On the printability and transformation behavior of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys fabricated using laser powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing

The current study elucidates challenges related to the printability of NiTi SMAs using L-PBF, and its interaction with their phase transformation behavior, responsible for their functional properties. More specifically, we conduct experiments and employ machine learning classification techniques to identify an adequate design parameter and an empirical rule for determining the printability of NiTi. Our results indicate that the linear energy density EL is a better design parameter for identifying satisfactory printability, while volumetric energy density, EV, is more relevant in controlling the transformation behavior of the processed material.