In-Process Monitoring of Cross Contamination in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) Additive Manufacturing (AM)

Cross contamination in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) Additive Manufacturing (AM) could locally change the chemical composition and stress distribution in a component. It also could result in the formation of flaws, and consequently lower the mechanical performance of a component. In this study, the in-process monitoring and detection of cross contamination was investigated in L-PBF process, also known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). A setup was designed and fabricated at EWI, where contaminant materials could be introduced on the powder bed without interrupting the fabrication process or breaking the chamber environment. Tungsten particles were used as the contaminant material, in the matrix of Inconel 625. Six levels of contamination were calibrated, and were introduced in two static and dynamic modes. Photodetector, spectrometer, and optical camera were used for the data acquisition. One of the sensors showed the most promising results. X-ray computed tomography (CT) and optical microscopy were used to validate data collected by the sensors.