Additive manufacturing of 316l stainless steel by selective laser melting

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the optimum parameters for the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) additive manufacturing process of 316L steel in order to obtain high density parts, using equipment manufactured in Brazil. It was also carried out a complete structural characterization of both the raw material used (commercial powder) and the denser parts obtained. The mechanical properties of the parts produced by SLM were also evaluated and compared with parts manufactured by conventional methods. It was observed that the parts’ density increases with increasing energy density applied by the laser until maximum and constant density level is reached. A polynomial model was proposed correlating the energy density used with the final part density. The parts produced by SLM showed high densification (relative density greater than 99,49%) with low porosity homogeneously dispersed in the material. A cellular austenitic microstructure, typical of SLM process, was obtained. The hardness and microstructure of the parts are constant throughout their length and the compression test results showed that parts manufactured by SLM have strength and ductility similar to those manufactured by conventional methods.