The use of metal powders in additive manufacturing is increasing day by day. Metal powder is the raw material of all these processes and determines the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the final product, as well as dimensions and tolerance values. Powder production with conventional atomization processes attracts attention with its suitability for mass production, high quality metal powder and low-cost production opportunity. However, particle size distribution and sphericity are the determining factors for the powder quality and final product cost to be used in additive manufacturing processes. The starting raw material used in the atomization process also affects the quality and price of the powder produced. Therefore, for high quality and cost-effective powder production, the parameters of atomization processes (such as temperature of the molten metal, atomization atmosphere and type) must be determined before production. The ultrasonic atomization method can produce high quality powder at a lower cost than conventional methods and can meet the particle size distribution and fluidity needed especially in the field of additive manufacturing. In this study, the working mechanism of the ultrasonic atomization method was examined and the differences in terms of final product quality were compared with conventional atomization techniques.
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