For more information, please visit: www.vtt.fi/powder. Development steps from powder to product.

1. 1
Powder Piloting Service
Material solutions, from powder to product.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Service for Additive Manufacturing (AM)
www.vtt.fi/powder

2. 2
Service for introducing new material
compositions to SLM from materials to
performance validated product.
 Utilization of AM technologies such as
Selective Laser Melting increases rapidly
 Number of commercially available AM
customized powders is limited and pricing
of is high
Additive Manufacturing (AM)
www.vtt.fi/powder

3. 305/12/2017 3
 Selection of material composition meeting demands of component
operation conditions
 Evaluation of material suitability to SLM process (thermodynamics,
phase structures)
2
1
3
4
5
Material selection
and design
Powder processing &
modification to SLM
Processing
parameters for SLM
Processing of
test components
Design and
manufacturing of
real component
Development steps from powder to product:
Additive Manufacturing (AM)
 Is there powder commercially available with needed properties?
 modification of power properties to meet demands of SLM
 production of powder with desired specs
 Processing and modification of powders to meet process demands
 Design of experiment (DoE) for process parameter mapping
 DoE based processing parameter optimization
 Heat treatments, HIP, grinding, machining, polishing
 Specimens for lab material testing e.g. tensile test specimens in
different orientations
 Design and optimization of component for SLM process and for
operation conditions
 Manufacturing and post treating of component
 Component performance testing (lab and/or field testing)
www.vtt.fi/powder

4. 405/12/2017 4
Development steps from powder to product:
Additive Manufacturing (AM)
Does processing parameters lead to
desired properties?
GATE2.
Does material properties meet
demands of component?
GATE3.
Does powder fill demands
of SLM process?
GATE1.
www.vtt.fi/powder
2
1
3
4
5
Material selection
and design
Processing
parameters for SLM
Processing of
test components
Design and
manufacturing of
real component
Powder processing &
modification to SLM

5. 505/12/2017 5
 Demands and restrictions from operation conditions
 Strength, corrosion etc.
 Demands and restrictions of SLM process
 Thermodynamics, prediction of phase structures, need for preheat,…
 Powder properties, flowability, packing density, particle size distribution
STEP 1. Material selection & design
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

6. 605/12/2017 6
Can be done by “light” more traditional way or by ICME approach.
STEP 1. Material selection & design
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

7. 705/12/2017 7
 Is there powder commercially available with needed properties?
 If yes, modification of power properties to meet demands of SLM
 If no, production of powder with desired specs
 Possible technologies
 Atomization, milling, air classification, plasma spheroidization,…
 Characterization of properties
STEP 2. Powder processing & modification
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

8. 805/12/2017 8
400
600
800
1000
1200
100 150 200 250 300
Scanningspeed(mm/s)
Power (W)
VED 50 VED 100
Experimental designs
Using D-optimal design
of experiments.
Printing samples and
measuring density using
image analysis.
Fitting a numerical
model and calaculating
the optimal parameters.
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
400 900
Hatchwidth(µm)
Scanning speed (mm/s)
VED 50 VED 100
Hatchwidth(µm)Scanningspeed(mm/s)
Scanning speed (mm/s)
Power (W)
STEP 3: Processing parameters for SLM
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

9. 905/12/2017 9
 Post treatment
 Heat treatments according to targeted
structural properties
 Densification and homogenization by
hot isostatic pressing if necessary
 Surface grinding & polishing
 Desired performance testing
Heat treatment Procedure Hardness
Stress relief anneal Held at 650°C for 2h 45 HRC
Hardening and tempering Held at 1030°C for 30min + quench in oil
Tempered at 400°C for 2+2h
55 HRC
Conventionally manufactured
(Reference)
Held at 1025°C for 30min + quench in air
Tempered at 550°C for 2+2h
52 HRC
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Stress(MPa)
Initial Optimized Reference
Ultimate tensile strength (Horizontal)
As built
Stress relief
annealed
Hardened
and
tempered
STEP 4: Processing of test components
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

10. 1005/12/2017 10
 Co-creation with VTT experts
 Re-design for AM, topological optimization
 Real, printed case component
 Component performance testing
 Cost estimation of manufacturing of case component
Component
selection
Redesign
3D printing
Cost estimation
STEP 5: Design and manufacturing of real
component
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

11. 111105/12/2017
 Material H13 tool steel
 Optimized mass: 489 g (compared to original
mass 1.446 kg)  66% reduction
 No drilling  no pluging  no leaking!
 Better fluid flow due to optimized fluid channels
 Will be still further optimized
 Final version will be tested in operative conditions
Case 3D printed optimized hydraulic
valve block
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

12. 1205/12/2017 12
Topology optimization +
Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing (AM) www.vtt.fi/powder

13. 13
For more information
please visit our website.
Interested?
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
www.vtt.fi/powder