Additive Manufacturing Processes: Selective Laser Melting, Electron Beam Melting and Binder Jetting—Selection Guidelines

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping, is gaining increasing attention due to its ability to produce parts with added functionality and increased complexities in geometrical design, on top of the fact that it is theoretically possible to produce any shape without limitations. However, most of the research on additive manufacturing techniques are focused on the development of materials/process parameters/products design with different additive manufacturing processes such as selective laser melting, electron beam melting, or binder jetting. However, we do not have any guidelines that discuss the selection of the most suitable additive manufacturing process, depending on the material to be processed, the complexity of the parts to be produced, or the design considerations. Considering the very fact that no reports deal with this process selection, the present manuscript aims to discuss the different selection criteria that are to be considered, in order to select the best AM process (binder jetting/selective laser melting/electron beam melting) for fabricating a specific component with a defined set of material properties.

A Review of Metal Fabricated with Laser‐ and Powder‐Bed Based Additive Manufacturing Techniques: Process, Nomenclature, Materials, Achievable Properties, and its Utilization in the Medical Sector

“…The second subdivision of the processes is based on the underlying principle of the feedstock mechanism: The supply of the added material via a deposition nozzle, categorised as directed energy deposition (DED), due to the fusing of the material taking place while it is deposited; or via subsequently added layers in a closed environment, whereby the deposited material (e.g., subsequent powder, sheet or fluid layers) is fused after its deposition. [32] Within this study, the focus solely relies on: 1) metals as the main component of the raw material, 2) a powder-bed based manufacturing environment, 3) a laser beam as energy source. From there, further distinctions are based on the utilized raw material, that is, polymer, metal or ceramic based raw materials, whereby there are, of course, interdisciplinary cases, for example, metal powder with polymer binder or ceramic powder with metal acting as a binder (such as hard metal, tungsten carbide-cobalt).…”

“…[30] Comprehensive overview about available AM technologies, their particular process conduct; categorization of the areas of application for the specific technique [31] Comparative review, comparing SLM fabrication of metals with traditional fabrication methods [124] Detailed review about the mechanical properties and the process conduct of aluminum alloys fabricated with PBF; various fusing principles addressed, ranging from indirect SLS (with binding media) to full melting (SLM) [24] Review about the various AM techniques with the focus of providing selection guidelines to distinguish which process to choose for a given set of requirements [32] Review on the process control in laser-based PBF and the underlying physical principles [46] Review about the SLM process, the process conduct, the gain in interest in the technology over time, and achievable properties [25] Review about numerical modeling and simulation of PBF involving full melting of the raw material [322] Comparison of PBF techniques, with the focus on SLM and EBM and the available machinery; highlights the geometrical flexibility on documented studies and show-cases [323] Review about achievable mechanical properties of metal fabricated with DED and PDF techniques [23] Review on PBF and DED, with the focus on binding mechanism, available raw materials and the resulting microstructure [26] Detailed review about the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys fabricated with DED and PBF techniques [324] Review/discussion of the utilization of the three main aluminum types (pure, casting, wrought chemistries) and their processing with PBF and DED techniques [241] Detailed review about the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V fabricated with DED and PBF techniques [247] Review about the SLM process conduct for pure Ti and Ti6Al4V, including expectable mechanical properties [192] Overview about emerging high performance materials, such as particle-reinforced composites, hard-metals and intermetallic phases, processed with PBF [6] Review about SLS and SLM using pure ceramic powder without binding media [325] Comprehensive summary of laser processing technologies and the laser material interaction [53] Review about topology-optimization to achieve desired mechanical properties in porous metal structures and scaffolds; major focus are bone scaffolds and orthopaedic implants, utilising SLM and EBM with titanium alloys, biodegradable metals and shape-memory alloys (NiTi) [30] Comprehensive overview about available AM technologies, their particular process conduct; categorization of the areas of application for the specific technique …”

“…[31] In addition, AM processes vary based on the utilized source of power, for example, laser or electron beam. [32] Within this study, the focus solely relies on: 1) metals as the main component of the raw material, 2) a powder-bed based manufacturing environment, 3) a laser beam as energy source.…”

3D Printing for veterinary anatomy: An overview

“…3D printing for medical purposes began in the early 2000s with the production of prosthetics and medical implants (Leukers et al, 2005;Mironov, Boland, Trusk, Forgacs, & Markwald, 2003). Currently, 3D printing has been used to enhance anatomical teaching in both human and veterinary medicine (AbouHashem, Dayal, Savanah, & Štrkalj, 2015;Crişan, 2018;McMenamin, Quayle, McHenry, & Adams, 2014;Wölfel et al, 2016). There is little doubt that 3D printing will certainly continue to grow in the coming years.…”

“…By gluing the powdered basic material at selected locations and rolling over afterwards with a new thin layer of powder, the component is created layer by layer (Gokuldoss, Kolla, & Eckert, 2017;Gross et al, 2014). The binder may be multicoloured so natural colour reproduction is possible.…”