From Metal Powder to Travelling Trophy
A closer look at how laser powder bed fusion helped shape our travelling trophy. How do you turn a digital design into a metal object with detailed reliefs, internal spaces, and room for material samples?
For the our trophy the answer was clear, laser powder bed fusion performed by one of our research groups. This additive manufacturing technique made it possible to build the trophy body layer by layer from metal powder, while preserving the detailed structures and ideas included in the design.
The design included reliefs inspired by images and structures from PhD theses and research projects across the AU Materials cluster. It also includes spaces where material samples from research groups can be inserted and displayed. In this way, the trophy becomes more than an award. It becomes a small physical representation of the materials, techniques, and research areas connected through AU Materials.
How was it produced?
In laser powder bed fusion, a thin layer of metal powder is spread across the build area. A laser then melts selected areas of the powder. A new layer is added, and the process is repeated until the final structure has taken shape. This is a time consuming process but gives extra flexibility and enables printing
Because the part is built out of a powder bed, the full build volume around the object has to be filled with metal powder during printing. Afterwards, the remaining powder has to be removed again from the printed structure. For a hollow object like the trophy body, this also means that loose powder must be emptied from the internal spaces after printing.
Making of the travelling trophy: from metal powder to trophy body.
Making of the travelling trophy: from metal powder to trophy body.
The result is a 3D printed metal body with detailed reliefs on the surface and openings for material samples on the sides. The reliefs show images and structures linked to PhD theses and research across the cluster, while the material inserts highlight samples contributed by AU Materials research groups.
The printing of the trophy body was carried out by Jinghao Li from the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering. His work helped turn the design into a real object and made it possible to include the detailed structures shown on the trophy body.
Interested in what research and applications are connected to laser powder bed fusion and advanced manufacturing?
Read more on Jinghao's member profile.
About the trophy
About the trophy
The AU Materials travelling trophy is awarded for the best poster at the AU Materials poster session, where PhD students and postdocs from across the university present their research. This article is the first in a new AU Materials series exploring the materials, techniques, and applications hidden in the trophy.