Additive manufacturing for metals is a manufacturing process where powder, wire or filament is deposited or fused layer by layer to form a finished part of prechosen geometry. An additive manufacturing technology named Direct Liquid Metal Deposition (DLMD) is currently under development at LMM. Aluminium wire is fed through a nozzle and melted in order to produce a liquid stream which bonds and solidifies onto the previous manufactured layer, as is now practiced with thermoplastic polymers in Fusion Deposition Modelling.
The goal of this semester project is to investigate the impact, identified over the course of the research project as being important, of the aluminium wire feedstock quality on porosity in additively manufactured aluminium samples by DLMD. The student will characterize the surface roughness, cleanliness and composition of the wire feedstock and study the link between those parameter with the porosity present in the resulting solidified DLMD parts. The student will then explore wire preparation processes to reproducibly obtain low porosity in printed samples. The wire preparation process may include but is not limited to, cleaning steps, mechanical grinding, chemical etching, drying and heat treatments. A study of the literature on this question as it affects welding processes will also be of use, to guide the effort and provide a frame for the analysis of results.
To apply for this project, please contact: William Le Bas ([email protected]) and Dr Julie Gheysen ([email protected]).