Browsing by Author "Van Staden, A. C."
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- ItemCharacteristics of single layer selective laser melted tool grade cemented tungsten carbide(Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering., 2016) Van Staden, A. C.; Hagedorn-Hansen, D.; Oosthuizen, G. A.; Sacks, N.Cemented carbide tools, specifically tungsten carbide based alloys, have found a wide range of application fields including manufacturing, agriculture, and mining, among others. A need for customised tooling solutions using cemented carbide alloys have been identified. Additive manufacturing is chosen as a novel manufacturing process due to its superior material and process flexibility. The study investigates the melting behaviour observable during the SLM process using a tool grade cemented tungsten carbide powder. The laser power, scan velocity, and hatch spacing of the SLM process are varied and single powder layers are sintered accordingly. This is done to determine the varying influence these parameter combinations have on the melting behaviour of the material during sintering. For each set of parameter combinations the test samples were analysed using microscopic imaging. It is found that a combination of high laser power, high hatch spacing, and low scan speed yields the best results.