TY - JOUR A1 - Zocca, Andrea A1 - Wirth, Cynthia A1 - Mühler, T. A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Powder-bed stabilization for powder-based additive manufacturing JF - Advances in mechanical engineering N2 - The most successful additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are based on the layer-by-layer deposition of a flowable powder. Although considered as the third industrial revolution, one factor still limiting these processes to become completely autonomous is the often necessary build-up of support structures. Besides the prevention of lateral shifts of the part during the deposition of layers, the support assures quality and stability to the built process. The loose powder itself surrounding the built object, or so-called powder-bed, does not provide this sustenance in most existent technology available. Here we present a simple but effective and economical method for stabilizing the powder-bed, preventing distortions in the geometry with no need for support structures. This effect, achieved by applying an air flow through the powder-bed, is enabling an entirely autonomous generation of parts and is a major contribution to all powder-based additive manufacturing technologies. Moreover, it makes powder-based AM independent of gravitational forces, which will facilitate crafting items in space from a variety of powdery materials. KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Powder bed PY - 2014 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-314244 DO - https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/491581 SN - 1687-8132 SN - 1687-8140 N1 - Geburtsname von Wirth, Cynthia: Gomes, C. M. - Birth name of Wirth, Cynthia: Gomes, C. M. VL - 2014 SP - 491581-1 - 491581-6 PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation CY - New York, NY ; Cairo AN - OPUS4-31424 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mühler, T. A1 - Helsch, G. A1 - Heinrich, J.G. A1 - Yao, Dongxu A1 - Gräf, S. A1 - Müller, F.A. A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Strategies for the selective volume sintering of ceramics JF - Journal of materials research N2 - The present study is dealing with the basic physics for a novel way to generate a free-formed ceramic body, not like common layer by layer, but directly by Selective Volume Sintering (SVS) in a compact block of ceramic powder. To penetrate with laser light into the volume of a ceramic powder compact it is necessary to investigate the light scattering properties of ceramic powders. Compared with polymers and metals, ceramic materials are unique as they offer a wide optical window of transparency. The optical window typically ranges from below 0.3 up to 5 µm wave length. In the present study thin layers of quartz glass (SiO2) particles have been prepared. As a function of layer thickness and the particle size, transmission and reflection spectra in a wave length range between 0.5 and 2.5 µm have been recorded. Depending on the respective particle size and by choosing a proper relation between particle size and wave length of the incident laser radiation, it is found that light can penetrate a powder compact up to a depth of a few millimeters. With an adjustment of the light absorption properties of the compact the initiation of sintering in the volume of the compact is possible. KW - Additive Manufacturing PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.174 SN - 0884-2914 VL - 29 IS - 17 SP - 2095 EP - 2099 PB - Materials Research Society CY - Warrendale, Pa. AN - OPUS4-32544 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -