FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPE FOR THE VALIDATION OF THE INNOVATIVE METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SLEDM PROCESS

Additive manufacturing has found its way into industrial series production. However, market growth
has only been possible by the introduction of new AM-technologies and the continuous improvement of existing processes. This paper covers the practical implementation of a prototype for research and validation of the unique SLEDM process patented by TU Graz. The demonstrator includes a feature for vibration-based powder coating for the melting process as well as the concept of power input via an LED-based light source. The prototype enables up to now simple and fast melting of different lowmelting powder materials such as tin, zinc and aluminum within an inert gas atmosphere. In addition, the experimental setup forms the basis for the development and adaptation of a suitable light source for the next generation SLEDM process. The goal is to test the additive manufacturing concept with the innovative LED light source and analyze the produced metal parts. The evaluation of the recorded measurement data and the analysis of the test results provide important knowledge about the potential of the SLEDM process for further research and industrial manufacturing.