Bayreuth thesis shows ways to print metal-matrix composites crack-free via PBF-LB/M

Additive manufacturing has arrived in industry for metals, but for highly stressed components the material often remains the bottleneck. Pumps, valves, or screw conveyors operate at high temperatures, with abrasive particles and sometimes corrosive media. Conventionally, wear-resistant materials are processed for this purpose with considerable effort—through coating, hardfacing, or complex casting and finishing steps. A bachelor’s thesis at Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH (NMB) has now investigated whether robust metal-matrix composites (MMCs) are suitable for near-series additive manufacturing. For the thesis, Leon Meyer received the 2025 Innovation Award from the Forschungsvereinigung Neue Materialien e. V.

The focus was on MMCs in which reinforcement particles are embedded in a metallic matrix. This microstructure delivers tribologically attractive properties such as high hardness and wear resistance, as well as temperature and corrosion resistance. At the same time, it is considered process-critical because particle distribution, melt-pool dynamics, and residual stresses during the build can lead to cracking and inhomogeneities. Meyer examined processing via powder bed fusion with laser beam melting—i.e., PBF-LB/M—using a complex pump housing as an example.

The result: the components could be manufactured crack-free from MMC with low residual stresses, in a single manufacturing step and without additional, time-consuming post-processing. This is relevant for 3D printing because PBF-LB/M enables geometric freedoms such as integrated cooling channels that are difficult to produce conventionally. The jury assessed the thesis as an important contribution to demonstrating the industrial applicability of this material–process combination.

The thesis was carried out at the non-university research institution NMB in cooperation with the pump and valve manufacturer KSB SE & Co. KGaA. The Innovation Award, presented for the tenth time at NMB in early December, is intended to specifically promote young talent in materials and engineering sciences.