Investigation of the effects of printing parameters in lithography-based metal manufacturing process.
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School of Engineering |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2024-12-20
Department
Major/Subject
Additive Manufacturing for Full Flexibility
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in Manufacturing
Language
en
Pages
91
Series
Abstract
The significance of additive manufacturing in contemporary industry is increasing, particularly due to its capability to produce very small lot sizes and intricate geometries. With the introduction of new techniques and ongoing improvements to current technologies, additive manufacturing is becoming a more enticing choice for generating completely functional components. Metals play an important role in these processes because they have the mechanical and chemical qualities required for a wide range of industrial applications. To fabricate purely metallic components, the Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM) process offers a viable solution. ' This thesis focuses on evaluating an additive manufacturing system (Hammer Lab35, Incus GmbH) designed to produce metallic components using the principle of stereolithography. In this system, a photoreactive suspension (binder) mixed with metal powder is exposed layer by layer from above. This process creates a volumetric structure composed of an organic matrix that binds the metal particles, known as the green body. To obtain a purely metallic component, the green body undergoes thermal treatment during post-processing, which includes de-binding and sintering. During de-binding, the organic binder evaporates, and subsequent sintering results in a dense, homogeneous metallic body. However, this process induces stress and volumetric shrinkage in the component. Additionally, various parametric and mechanical factors can lead to undesirable outcomes, such as cracks and dimensional deviations. These factors must be considered during the production of the green body to ensure the final component is free of defects. The objective of this work is to examine the impact of different printing parameters in the lithography-based metal manufacturing process and to optimize these parameters to achieve dimensional accuracy and produce defect-free final parts. The experiments are conducted using austenitic stainless steel 316L. The process quality will be evaluated based on the fabricated green parts and the subsequent sintered parts. Key parameters include dimensional stability, surface quality, and mechanical strength.Description
Supervisor
Salmi, MikaThesis advisor
Stampfl, JürgenKeywords
additive manufacturing, lithography-based metal manufacturing, DLP, coating modes, repeatability, shrinkage