Qualification remains a significant and costly hurdle in the industrial adoption of Additive Manufacturing (AM). The high expense and time commitment of qualification are driven by two main factors: the inherent microstructural and property variations that can occur as a function of build geometry (necessitating thorough, often destructive characterization of example parts), and the requirement for full, expensive re-qualification builds following small process changes, such as altering powder suppliers, moving to a different printer location or minor alterations to build geometry.
This presentation introduces the use of Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry (PIP) as a technique to reduce the burden of these qualification challenges. Results will be presented from a collaboration with NASA illustrating how PIP can be used to generate high-resolution property maps. Experimental data will also be presented from a collaboration with EOS North America, comparing PIP-derived properties against conventional tensile testing results during printer qualifications. Findings will be discussed in the context of how industry can implement novel methods to accelerate AM adoption and the role of new international standards such as ASTM E3499-25 [Standard Test Method for Indentation Plastometry of Metallic Materials].
Learning Objectives:
understand suitability of profilometry-based indentation plastometry to support qualification of metallic AM builds.
demonstrate that new mechanical test methods can be adopted faster and with greater confidence when conforming to new ASTM standards
