Experimental and computational surface roughness analysis of aluminium silicon 12 (AlSi12) produced by powder bed fusion for transport applications

¹ Tshwane University of Technology, Industrial Engineering Department, Staatsartillerie Rd, Pretoria West, Pretoria, South Africa
² Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Photonics Centre, Meiring Naudé Road, Brummeria, Pretoria, South Africa
³ Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Robert Sobukwe Rd, Bellville South Industrial, Cape Town, South Africa

^* Corresponding author: alliancebibili@gmail.com

Abstract

Surface roughness influences the mechanical performance of a part. A rougher surface is prone to cracks and corrosion due to increased friction and harsh environments in transport applications. Given that surface irregularities are difficult to control, post-processing is critical to improving the surface roughness. In this study, post-processing treatment such as the vibratory polishing process was used with different media to investigate the surface roughness parameters, arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) and the maximum depth of the roughness valley (Rv) of AlSi12 produced by the powder bed fusion technique. Two measuring instruments; Gwyddion and Stylus Profilometer were used for the collection of data. The analysis of the results demonstrated that the measurements taken from the experimental setup using the stylus profilometer are complementary with those taken from the computational using the Gwyddion software. The findings suggested that the vibratory polishing technique significantly reduced the surface roughness of additively manufactured AlSi12. This study provides insights into ensuring the performance and reliability of component surface properties for applications in the transport industry.