About
Andrea Villano
Postgraduate Researcher
UCD
Andrea Villano completed his undergraduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II. His thesis focused on the thermodynamic properties of sintered metallic porous media. Following research experience in the Microgravity Research Centre at the Universite` Libre de Bruxelles he developed his interest in materials engineering, which led him to start his career as a PhD student in the Advanced Metallic Materials area of I-Form based in UCD. Andrea’s I-Form research is related to the optimization of the printing process for Laser-Powder Bed Fusion 3D printers through In-process Monitoring.
Technical Summary
The possibility to 3D print metal components has allowed the manufacturing field to achieve a higher degree of freedom in designing parts while also reducing the necessity of machining steps. These advantages, coupled with the ability to tune mechanical properties by changing the process parameters, offer a great versatility of manufacture across several fields. Unfortunately, due to the inconsistency of the printing process, the material waste is still high and the repeatability of prints is not adequate enough to guarantee the quality standards required in industries such as aerospace and medical devices.
The main focus of this research project is to optimise the 3D printing of Ti-6Al-4V parts via the use of an in-process monitoring system, which will identify anomalies in the process by analysing the emissions from the laser melt-pool. In order to achieve an optimised system, several aspects of the 3D printing process need to be addressed to understand their impact on the printed component quality. Areas of the printing process that are currently being investigated in this research include printer settings (laser speed, hatching distance, laser power) and the effects of geometry (overhangs, sharp edges, part orientation).