Advanced nickel superalloy printing with ring-based LBPF

In additive manufacturing (AM), Beam shaping is gaining interest in adoption to increase overall productivity. However, a lack of investigation on the microstructural and material response of beam shaping has been publicized. Further, beam shaping has unique thermal inputs that show potential for fabricating components of previously unwieldable Nickel Superalloys through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). High γ’ Nickel Superalloys are an ideal candidate for this evaluation due to their difficulties during fabrication, post-processing, and implementation into production environments. These alloys are attractive due to their material and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures that exceed common commercial alloys such as IN718. This experimental study investigates the feasibility of processing IN939, a γ’ superalloy, through Ring lasers utilizing an nLight AFX multi-mode laser. The outcome of this study is an understanding of necessary processing parameters to produce an acceptable bulk sample. Results include ideal print parameters, density analysis, and provide insight in future printing.