Sustainability through optimised AM SS surfaces (SUSAM)

Stainless Steel (SS) production by Additive Manufacturing (AM) poses as a cost saving and greener alternative to conventionally manufactured SS, but its use is still limited due to an unestablished qualification process.

Heat treatment is a prerequisite after AM of SS, but results in a surface heat tint which can impair the corrosion resistance. The tint is commonly removed by pickling.

Due to the hazardous nature of pickling, other alternatives will be explored using HIP with altered parameters (Clean HIP), shot peening, the Isotropic superfinish (ISF) process or the electrochemical Hirtisation® process.

As part of the AM SS qualification process, corrosion testing will be carried out after the various treatments and compared to pickled material.

Material studies will be conducted in parallel with metal release studies to elucidate differences in any environmental impact between the different post-treatments of finished surfaces in simulated application environments.