When processing conventional sintered materials, like WC, using LPBF, local under-carbonization can take place, and most coating processes, like vacuum deposition and electroplating, take a long time and only achieve small thicknesses of less than 10 microns. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology creates solid metal components by selectively exposing successive powder layers to a laser beam, but the high energy input from a laser on a very small area, paired with rapid cooling, can cause high temperature gradients, which then lead to residual stress and major deformations that’s why LPBF technology uses support structures during printing and heat treatment post-print, the latter of which helps meet the demands of wear resistance. The right panel depicts the cross-section where the three zones of growth can be identified.Ī team of researchers from Aalen University in Germany published a paper, “ Additive Manufacturing of Tungsten Carbide Surfaces with Extreme Wear Resistivity,” which is focused on their additive manufacturing process to produce wear-resistive tungsten carbide (WC) coatings. Images of a printed WC/Co specimen: top view (top left) and side view (bottom left).
