Institute of Metals and Technology

Lepi pot 11, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

https://imt.si

Number of employees: 65

Contact information:

Laboratory for Metallography

Dr Irena Paulin

irena.paulin@imt.si

+386 1 4701 958 / +386 31 506 873

AM Technologies

Metal AM technologies:

Powder Bed Fusion (PBF):

Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

List of Metal AM printers:

Aconity3D MINI, 400 W and base plate preheat up to 800 °C
Aconity3D MIDI+, a two-laser system (400 W and 1 to 3 kW), with base plate preheat up to 1200 °C

Polymer AM technologies:

Powder Bed Fusion (PBF):

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Materials and characterisation

Materials:

Metals:

Metals – steels, titanium and its alloys, aluminium alloys, nickel super alloys, cobalt-chromium, tungsten and tungsten carbides, magnesium alloys (MgLi, MgCa…), zinc alloys, …

Testing equipment:

Microstructure characterisation – light and scanning electron microscopy with EDS, EBSD, FIB, SIMS, transmission electron microscopy with EDS
Mechanical testing – tensile tests, hardness measurements (Vickers, Brinell and Rockwell), creep tests, fatigue tests, Charpy pendulum impact test, tri-point and four-point bending testing…

Post-processing equipment:

Vacuum heat treatment furnace IPSEN VTTC-324R with homogeneous cooling under high nitrogen pressure
Bell furnace for ion nitriding in pulsed plasma METAPLAS IONON HZIW 600/1000 with the possibility of nitrocarburizing, oxynitriding, sulfonitriding of steel and nitriding of titanium and titanium alloys

Quality certifications:

Accreditation of laboratories ISO/IEC 17025:2017:
– Laboratory of Metallography,
– Laboratory of Mechanical Testing,
– Laboratory of Pressure Metrology

Services

Key competences:

At our AM laboratory (Laboratory for Metallography), we focus primarily on the research and development of new alloys and the modification of various metallic materials to improve their printability. We participate in a range of national and international (including European) projects. Our work involves close collaboration with both the global scientific community and industrial partners. We are always open to collaboration and unafraid of challenges.

AM-related projects:

Green Additive Manufacturing Through Innovative Beam Shaping and Process Monitoring (EU-Funding Nr.: 101058523 – InShaPe) – https://www.imt.si/en/info/search-results?id=6&search=InShaPe
New ODS steel structure for extreme environments using the ultrasonic dispersion of nano-oxides in combination with SLM and PPS
L2-3164 New high-strength aluminum alloy for selective laser melting and applications requiring low weight
J2-1729 New Conventional and Additive Manufactured Biodegradable Fe-Mn alloy with Tailored Biodegradability
NC-24004 Understanding H-embrittlement mechanisms in additive manufactured stainless steels
L2-4445 Development of advanced Ti6Al4V tank components for the aerospace industry using hybrid SLM/DED additive technology

Key publications and patents:

GODEC, Matjaž, KRANER, Jakob, SKOBIR BALANTIČ, Danijela Anica, PAULIN, Irena, DROBNE, Damjana, KONONENKO, Veno, KOCIJAN, Aleksandra, MCGUINESS, Paul J., DONIK, Črtomir. Bioresorbability dependence on microstructure of additivelly- manufactured and conventionally-produced Fe-Mn alloys. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. may/jun. 2024, vol. 30, str. 4881-4892, ilustr. ISSN 2238-7854. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785424008718, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.04.097
BOUKALOVÁ, Anna, KUBÁSEK, Jiří, NEČAS, David, MINÁRIK, Peter, DONIK, Črtomir, DVORSKÝ, Drahomír, VOJTĚCH, Dalibor, MICHALCOVÁ, Alena, GODEC, Matjaž, PAULIN, Irena. Harmonizing microstructures and enhancing mechanical resilience : novel powder metallurgy approach for Zn–Mg alloys. Journal of materials research and technology. [Spletna izd.]. Jul./Aug. 2024, vol. 31, str. 2807–2819, ilustr. ISSN 2214-0697. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785424015345?via%3Dihub, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12514532, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.06.223.
VIDERŠČAK, Dalibor, SCHAUPERL, Zdravko, RUNJE, Biserka, ŠOLIĆ, Sanja, ĆATIĆ, Amir, GODEC, Matjaž, PAULIN, Irena, DONIK, Črtomir. Laser powder bed fusion parameters optimization for enhanced mechanical properties of EOS Co-Cr dental alloy. Materials. Oct. 2024, vol. 17, iss. 20, [article no.] 4993, str. 1-15, ilustr. ISSN 1996-1944. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/20/4993, DOI: 10.3390/ma17204993
SKOBIR BALANTIČ, Danijela Anica, DONIK, Črtomir, PODGORNIK, Bojan, KOCIJAN, Aleksandra, GODEC, Matjaž. Improving the surface properties of additive-manufactured Inconel 625 by plasma nitriding. Surface & coatings technology. [Print ed.]. Jan. 2023, vol. 452, [article no.] 129130, str. 1-11. ISSN 0257-8972. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0257897222010519?via%3Dihub, DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2022.129130.
GODEC, Matjaž, RUIZ-ZEPEDA, Francisco, PODGORNIK, Bojan, DONIK, Črtomir, KOCIJAN, Aleksandra, SKOBIR BALANTIČ, Danijela Anica. The influence of the plasma-nitriding temperature on the microstructure evolution and surface properties of additive-manufactured 18Ni300 maraging steel. Surface & coatings technology. [Print ed.]. 2022, vol. 433, article 128089, str. 1-12. ISSN 0257-8972. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S025789722200010X?via%3Dihub, DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2022.128089.

Informal trainings:

We offer professional tours of our laboratories for additive manufacturing and material characterisation. Undergraduate and doctoral students have the opportunity to receive training and carry out practical work in our labs.

Contact person:

Dr Irena Paulin, irena.paulin@imt.si

Type of services provided on the market:

Research and Development

Description of industry services:

Joint projects – cooperation in the research and development of new alloys