Influence of PBF-LB process parameters on the properties of polymer-based composite materials

Abstract Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam (PBF-LB) is an additive manufacturing technology that produces three-dimensional parts by selectively fusing layers of powder material using a heat source. Despite its potential to produce advanced parts for real-world applications, understanding the influence of the process parameters on the final properties of the parts produced through this process is essential to optimise both performance and cost efficiency. This research investigates the effect of the laser power, hatch distance, scan speed and layer thickness – which together define the volume energy density – on the properties of parts produced with four different materials, namely polyamide 12 (PA12), polyamide 11 reinforced with carbon fibres, PA12 reinforced with glass beads and PA12 reinforced with aluminium particles. Several test specimens were produced with different process parameters and characterised in terms of dimensional, thermal, mechanical and morphological properties. Following the experimental characterisation, a comprehensive cost analysis was carried out to assess the economic implications related with the processing of the materials. The results enabled a comprehensive understanding of the performance-cost trade-offs in PBF-LB, as well as the identification of the most cost-effective processing strategies for each material analysed.