A Novel Processing Approach for Additive Manufacturing of Commercial Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum 6061 is of great commercial interest due to its ubiquitous use in manufacturing, advantageous mechanical properties, and its successful certification in aerospace applications. However, as an off-eutectic with accompanying large freezing range, attempts to process the material by additive manufacturing have resulted in part cracking and diminished mechanical properties. A unique approach using mixed powders is presented to process this historically difficult-to-process material. Expansion of this combined-powder approach to other materials systems not typically compatible with additive manufacturing is possible. Dense parts without solidification cracking have been produced by the SLM process, as verified using SEM and EDS. An overview of this approach is presented along with test results using an Al-Si mixture.