Additive manufacturing technologies have shown considerable potential in today’s industry due to their flexibility and design freedom. While these processes excel in rapid prototyping and production of complex designs, defects such as voids, warping, or inconsistencies in grain size can compromise the integrity and functionality of their final product.  

Optimization of the powder density is one strategy to reduce and eliminate such defects. In this work, the impact of mechanical vibration on the variation of the metal powder density is investigated. An electrodynamic shaker is used for a precise control of vibration parameters, including frequency, amplitude, and vibration type (sinusoidal, noise, shock). The mechanical behavior of the powder during the vibration is analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis while density measurements are conducted employing image processing techniques. 

The experimental results are analyzed with the goal of achieving an energy efficient powder compaction through specific vibration parameters that can be implemented in the future in a powder-based additive manufacturing process. Exploring the parameter space and identifying optimized compaction conditions ensures transferability of vibration density compaction of the additive manufacturing powder during the printing process and enhancing the quality of additive manufactured products.