Manufacturability of overhang structures fabricated by binder jetting process

Fan Yang, Yunlong Tang, Yaoyao Fiona Zhao

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference PaperOther

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Due to the superior mechanical properties of metals and the inherent capability of additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate complex structures, metal AM reveals a promising future in the industrial fields. Compared with other metal AM processes, Binder Jetting (BJ) process has potential of producing overhang structures without additional supports. This advantage of BJ process significantly enlarges the design freedom of complex metal parts with intricate overhang structures. However, it should be noted that there is still a certain manufacturing limitation of overhang structures for BJ process. Without the support of loose powder after the depowdering process, the green part is vulnerable to the inevitable external loads, such as self-weight. In this paper, a theoretical model has been proposed to evaluate the self-support capability of printed green parts after the depowdering process. A set of experiments has been designed to find the maximum normal stress that printed green parts can withstand. This proposed theoretical model can be used to predict manufacturability of overhang structure of any arbitrary shape. Based on this model, some design guidelines and future work are summarized at the end of this paper.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE)
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Volume2
ISBN (Electronic)9780791850527
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Externally publishedYes
EventInternational Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition 2016 - Phoenix, United States of America
Duration: 11 Nov 201617 Nov 2016

Publication series

NameASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)
Volume2

Conference

ConferenceInternational Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition 2016
Abbreviated titleIMECE 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States of America
CityPhoenix
Period11/11/1617/11/16

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