X-Rays Help Researchers Identify Cause of Metal 3D Printing Defects
PITTSBURGH—Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Argonne National Laboratory have identified how and when gas pockets form during 3D printing with the help of x-rays—a discovery that could dramatically improve the 3D printing process. The scientists used the extremely bright high-energy x-rays at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source to take super-fast video and images of a process called Laser Power Bed Fusion, in which lasers melt and fuse material powder together.
The lasers scan over each layer of powder to fuse metal where it is needed and literally create the finished product from the ground up. Defects can form when pockets of gas become trapped into these layers, causing imperfections that could lead to cracks or other breakdowns in the final product.