Analysis of Surface Finish in Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive

Manufacturing
David Umansky

Engineering Laboratory
Intelligent Systems Division
Production Systems Group
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Advisor: Jason Fox, Ph.D.

Contact: david.umansky@nist.gov
agdsum@gmail.com

Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this presentation to foster understanding. Such
identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor
does it imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

MSAM 1
Outline

• Background
• Project Overview
• Artifact Mount
• Prototyping and iteration
• Final part and creation
• Artifact Surface Measurement
• Setup and previous method
• New method and automation
• Surface examples
• Questions

Photos from: https://3dprint.com/13367/astm-international-standards/ (top) and

http://www.engineering.com/AdvancedManufacturing/ArticleID/15140/GE-Additive-Developing-Worlds-Largest-Laser-Powder-Machine.aspx
(bottom)
MSAM 2
Additive Manufacturing and 3-D printing
• Used in a wide range of different industries
• Can print with many types of materials
• Most Common are ABS and PLA-plastics
• Different metals
• Advantages
• Intricacy of components
• Low cost
• Simplicity of operation
• Significantly faster than alternatives
• Great for prototyping
• Disadvantages
• Not very accurate
• Often has flaws
Photos from:
https://www.lulzbot.com/store/printers/lulzbot-
taz6?pk_campaign=3dp_search&pk_medium=CPC
&pk_source=adwords&pk_kwd=lulzbot%206&gclid
=Cj0KCQjwyLDpBRCxARIsAEENsrIr0tBi9R4dhNhk18
KnTZC6if_ERAcSHIUp952Pa9xsgF7Im4TjqkaAnV_EA
Lw_wcB#&gid=2&pid=1

https://www.eos.info/eos-m290
MSAM 3
 What is Additive Manufacturing?
• Starts of as a CAD model
• A special software splits the CAD file into
thousands of layers
• Then layer upon layer the part is built
• Differs from traditional, subtractive
manufacturing methods

Photos from: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-additive.html

https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printing-vs-cnc-160320184/
Part file from: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2794855
MSAM 4
Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing

Video from: Measurement of Process

Dynamics through Coaxially Aligned
High Speed Near-Infrared Imaging in
Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Additive Manufacturing, presented by
Jason Fox (2017)
Photo from:
https://www.eos.info/additive_manuf
acturing/for_technology_interested

MSAM 5
Project Overview
• Problem Statement
• Currently there is no way to adequately describe AM material
surfaces
• Current measurement methods using Ra and Sa can not characterize AM
surfaces properly
• Repeatable and efficient measurement process doesn’t exist
• Goal
• Create a mount that would allow uniform and repeatable set-up
of artifact for measurement
• Create a process that would autonomously record surfaces of the
artifact

Photos from: Measurement of Process Dynamics through Coaxially Aligned High Speed Near-Infrared Imaging in Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Additive Manufacturing, presented by Jason Fox (2017)
and
MSAM SURFACE ROUGHNESS MEASURE THAT BEST CORRELATES TO EASE OF SLIDING Ernests Jansons, Janis Lungevics, Karlis Agris Gross Riga Technical University,
6
Latvia
 Instruments

An EOS M2901 laser powder bed fusion system

Photos from:
An Alicona InfiniteFocusXL200
https://www.eos.info/eos-m290 G5 with Real3D Rotation Unit (focus variation
Fox, J (2018) Variation of Surface Topography in
Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
microscope)
of Nickel Super Alloy 625.

MSAM 7
Parts being analyzed

Photos from:
Fox, J (2018) Variation of Surface
Topography in Laser Powder Bed
Fusion Additive Manufacturing of
Nickel Super Alloy 625.

MSAM 8
 Reasoning and Mount Setup
• Mount would allow artifact to sit flat and be
oriented in the correct direction
• Allows for repeatability of measurement
and increased accuracy
• Chuck grips bolt right below nut

MSAM 9
 Mount Iteration

1st Iteration 4th Iteration

2nd Iteration 5th Iteration

3rd Iteration 6th Iteration

MSAM 10
Final Model

• Numerous iterations due to manufacturing

capabilities, costs, and our own design
parameters.
• Previous piece had an estimated cost of $900 in
aluminum
• Estimate for final model was $740 in stainless
steel

MSAM 11
 Setup

• The Alicona InfiniteFocusXL200

G5 is a 5 axis microscope
• X, Y, Z components
• Tilt about X
• Rotation about the Z

MSAM 12
Previous Method
• The artifact with a bolt a spacer and a
nut was mounted in the chuck Image with previous
• Each artifact has 72 surfaces setup with black nut
• Each surface had to be manually
located and imaged Image of joystick
• Each artifact measurement took
40-50 hours, set up took 5 hours

MSAM 13
New Measurement Process
1. Using the mount, the artifact is oriented the
same way for each test
2. The microscope is zeroed on a small fiducial on
the top of the artifact
3. Using the Alicona software the measurement
program is run, measuring the first 56 surfaces
4. Artifact is flipped and the last 16 are measured
using a similar process

MSAM 14
Code Explanation

MSAM 15
 Autonomous Measurement Code Explanation
• The Alicona automation script iterates the microscope and
records surface data over each surface of the artifact
• Creates image fields of each surface with proper
identification
• Further analysis done in Matlab

Moves to
Tilt X and Y Rotation
Angle Angle Z Autofocus Surface
START coordinates STOP
i=0;i<7;i++ j=0;j<8;j++ on surface Measurement
of middle of
90-(i+1)*15 (j*45)+45
surface

MSAM 16
Surface Examples

MSAM 17
Conclusion

• Surface finish on AM parts is still not well characterized and not as

smooth or defined as parts made using other manufacturing
techniques
• New method will reduce the cost and time of measurement while
increasing repeatability and accuracy, enticing research and
investment by private industry

MSAM 18
Acknowledgments

• Jason Fox Ph.D.-Mentor

• Jared Tarr- Engineering Technician
• Travis Shatzley-Fabrication Technology Office

MSAM 19
 Thank you!
Questions?
Contact: david.umansky@nist.gov
agdsum@gmail.com

MSAM 20
References

• Fox, J (2018) Variation of Surface Topography in Laser Powder Bed

Fusion Additive Manufacturing of Nickel Super Alloy 625.
J Res Natl Inst Stan 123:123XXX. https://doi.org/10.6028/jres.123.XXX

https://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/

http://additivemanufacturing.com/basics/
https://www.stratasysdirect.com/technologies/direct-metal-laser-
sintering#what-is-dmls

MSAM 21
Downward Facing Surfaces
(60° angle from build plate)
• Similar values of Ra, drastically different surfaces!
α = 60°, v = 700 mm/s, P = 40 W α = 60°, v = 700 mm/s, P = 195 W

Ra = 20.9 μm Ra = 21.2 μm
Digital Gaussian filter, Short cutoff of 25 µm, Long cutoff of 0.8 mm,
4 mm evaluation length
MSAM 22