Suitability of electrical discharge machining debris particles for usage as a powder for selective laser melting: an explorative study

In this study, the properties of debris particles originating from Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) processes are investigated. The question is addressed whether these particles are suitable to serve as a raw material for Selective Laser Melting (SLM). To this end, different EDM parameter sets were used to manufacture particles with different size distributions. After de-oiling, the resulting powders were examined by dynamic image analysis. Results show that EDM can produce particles with high sphericity. Moreover, particle size distribution can be controlled by EDM parameters. In summary, EDM-manufactured particles seem to be a promising source of powders for the SLM process.