I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Powder Spreadability Testing Device for Additive Manufacturing

Award ID: 2521047

This I-Corps project focuses on the development of an accurate and precise quality control testing device for evaluating and approving powdered materials, referred to as qualifying feedstock powders, used in powder-based additive manufacturing (AM). The quality of the AM printed components depends on the quality of the powders that feed into the AM machine. If not closely monitored and controlled these powders can cause manufacturing defects. Qualifying feedstock powders is critical to ensuring repeatability, part quality, and performance, especially in industries like aerospace, medical device, and automotive, where safety and performance standards are strict. This solution provides a powder spreadability testing device that addresses this challenge. The adoption of this device has the potential to increase product quality and consistency, reduce machine downtime, reduce powder waste, and shorten the development cycle for powder bed-based additive manufacturing. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of a testing device that can accurately test and quantify the spreadability of feedstock powders for powder bed-based additive manufacturing processes. The powder testing methods currently used in the additive manufacturing industry test the flow behavior of powders as bulk assemblies, meaning that the powder is being studied as a group, not particle-by-particle. Furthermore, the conventional powder testing methods cannot capture the powder behavior under actual additive manufacturing conditions, which requires assessing the spreading behavior of powders as a thin layer (normally 30-100 micrometers) between a substrate and a recoater, the mechanical device that spreads a thin, even layer of powder across the build platform. The commercialization of this technology could increase the competitiveness of the U.S. additive manufacturing industry and promote the adoption of additive manufacturing processes in the aerospace, healthcare, and energy industries for mission critical components. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman