Despite the increasing attention to powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (PBFAM), the lack of open- source standard protocols for driving PBFAM machines has hampered research efforts because users do not have access to specific process parameter information and toolpaths generated from the STL file. This limits the ability of researchers to perform controlled validation experiments that support modeling efforts and hinders development of more robust process control and optimization strategies. To address this issue, GE Global Research, GE Aviation’s Additive Development Center (ADC), and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) partnered to develop, document, and dem- onstrate open-source protocols and machine controllers for PBFAM on commercial and custom-made metal additive machines.
Two new protocols were developed with input from the open-source PBFAM community: a LAYER Protocol and a SCAN Protocol. The LAYER protocol describes the physical attributes of all regions comprising a specific layer. The SCAN protocol describes the laser scan pattern to fuse the layers.The decision to adopt separate LAYER and SCAN protocols is a strategic endeavor to gain fast international acceptance because both protocols will be simple, scalable, comprehen- sive, extensible, and independent of PBFAM machine type.