Reduction of extraneous variance in powder bed fusion with laser beam of metals by means of advanced digital preprocessing

Data-driven quality assurance and reproducibility are critical for advancing the industrial maturity of Powder Bed Fusion with Laser Beam of Metals (PBF-LB/M). This study addresses the extraneous variance in scan vectors that arises even for identical cross sections of nominally identical components but located at different positions on the build platform. This inherent variance, common across most PBF-LB/M machines, is caused by scan vector computation relative to the machine coordinate origin and subsequent projection of the resulting pattern onto individual component cross sections. In this work, scan vectors are computed still following conventional slicing, but relative to the workpiece origin of each component, using an EOS M 300-4. This digital preprocessing approach homogenizes fabrication conditions, ensuring that anomalies, such as scan vector overlaps, occur consistently across identical components. The impact during fabrication is assessed through powder bed imaging, melt pool monitoring, and operational data from the multilaser PBF-LB/M machine. Components are manufactured from AlSi10Mg for each scan vector computation origin and subsequently qualified using x-ray computed tomography, optical coordinate measurement, and optical surface measurement. A comprehensive evaluation is conducted, comparing the results in terms of component density, geometric accuracy, and surface roughness to those obtained using conventional preprocessing. Based on these findings, practical recommendations are provided, focusing on achieved quality criteria to identify potential drawbacks, while also considering the life cycle analysis of fabrication. Finally, the study emphasizes the significance of consistent scan vector provisioning for identical components placed at different build platform positions, assuming no roll or pitch during nesting.