| Abstract Scope |
In powder bed additive manufacturing, consistent powder bed density is critical to ensure high-quality, repeatable results. Additionally, the thermal properties of the powder bed may be important to the process results. A non-contact method that measures the density of the powder bed without direct contact can ensure that the density of the powder remains high during the manufacturing process and improve the print quality of the final product. However, there is a lack of effective methods for in-situ monitoring of these key parameters. This paper considers the use of flash thermography (FT) for this purpose. In FT, a flash of light rapidly heats a sample surface and the resulting temperature response measured by an IR camera. This paper will report on the application of this technique to rolled powder beds in binder jetting and discuss the criteria under which the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and packing density can be found. |