Variable layer thicknesses in laser powder-bed fusion for cost reduction of a gas turbine component

In this work, an additively manufactured part is divided into segments with varying geometric complexity and different layer thicknesses are assigned accordingly. A lower layer thickness is applied to sections where tight tolerances are needed to fulfil its function. Thus, the presented approach can be viewed as a function-driven parameter application. The use case is a serial production part made of IN625 for a gas turbine combustion system using laser powder-bed fusion. The chosen method is compared to other approaches with varying layer thicknesses like the “skin–core” strategy and discussed in the context of industrial part production. The need to examine the transition from a higher to a lower layer thickness is theoretically explained and experimentally investigated. The application of different layer thicknesses on a single part promises significant cost reduction opportunities, if applied carefully. Following the presented method, no prohibitive problems were found. An overall cost reduction of 13% was achieved with no loss of material quality.