Correlation between Geometrical Accuracy and Building Angle of 3D Printed Flat Plate with Circular Hole of Aluminum Alloy and Polyamide

Abstract

Among variety of 3D printing or additive manufacturing methods, the laser power bed fusion (LPBF) technology for metals is now widely spread. In this study, the geometrical accuracy of 3D printed circular hole in a flat plate was investigated using aluminum alloy, Al-Si10-Mg, and polyamide, PA12. Some types of geometrical imperfections have been reported, for instance, in lattice structures or for overhang structures, but the distortion of a circular hole in a component made by LPBF has not yet been discussed in detail. This paper revealed the correlation between the geometrical parameters for distorted circular hole and the building angle. This enabled us to predict the distortion for unexperienced building angle by the interpolation, and to perform finite element analysis of mechanical behavior of a component with a circular hole. The influence of the geometrical inaccuracy on the mechanical behavior and that of the variability in mechanical properties were compared, and the former was found to be more influential. Finally, the geometry compensation in the design phase was also discussed using the statistically measured database.