Parameter study of an Al–Cr–Mo–Sc–Zr alloy processed by laser powder bed fusion reaching high build rates

Market availability of aluminum alloys for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is still highly limited in comparison to conventional manufacturing processes. The demand for high-strength but inexpensive alloys specifically designed for L-PBF is high. This demand has led to research on a variety of adapted conventional alloys which are still limited to utilize the full potential of L-PBF. Scalmalloy ® (Al–Mg–Sc–Zr) satisfies the demand for high-strength L-PBF-alloys but needs a high energy input and has troubles with evaporation of Mg. Scancromal ® (Al–Cr–Sc–Zr) is a novel alloying system for L-PBF and was first introduced in 2019 with the possibility of higher build rates and comparable strengths to Scalmalloy ® . In this paper, a more economic low Sc-containing version of Scancromal ® is presented. A parameter study was performed for 100\, m 100 μ m layer thickness reaching high build rates of about 47\,cm³\,h⁻¹ 47 cm 3 h - 1 . Hardness tests for different parameters were carried out and showed a stable process window with a hardness comparable to AlSi10Mg. Additionally, two-dimensional multilayer process simulations showed a potential for increasing the layer thickness to 150\, m 150 μ m and therefore a significant increase in build rate of up to 70\,cm³\,h⁻¹ 70 cm 3 h - 1 highlighting the high productivity potential of Al–Cr alloys for L-PBF.