Laser Scanning Approach for Additive Manufacturing with Metal Powder Sheets

The widely used laser beam powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) technology suffers from significant challenges including powder safety issues and insufficient mechanical properties of manufactured components. To address some of these limitations, we developed a novel polymer-bound powder sheet-based metal AM method known as Metal Additive Manufacturing using Powder Sheets (MAPS), which offers critical safety improvements and enhanced manufacturing capabilities. In this technology, powder is encapsulated within a polymer binder to form thin and continuous sheets. The sheets are flexible and do not break when bent alongside many directions and are characterized by a high metal powder packing density. Powder is therefore no longer loose, resulting in considerable handling and safety improvements. When the sheets are irradiated by a laser, the polymeric binder degrades and powder fusion is achieved at the same time. We can achieve >99% density parts without the necessity of any post-treatment. We have applied MAPS to a variety of materials (SS304, In718, and high-entropy alloy as examples) and we have demonstrated the possibility of multi-material prints with very practical material changeovers. In this report, we present a comprehensive review of the process, spanning from sheet manufacturing to laser processing and microstructure formation. The potential advantages of the process are therefore described, alongside possible drawbacks and open research questions. We will also compare our MAPS results against the more established state of the art in view of better positioning the process.

Wenyou Zhang is currently an associate professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University. Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Galway in 2021 and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His research focuses on laser powder bed fusion, multiphysics modelling, residual stress and microstructure control, and electrohydrodynamic printing of multifunctional materials. His work aims to develop novel manufacturing principles and processes that overcome the limitations of conventional powder-based additive manufacturing methods, enabling the fabrication of high-performance, multi-material, and multifunctional structures. He is the first inventor on 2 international patent applications. Dr. Zhang has led or participated in research projects funded by the Irish Research Council, Enterprise Ireland, and EIT RawMaterials. He also serves as a reviewer for more than 30 SCI journals, including Nature Communications.