Processing Optimization and Performance Characterization of Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes provide the freedom of design where material is deposited and joined layer by layer to obtain complex components. This technology is relatively new for metallic materials but is already established for products in medical applications, such as dental crowns and prostheses, as well as fabricating prototypes for aircraft or high-performance automotive components. Due to their potential for individualized and functions integrated products, AM technologies are of great interest for mass production but still awfully expensive due to the nature of the process and the material required. In particular, the use of high-performance materials with complex geometries is a challenging path for AM processes, leading to insufficient material properties when used with as-built conditions.

The final material properties of AM parts are significantly influenced by the thermomechanical history during the AM process, which is mainly responsible for local variations in the microstructure and leads to, e.g., anisotropic behavior. Major influence factors for microstructure development are the process parameters, material properties, and the part geometry, which must be considered to achieve optimal product properties.

Current research examines the material properties in the condition of as-built, heat-treated, and/or HIP (hot isostatic pressing). Aiming to contribute to the qualification of AM components, this Special Issue focuses on present investigations on the optimization of the AM process itself, pre- and post-processes, and the process–structure–properties relationship. The call is open for all metals, especially lightweight and/or high temperature alloys, such as Ti6Al4V or Inconel, with respect to feasible application fields.

Some of the major topics of this Special Issue are:

• Feedstock preparation/conditioning (e.g., initial microstructure);
• Process monitoring/control (e.g., in situ temperature control);
• Process simulation (e.g., model development);
• Process optimization (e.g., process optimization with statistical methods);
• Material characterization (e.g., new NDT methods);
• Process qualification (e.g., approaches for fast qualification of AM and subsequent processes).

Your sincerely,

Dr. Johannes Buhl
Guest Editor

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• additive manufacturing
• powder
• wire
• laser
• arc
• process simulation
• material characterization
• process monitoring
• process control
• process qualification