Validation and Quality Assurance

Validation and quality assurance is a central part of the additive manufacturing process chain. Taking into account the numerous process parameters and the comparability with traditional manufacturing methods, it is essential to test and validate the processes and additively manufactured parts. For use as a highly stressed structural component, high porosity, inclusions and blowholes must be excluded and a homogeneous material structure must be realised. At the top of the process chain is process simulation (Sect. 7.1). On this basis, critical areas of the part, but also thermal distortion, can already be detected. Subsequently, measures for process monitoring and control can be taken in order to detect defects during the build cycle and to derive strategies for action (Sect. 7.2). Following the build cycle, non-destructive testing methods, such as CT scans, should be applied (Sect. 7.3). Finally, it is advisable to validate the product properties on individual parts by destructive testing, if necessary (Sect. 7.4).