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Multiscale characterization and analysis of additive manufacturing surfaces based on confocal laser scanning microscopy

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Abstract

In this paper, multiscale characterization methods for additive manufactured surfaces are proposed based on the acquired 3D topographic data at different resolutions measured from a confocal laser scanning microscope. The purpose is to provide a general solution to extract the critical information of typical surface textures manufactured by additive technology. In detail, point pattern analysis is conducted for the low-resolution data to study the global distribution of the unmolten particle features; roughness characterization is carried out for the data with medium resolution; feature-based characterization is applied to precisely assess the geometric parameters of the distinctive features such as weld tracks and particle features. The results show that the unmolten particle features tend to have a random spatial distribution at macro scale. In medium resolution, the weld track features make more contribution to the overall roughness, while the particle features are less significant. At micro scale, the watershed segmentation combined with the Wolf-pruning method leads to a satisfactory result to precisely extract the geometric parameters of the features on the surfaces.

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Data availability

The data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Notes

  1. Pores will not be discussed in this paper because few of them is found on the investigated surfaces. It is worth noting that their characterization methods, such as the segmentation methods, representation of geometric parameters, are very similar to the particle features.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.52105387) and (No.52105197), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No.2021M692349), and the Natural Science Research Projects of General Universities in Jiangsu Province (No.21KJB460019 and No.21KJB460025).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Optoelectronic Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Yibo Zou & Shui Cao

  2. School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Jiaqiang Li

  3. Thermal Energy and Power Engineering Research Institute, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai, China

    Yusheng Ju

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  1. Yibo Zou
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  2. Shui Cao
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  3. Jiaqiang Li
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  4. Yusheng Ju
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Correspondence to Jiaqiang Li.

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Zou, Y., Cao, S., Li, J. et al. Multiscale characterization and analysis of additive manufacturing surfaces based on confocal laser scanning microscopy. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 122, 2475–2491 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-10024-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-10024-6

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