Feasibility study for reusing AlSi10Mg powder from the PBF-LB/M process in MAPS process

Current research has explored the potential for producing powder sheets from AlSi10Mg powders considered as waste after laser-based powder bed fusion technology (PBF-LB/M). These sheets were then consolidated using novel metal additive manufacturing technique using powder sheets (MAPS). The use of Al based sheets is not yet well understood in literature, mainly due to the challenges posed by the material’s properties, such as its high laser reflectivity and tendency to oxidize. The initial assessment of the feasibility of producing flexible Al-based sheets involved taking dimensional measurements and conducting electron and optical microscopy and thermal analyses. Twenty layers were consolidated onto aluminum substrates by varying two parameters: the angle of rotation between layers and the hatch distance. FESEM analysis revealed a uniform and very fine microstructure, comparable to AlSi10Mg single scan tracks (SSTs). According to the results of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), the chemical composition of the sample was similar to that of the nominal AlSi10Mg alloy, except for the Mg content. Nanoindentation testing revealed an average hardness value of 2.1 GPa for the produced samples, surpassing those created using various rapid solidification methods.