Operando imaging of metal additive manufacturing

Speaker: Sarah Wolff, an assistant professor in the mechanical and aerospace department

Abstract: The laser-based powder-blown directed energy deposition (L-DED) additive manufacturing process is promising for its fabrication of complex, multi-material metallic parts with superior mechanical parts for a wide range of applications. However, porosity in L-DED parts is common due to rapid solidification and can pose obstacles in qualification and certification. This talk will discuss the fundamental interactions between in-flight powder particles and the underlying melt pool that lead to porosity in the process. High-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging (up to 80,000 fps) experiments at the 32-ID beamline at the Advanced Photon Source show porosity mechanisms and material mixing in real-time.

Bio: Dr. Sarah Wolff is an assistant professor in the mechanical and aerospace department and manufacturing enthusiast. Her previous roles include an assistant professorship in the industrial and systems engineering department at Texas A&M University and an Enrico Fermi Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2018 with a PhD in mechanical engineering. Dr. Wolff's expertise is in metal additive manufacturing and laser processing, particularly in the areas of situ monitoring, high-speed X-ray imaging, image processing, and microstructural characterization.