Powder bed monitoring via digital image analysis in additive manufacturing

Abstract Due to the nature of Selective Laser Melting process, built parts suffer from high chances defects formation. Powders quality have a significant impact on final attributes SLM-manufactured items. From processing standpoint, it is critical ensure proper powder distribution and compaction in each layer bed, which impacted by particle size distribution, packing density, flowability, sphericity particles. Layer-by-layer study process can provide better understanding effect bed part quality. Image-based technique could be used examine fabricated through layerwise monitoring evaluate results achieved other techniques. In this paper, not supervised methodology based Digital Image Processing build-in machine camera proposed. Since limitation optical system terms resolution, positioning, lighting, field-of-view, many efforts were paid calibration data processing. Its capability individuate possible SLM was evaluated Computer Tomography verification.