| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235290 | Powder Technology | 2015 | 5 Pages |
•Adjusting powder flow measurements to the envisaged application is necessary.•The powder spreader utilises a directly relevant flow profile for laser sintering.•The flow of PA12, spherical PMMA and PS, and cryomilled TPU powders is tested.•Defects in the deposited powder layers are qualitatively (visually) assessed.•The layer density is a quantitative index for assessing powder flow.
A need exists for techniques to assess flow properties of powders intended for laser sintering (LS). Although several powder flow measurement techniques are available, the flowability of a powder is strongly dependent on the nature of the applied flow field and none of the currently availably techniques adopt the flow field of LS. Therefore, this paper proposes a new technique, which mimics the flow in an LS machine, allowing a more appropriate powder flow evaluation for this particular process. The set-up provides qualitative assessment of powder layer smoothness, as well as a quantitative determination of the packing density of the deposited layer. Measurements on PA12, spherical PS and PMMA, and cryogenically milled TPU powders demonstrate the set-up's capability to evaluate powder flow with regard to LS.
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