Melt Pool Geometry and Microstructure Control Across Alloys in Metal Based Additive Manufacturing Processes

There is growing interest in using additive manufacturing for various alloy systems and industrial applications. However, existing process development and part qualification techniques, both involve extensive experimentation-based procedures which are expensive and time-consuming. Recent developments in understanding the process control show promise toward the efforts to address these challenges. The current research uses the process mapping approach to achieve control of melt pool geometry and microstructure in different alloy systems, in addition to location specific control of microstructure in an additively manufactured part. Specifically, results demonstrate three levels of microstructure control, starting with the prior beta grain size control in Ti-6Al-4V, followed by cell (solidification structure) spacing control in AlSi10Mg, and ending with texture control in Inconel 718. Additionally, a prediction framework has been presented, that can be used to enable a preliminary understanding of melt pool geometry for different materials and process conditions with minimal experimentation. Overall, the work presented in this thesis has the potential to reduce the process development and part qualification time, enabling the wider adoption and use of additive manufacturing in industry.