Application of Metal Binder Jetting to the manufacture of electric submersible pump stages

Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process that uses metal powders and binding agents, is a relatively new and promising technology. Its principal advantages over other additive manufacturing methods, including selective laser sintering and stereolithography, are its high cost-effectiveness resulting from rapid printing and its compatibility with a wide range of powder materials. The wider adoption of MBJ in industry is limited by insufficient knowledge of this relatively new process. Therefore, investigating the effects of MBJ process parameters on the structure and properties of powder-based materials remains relevant. The study examined samples produced by MBJ from AISI 316L and AISI 304L stainless steel powders. The effect of powder characteristics, layer thickness, and printing and sintering parameters on the structure and physicomecha­nical properties of the materials were investigated. Samples were printed from powders with particle sizes of 25–45 μm using an Easy MFG 500 Max 3D printer (China). Moisture was then removed in a vacuum drying oven at 100–160 °C, followed by final sintering in a vacuum or a reducing atmosphere at 1350–1400 °C. The study used included particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, X-ray computed tomography and standard methods for determining density and strength properties. The Hausner ratio was shown to provide an indirect assessment of the flowability of fine powders. Materials printed from powder with a mean particle size of 25 μm were found to be essentially pore-free, whereas those printed from powder with a mean particle size of 45 μm had a porosity of 6–7 % and physicomechanical properties approximately 10 % lower. Decreasing the layer thickness from 60 to 40 μm while simultaneously reducing the printing speed decreased layerwise porosity and pore size. The proposed MBJ process parameters enabled the manufacture of an ESP impeller and diffuser from AISI 316L steel powder with the specified geometry and dimensions. Their structure and physicomechanical properties were comparable to those of cast steel of the same grade.

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