Understanding Metal Additive Manufacturing - 1 — Lesson 1

This lesson covers the intricate details of the Metal Additive Manufacturing process, focusing on the electron beam process and the powder feeding mechanism. It explains the challenges of handling metal powders, such as agglomeration, and the impact it has on the manufacturing process. The lesson also delves into the different types of powder feeders and their classifications, including mechanical wheel or screw powder feeder, gravity-based, fluidized bed powder feeder, and vibratory-based powder feeder. It further discusses the powder delivery nozzles and the powder bed delivery and spreading system. The lesson concludes with a look at wire feeding mechanisms and their role in the manufacturing process. For instance, it explains how a tailoring machine's thread feeding mechanism can help understand the complexity involved in wire-fed mechanisms in manufacturing.

Video Highlights

00:25 - Explanation of the powder feeding mechanism in electron beam machining or electron beam powder bed fusion technique
07:37 - Explanation of the importance of controlling the powder feed rate for maintaining a stable powder stream
12:01 - Discussion on the challenges and advantages of using gravity-based powder feeders
22:15 - Discussion on the powder delivery nozzles in directed energy deposition method
33:55 - Explanation of the powder bed delivery and spreading system in powder bed fusion process
38:31 - Overview of the wire fed system in directed energy deposition additive manufacturing

Key Takeaways

- Agglomeration of metal powders can impact the manufacturing process, affecting the minimum wall thickness, surface area, and defects produced.
- Different types of powder feeders, including mechanical wheel or screw powder feeder, gravity-based, fluidized bed powder feeder, and vibratory-based powder feeder, have their unique advantages and disadvantages.
- The powder delivery nozzles and the powder bed delivery and spreading system play a significant role in controlling the dispensing of the powder.
- Wire feeding mechanisms, like those in a tailoring machine, can provide insights into the complexity involved in wire-fed mechanisms in manufacturing.