Investigation Into The Particle Shape On Powder's Bed Surface Roughness In Additive Manufacturing

The surface roughness of the powder bed plays a critical role in determining the quality of final products in powder bed additive manufacturing processes. This study introduces a novel methodology and a prototype device designed to simulate the formation of a powder bed and analyse surface characteristics. The device was successfully used to measure the roughness of the powder bed surface and can assess other key factors, including the relative packing fraction, particle size and shape variations across build plate, and the presence of electrostatic charges. Four metal powders were studied, along with two types of recoater blades. Two gap sizes for the recoaters—two|five times larger than the powder's D90—were tested. A shadowgraphy technique was employed to measure surface roughness. The findings reveal that the change in particle shape can affect powder spreading process, resulting in significantly influencing the powder bed's surface roughness.