Manufacturing PA Innovation Program Project Webinar

December 03, 2020

10:00 a.m. ET

Virtual

Speaker: Markus Chmielus

Topic: Two step, transient liquid phase sintering (TST-LPS) of binder-jet 3D printed nickel-based superalloys

Sponsors: University of Pittsburgh with ExOne

While a majority of industrial additive manufacturing (AM) applications for metal are utilizing an energy beam-based AM method to produce parts, these methods produce as-printed parts with large thermal stresses and thermally affected microstructures, and are prone to cracking during the manufacturing process. Binder jet 3D printing does not have any of these disadvantages but requires a high temperature heat treatment step for densification after an up-to-100x-faster printing process than energy beam AM methods. Markus Chmielus and Nettleship found that powder size, sintering temperature and sintering duration have a significant effect on final density. This project seeks to significantly enhance the sintering process by investigating a two-step transient liquid phase sintering process for binder jet printed nickel-based superalloys. By systematically investigating how this two-step sintering process influences density, pore evolution, grain microstructure and strength, hardness and fatigue life, this project might lead to a paradigm change in the use of binder jet printing in manufacturing of metal parts.

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