Investigation into the Influence of Feeding Parameters on the Formation of the Fed-Powder Layer in a Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) System

Characteristics of the deposited layer in a powder bed fusion (PBF) system depend on the formation of the fed-powder layer. The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of feeding parameters of the powder on the formation of the fed-powder layer in a PBF system. The effects of the gap between the feeding blade and the base plate, the volume of the powder and the supplied shape of the powder on the formation of the fed-powder layer and the defect mode of the powder bed were investigated via manual powder feeding experiments. From the results of the manual experiments, appropriate feeding conditions for achieving the desired formation of the fed-powder layer were estimated. The influence of the speed of the feeding blade and the supplied shape of powders on the formation of the fed-powder layer was examined through automatic powder feeding experiments. From the results of the automatic experiments, a practical speed of the feeding blade and an appropriate supplied shape of powders were determined.