Dr. Yunhui Chen (RMIT University, Melbourne and ESRF, Grenoble) delivered a seminar entitled. « Synchrotron X-ray Hierarchical Imaging of Laser Additive Manufacturing » on June 03rd, 2025.

Abstract. Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM) has the potential to revolutionize manufacturingprocesses. However, its wider industrialisation is currently inhibited by solidificationcracking, residual stress and distortion, anisotropic microstructures and mostimportantly a large distribution of entrained defects. It is critical to establish a scientific understanding of how to control defect formation and thus optimise mechanicalperformance in LAM. At the European Synchrotron (ESRF), taking advantage of therecent Extremely Brilliant Source upgrade and the most advanced synchrotronmaterial characterisation techniques, in-situ and ex-situ investigation have been usedto establish a well-rounded picture of the LAM process. The outstanding photon fluxdensity at ESRF can reach ultra-high temporal resolution at hard X-ray energies incombination with coherence levels which allow for imaging with high sensitivity.Combining fast synchrotron radiography (> 40 kHz) with an in-situ LAM rig, fast X-ray imaging enables the observation, in both real and reciprocal space, of the laser-matter interaction, defects formation, material phase transformations andmicrostructural features evolution. High angular resolution Dark Field X-rayMicroscopy (DFXM) is used to quantify the resulting LAM microstructure includingspatially resolved 3D

Bio. Chen is a Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at the School of Engineering at RMIT and a visiting scientist at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. Her expertise is in experimental materials science and advanced manufacturing, focusing on real-time, in situ synchrotron X-ray imaging to study how materials behave and change during additive manufacturing processes. Her research tackles microstructural evolution, defect formation, and phase transformations during laser additive manufacturing, with applications in aerospace, biomedical, automotive, and energy industries. Internationally recognized in synchrotron X-ray imaging of additive manufacturing, she has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, frequently presents at leading conferences, and serves as a reviewer for top journals such as Acta Materialia. Dr. Chen is also a committed educator and advocate for gender equality in STEM, with accolades such as the Women Future Leader Award from Monash University in 2015. Her current projects at RMIT and ESRF contribute directly to advancing the scientific understanding and industrial application of additive manufacturing, bridging laboratory research with real-world engineering challenges