Module platform for hybrid PBF-LB manufacturing

This study presents a module platform for additive manufacturing (AM) of parts with the laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) technique. The proposed configurable platform enables hybrid manufacturing, because the bulk of the part can be manufactured with traditional methods and the complex part with AM combining the best qualities of both. The main objective was to find a new way of combining manufacturing techniques to reduce costs both in printing and in the postprocessing phase of production. Mechanical testing and microstructural analysis were used to verify the joint quality and strength between the printed part and the sheet metal. PBF-LB manufacturing was experimented directly on 316L and P355GH sheet metal steels, and in both cases, the results showed that the joints did not degrade the material properties. In addition to specimens for tensile testing, parts for a flexural bending machine were manufactured as a proof of concept. The module platform was successfully used to manufacture parts with reduced material cost and printing time, and the print job could be performed without any support structures, obviating the need for post processing. The proposed platform design can be used not only as a new tool for improving the production efficiency of the PBF-LB technique, but also to overcome some of the limitations in part design.