The University of Turku in Finland is experimenting with combining different metals in a single 3D printed part using a multi-material recoater on its existing metal additive manufacturing (AM) system.
The investment is being funded through the EUREKA Network AM4Plasma project, which aims to create next-generation plasma generator hardware. A Schaeffler Aerosint SPD2.1-B5 recoater has been integrated into an Aconity MIDI+ laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system and will be used to experiment with geometry and material compositions to meet different functional requirements.
“Multi-material manufacturing allows us to ask which material is needed in each region of a component and how those materials can work together. This infrastructure gives us a platform to investigate those questions, develop our expertise, and explore new applications with industrial partners,” says Associate Professor Ashish Ganvir, the principal investigator of AM4Plasma.
In conventional single-material LPBF, a recoater spreads one type of metal powder across the build area. The multi-material recoater adds control over material placement. Three separate powder-delivery drums allow different powders to be deposited in selected regions of the same layer before laser processing.
The infrastructure supports research into laser-material interactions, melting and solidification, and bonding between neighbouring materials, alongside challenges around cracking, other defects, and the relationship between processing conditions and local properties. The research will also look at suitable material combinations, processing conditions, and interface quality for producing a reliable multi-material components.
AM4Plasma is providing an initial application for the infrastructure through research into multi-material components for demanding plasma-generator technology. For example, researchers could investigate a component with a region intended to withstand intense thermal exposure and another designed to transfer heat towards cooling channels. These kinds of plasma facing components could be used in future fusion-energy and aerospace propulsion platforms. The university says it is also creating opportunities for researcher training and collaboration with industrial partners interested in multi-material manufacturing.
