IoT-based monitoring system for temperature and humidity control in additive manufacturing titanium powder handling and storage

¹ Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa
² Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

^* Corresponding author: kthejane@cut.ac.za

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a layer-by-layer process, of joining powder material to build solid parts from 3D model data. Titanium powders are very reactive when exposed to ambient conditions, which can result in degradation of the powder. Therefore, correct powder handling and storage play a crucial role in ensuring the required performance and part quality. This paper presents an Internet of Things (IoT)-based system designed to monitor temperature and humidity in real time, enabling detection, notification and data recording. The development of the monitoring system was accomplished based on the environmental data received during handling and storage of titanium powder from the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM). The system uses four DHT22 sensors, where data is displayed on an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen and graphically analysed via the IoT-based ThingSpeak web platform. When the conditions exceeded the threshold, the automation tool IFTTT (If This Then That) automatically sent a notification to the user via email for further action. Temperature and humidity fluctuations were recorded and compared using graphical representations analysed from ThingSpeak and MATLAB. The system effectively detected minor environmental changes and demonstrated reliable performance in maintaining controlled conditions during powder handling and storage processes.