Uniformity Labs
Uniformity Labs has announced the availability of its UniFuse AlSi10Mg aluminium powder and optimised parameters at 50um and 90um layer thicknesses for laser powder bed fusion 3D printing.
The UniFuse AlSi10Mg powder, which has previously been available with optimised parameters at 30um layer thickness, was used in 2021 to additively manufacture a race car roll-cage for a vehicle competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
Since then, Uniformity Labs has sought to design high-performance scanning parameters for printing the material at 50um and 90um layer thicknesses in platforms with lasers exhibiting between 400W and 700W of power. The company claims that properties yielded from these high-performance scanning parameters help to deliver 75% increased build rate compared to other scan strategies.
“With UniFuse AlSi10Mg, we’re able to deliver best-in-class mechanical properties, surface finish, printing yield, and part reliability with substantially increased throughput printing at 50um and 90um layer thickness and when using high power lasers,” commented Uniformity Labs founder and CEO Adam Hopkins. “This is significant for advancing AM as a viable pillar for industrial manufacturing and shows that our technology and process deliver on the promise of no compromise additive manufacturing.”
Uniformity Labs has published the as printed mechanical and density information of UniFuse AlSi10Mg in the following configurations.
50um layer thickness, 400W
· > 99.7% density, 1.4 times the throughput with superior properties compared to competitor 60um layer thickness printing
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm z) – 426 ± 8 MPa
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm xy) – 439 ± 4 MPa
· Yield Strength (Rm z) – 242 ± 2 Mpa
· Yield Strength (Rm xy) – 271 ± 4 MPa
· Fracture Elongation (Rm z) – 4.7 ± 0.4%
· Fracture Elongation (Rm xy) – 7.0 ± 0.3%
· Surface roughness in z direction (um) 5.1 ± 1.4
90um layer thickness, 400W
· > 99.5% density, with properties most similar to competitor 60um layer thickness printing and far superior to competitor 80um layer thickness printing, with 1.6 times the throughput compared to competitor 60um layer thickness printing
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm z) – 371 ± 13 MPa
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm xy) – 398 ± 5 MPa
· Yield Strength (Rm z) – 238 ± 2 Mpa
· Yield Strength (Rm xy) – 254 ± 2 MPa
· Fracture Elongation (Rm z) – 3.2 ± 0.3%
· Fracture Elongation (Rm xy) – 4.9 ± 0.3%
· Surface roughness in z direction (um) 14 ± 0.7
90um layer thickness, 700W
· >99.7% density and 1.8 times the throughput and comparable properties to competitor 700W platform printing at 60um layer thickness.
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm z) – 401 ± 9 MPa
· Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm xy) – 420 ± 6 MPa
· Yield Strength (Rm z) – 230 ± 3 Mpa
· Yield Strength (Rm xy) – 247 ± 1 MPa
· Fracture Elongation (Rm z) – 4.4 ± 0.4%
· Fracture Elongation (Rm xy) – 6.8 ± 0.8%
· Surface roughness in z direction (um) 15 ± 0.7
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