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The tower nozzle solid freeform fabrication technique

Lino Costa (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)
Deepak Rajput (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)
Kathleen Lansford (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)
Wenqiang Yue (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)
Alexander Terekhov (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)
William Hofmeister (Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 15 June 2010

658

Abstract

Purpose

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The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple, easy to implement powder delivery strategy for solid freeform fabrication (SFF) processing.

Design/methodology/approach

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A specially designed “tower nozzle” located at the center of the processing area dispenses the feedstock powders continuously and uniformly onto the processing area, where powders accumulate progressively as a flat powder bed. During the dispensing, powders are selectively consolidated by melting and solidification using a laser beam which was scanned in a predefined pattern using a galvo‐mirror scan head.

Findings

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Experiments performed with AISI H13 steel show that the tower nozzle powder delivery strategy is suitable for SFF processing.

Practical implications

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Both powder delivery and laser consolidation are performed simultaneously and without interruption with simple apparatus. No powder delivery scrapers or rollers are used.

Originality/value

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The main characteristics of a prototype tower nozzle and the typical processing conditions used to form thin wall AISI H13 steel shapes are presented.

Keywords

Citation

Costa, L., Rajput, D., Lansford, K., Yue, W., Terekhov, A. and Hofmeister, W. (2010), "The tower nozzle solid freeform fabrication technique", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 295-301. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552541011049315

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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