Computed tomography approach to quality control of the Inconel 718 components obtained by additive manufacturing (SLM)

Computed tomography (CT) has been used in the industry for more than 30 years, mainly due to the interest of its application in non-destructive tests. Recently, the development of more powerful tools with more stable X-ray sources and detectors drives their use in manufacturing and quantitative metrology with some micrometer precision. This technology is the best choice for verifying components manufactured by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) or additive manufacturing using pre-deposited powder layer by layer in a protective atmosphere. The main benefit offered by SLM is the freedom for designing complex geometries. However, the assurance of homogeneous density in some components limits its use. The geometrical quality control of the whole component needs new solutions.The objective of this research work is to verify components through computerized tomography for both porosity detection and geometrical reconstruction of simple entities in INCONEL® 718 components manufactured by SLM. Traceability is assured using CMM and confocal microscopy.