High‐Throughput Alloy Development Using Advanced Characterization Techniques During Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing

In laser-based direct energy deposition (DED-LB) additive manufacturing (AM), wire or powder materials are melted by a high-power laser beam. Process-specific characteristics enable robust in situ fabrication of compositionally graded materials, e.g., through an adaption mass flow from independent hoppers. Based on the high flexibility this approach, pathways toward multimaterial AM have been unlocked. Obviously, such high-throughput alloy development. However, rapid development demands substantial characterization efforts to assess phase and microstructural evolution. So far, property analysis is considered as limiting factor for these approaches. Herein, use high-brilliance X-Ray subsequent micropillar compression testing introduced tackle challenges. As proof concept, their application material made AISI 316L stainless steel CoCrMo presented. The results obtained reveal that can be exploited evaluate process robustness, chemical characteristics, composition within gradient regions. Moreover, provides spatially resolved insights into mechanical properties combination both techniques eventually opens time-efficient using powder-fed DED-LB (DED-LB/P).