Control of porosity and surface roughness in topology optimized SLM conformal cooling systems.

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers virtually unlimited possibilities to realize any desired geometry. It is especially suitable to produce complex structures and internal features that cannot be produced using conventional subtractive methods. A current limitation of AM is the degraded dimensional control and surface integrity of specific surfaces. The objective of this STW project is to enable high quality and high precision additive manufacturing of topology optimized internal conformal cooling systems by addressing product structure, process and material properties related challenges in an integrated solution. The outcomes include design guidelines for geometric optimization of conformal cooling channels to compensate shape deviation and enhanced cooling efficiency and experimentally validated physical models relating microstructure and material properties to metal 3D printing performance with respect to fatigue resistance and lifetime.

Project leader

Prof. Dr. Yutao Pei

Post-doc researcher

Dr. Soheil Sabooni