansaldo Group, Agusta Westland.

D I PA RT I M E N T O D I M E C C A N I C A

Department AddressDipartimento di Meccanica Building B23via La Masa, 1 20156 Milano - Italytelephone: +39 02 2399 8500fax: +39 02 2399 8202e-mail: info-dmec@polimi.it

Websitewww.mecc.polimi.it

Laboratory AddressBuilding B16/B23via La Masa, 1 and 3420156 Milano - Italy

Activities

Design and optimization of structural and functional parts produced by Additive Manufacturing techniques• Design for Additive Manufacturing: structural/functional

design and optimization of parts and systems.• Light-Weight Design: system inertia reduction with

Topological Optimization and Lattice Structures.

Process optimization and monitoring• Process development and optimization for AM of

metals.• Process modeling and simulations by analytical and

numerical methods and experimental validation.• Inline monitoring strategies based on optical and

mechanical methods for defect recognition.• Statistical process control methods and analytical

solutions for data analysis and possible applications of closed-loop process control.

Development and characterization of alloys for AM• Design and testing of new alloys (steels, Al-base,

Ti-base).• Characterization & testing of SLM processed materials.• Optimization of thermal treatments of additive

manufactured alloys.• Investigation on surface coating and surface finishing of

AM parts.

Characterization of AM products and evaluation• Non-destructive testing of AM parts by X-ray

CT-microtomography.• Material characterization by microstructural and

mechanical (static and dynamic) testing.• Testing of structural performance of parts.

Rev.0

Instrumentation & Facilities• Renishaw AM250 selective laser melting system,

featuring a build volume of 250 mm × 250 mm × 300 mm.

• Direct Energy Deposition system with 1-3 kW IPG fiber lasers, two cylinder feeder, coaxial head and anthropomorphic ABB robots.

• Equipment for powder mixing, milling, sieving and handling.

• 3D X-Ray CT-Scan microtomography equipment that can be operated with X-ray energies from 10 to 160 keV, in a volume of diameter 15 cm and height 22 cm.

• Software Materialise Magics, to repair/modify 3D models, generate lattice structures and prepare the builds.