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Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
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TY - GEN
T1 - Repurposing of metal support structures to form powder for use in additive manufacturing
AU - Powell, Dan
AU - Rennie, Allan
AU - Molyneux, Anthony
AU - Burns, Neil
AU - Geekie, Louise
PY - 2019/4/5
Y1 - 2019/4/5
N2 - Support structures are essential in additive manufacturing to prevent component deformation. Once removed, the support structures are considered to be scrap, fetching as little as 1% of their value per kilogram when compared to virgin powder. Ball milling has been demonstrated to produce metal powder from machining chips, increasing the value of this scrap. Support structures need to be reduced in size prior to being ball milled, best achieved through slow speed shear shredding. The feasibility of breakdown was analysed by cutting four different types of support structures with a guillotine into small chips. Most chips produced were considered to be too large; however, most support structures reduced in size. It is believed repeated shear forces from shear shredding would continue to break down the support structures into viable feedstock for ball milling. Powder suppliers are identified as the potential adopters for this process, potentially reshaping the additive manufacturing recycling process.
AB - Support structures are essential in additive manufacturing to prevent component deformation. Once removed, the support structures are considered to be scrap, fetching as little as 1% of their value per kilogram when compared to virgin powder. Ball milling has been demonstrated to produce metal powder from machining chips, increasing the value of this scrap. Support structures need to be reduced in size prior to being ball milled, best achieved through slow speed shear shredding. The feasibility of breakdown was analysed by cutting four different types of support structures with a guillotine into small chips. Most chips produced were considered to be too large; however, most support structures reduced in size. It is believed repeated shear forces from shear shredding would continue to break down the support structures into viable feedstock for ball milling. Powder suppliers are identified as the potential adopters for this process, potentially reshaping the additive manufacturing recycling process.
KW - Support Structures
KW - Metal Additive Manufacturing
KW - Ball Milling
KW - Shear Shredding
M3 - Conference contribution/Paper
SN - 9781527251649
BT - 16th Rapid Design, Prototyping & Manufacturing Conference (RDPM2019)
A2 - Rennie, Allan
A2 - Pei, Eujin
A2 - Hackney, Philip
ER -