Interplay of laser power and pore characteristics in selective laser melting of ZK60 magnesium alloys:A study based on in-situ monitoring and image analysis

This study offers significant insights into the multi-physics phenomena of the SLM process and the subsequent porosity characteristics of ZK60 Magnesium(Mg)alloys.High-speed in-situ monitoring was employed to visualise process signals in real-time,elucidating the dynamics of melt pools and vapour plumes under varying laser power conditions specifically between 40 W and 60 W.Detailed morphological analysis was performed using Scanning-Electron Microscopy(SEM),demonstrating a critical correlation between laser power and pore formation.Lower laser power led to increased pore coverage,whereas a denser structure was observed at higher laser power.This laser power influence on porosity was further confirmed via Optical Microscopy(OM)conducted on both top and cross-sectional surfaces of the samples.An increase in laser power resulted in a decrease in pore coverage and pore size,potentially leading to a denser printed part of Mg alloy.X-ray Computed Tomography(XCT)augmented these findings by providing a 3D volumetric representation of the sample internal structure,revealing an inverse relationship between laser power and overall pore volume.Lower laser power appeared to favour the formation of interconnected pores,while a reduction in interconnected pores and an increase in isolated pores were observed at higher power.The interplay between melt pool size,vapour plume effects,and laser power was found to significantly influence the resulting porosity,indicating a need for effective management of these factors to optimise the SLM process of Mg alloys.

High-strength and thermally stable TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy fabricated via selective laser melting

To increase the processability and plasticity of the selective laser melting(SLM)fabricated Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloys,a novel TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy with a mixture of Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr and nano-TiB_(2) powders was fabricated by SLM.The pro-cessability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the alloy were systematically investigated by density measurement,microstruc-ture characterization,and mechanical properties testing.The alloys fabricated at 250 W displayed higher relative densities due to a uni-formly smooth top surface and appropriate laser energy input.The maximum relative density value of the alloy reached(99.7±0.1)%,demonstrating good processability.The alloy exhibited a duplex grain microstructure consisting of columnar regions primarily and equiaxed regions with TiB_(2),Al6Mn,and Al3Er phases distributed along the grain boundaries.After directly aging treatment at a high tem-perature of 400℃,the strength of the SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy increased due to the precipitation of the secondary Al6Mn phases.The maximum yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the aging alloy were measured to be(374±1)and(512±13)MPa,respectively.The SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy demonstrates exceptional strength and thermal stability due to the synergistic effects of the inhibition of grain growth,the incorporation of TiB_(2) nanoparticles,and the precipitation of secondary Al6Mn nanoparticles.

Effects of processing parameters on fabrication defects,microstructure and mechanical properties of additive manufactured Mg–Nd–Zn–Zr alloy by selective laser melting process

Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.4Zr(NZ30K,wt.%)alloy is a new kind of high-performance metallic biomaterial.The combination of the NZ30K Magnesium(Mg)alloy and selective laser melting(SLM)process seems to be an ideal solution to produce porous Mg degradable implants.However,the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the SLMed NZ30K Mg alloy were not yet studied systematically.Therefore,the fabrication defects,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the SLMed NZ30K alloy under different processing parameters were investigated.The results show that there are two types of fabrication defects in the SLMed NZ30K alloy,gas pores and unfused defects.With the increase of the laser energy density,the porosity sharply decreases to the minimum first and then slightly increases.The minimum porosity is 0.49±0.18%.While the microstructure varies from the large grains with lamellar structure inside under low laser energy density,to the large grains with lamellar structure inside&the equiaxed grains&the columnar grains under middle laser energy density,and further to the fine equiaxed grains&the columnar grains under high laser energy density.The lamellar structure in the large grain is a newly observed microstructure for the NZ30K Mg alloy.Higher laser energy density leads to finer grains,which enhance all the yield strength(YS),ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation,and the best comprehensive mechanical properties obtained are YS of 266±2.1 MPa,UTS of 296±5.2 MPa,with an elongation of 4.9±0.68%.The SLMed NZ30K Mg alloy with a bimodal-grained structure consisting of fine equiaxed grains and coarser columnar grains has better elongation and a yield drop phenomenon.

Computational Analysis of Selective Laser Sintering of Inconel 625

A two-dimensional multi-physics finite element model is developed to simulate the Selective Laser Sintering(SLS)process using Inconel 625 powders.The validity of the developed model is first assessed by comparing its results with experimental data.Various factors such as phase transition,recoil pressure,surface tension,and theMarangoni force are considered.The study’s findings underscore that the morphology and thermal-fluid dynamics of the molten pool in the SLS process are predominantly shaped by the influence of the Marangoni force and recoil pressure acting on its surface.The recoil pressure at the front of the laser spot rises exponentially with temperature,making the liquid metal move downward,and creating a depression at the pool’s head.It also causes particles to splash from the pool’s rear edge.The study explores the influence of the backward Marangoni force,where hightemperature liquid flows from the front to the rear of the molten pool,creating a vortex and moving the pool in the rear.Process parameters like laser intensity,scan speed,and spot size were analyzed.The findings indicate that higher laser power lower scanning speed and laser beam spot size lead to increased width and depth of the molten pool.

Selective Laser Melting of Novel SiC and TiC Strengthen 7075 Aluminum Powders for Anti-Cracks Application

The aerospace and military sectors have widely used AA7075, a type of 7075 aluminum alloy, due to its exceptional mechanical performance. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a highly effective method for producing intricate metallic components, particularly in the case of aluminum alloys like Al-Si-Mg. Nevertheless, the production of high-strength AA7075 by SLM is challenging because of its susceptibility to heat cracking and elemental vaporization. In this study, AA7075 powders were mechanically mixed with SiC and TiC particles. Subsequently, this new type of AA7075 powder was effectively utilized in green laser printing to create solid components with fine-grain strengthening microstructures consisting of equiaxial grains. These as-printed parts exhibit a tensile strength of up to 350 MPa and a ductility exceeding 2.1%. Hardness also increases with the increasing content of mixed powder, highlighting the essential role of SiC and TiC in SLM for improved hardness and tensile strength performance. .

Strength and plasticity improvement induced by strong grain refinement after Zr alloying in selective laser-melted AlSiMg1.4 alloy

In order to enhance the mechanical properties of the selective laser-melted(SLM) high-Mg content AlSiMg1.4 alloy,the Zr element was introduced.The influence of Zr alloying on the processability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the alloy was systematically investigated through performing microstructure analysis and tensile testing.It was demonstrated that the SLM-fabricated AlSiMg1.4-Zr alloy exhibited high process stability with a relative density of over 99.5% at various process parameters.Besides,the strong grain refinement induced by the primary Al3Zr particle during the melt solidification process simultaneously enhanced both the strength and plasticity of the alloy.The values for the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation of the SLM-fabricated AlSiMg1.4-Zr were(343±3) MPa,(485±4) MPa,and(10.2±0.2)%,respectively,demonstrating good strengthplasticity synergy in comparison to the AlSiMg1.4 and other Al-Si-based alloys fabricated by SLM.

Crack elimination and strength enhancement mechanisms of selective laser melted Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy

In order to increase the processability and process window of the selective laser melting(SLM)-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy,a novel Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy was designed.The effect of Si alloying on the surface quality,processability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the SLM-fabricated alloy was studied.The results showed that introducing Si into the Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy prevented balling and keyhole formation,refined the grain size,and reduced the solidification temperature,which eliminated cracks and increased the processability and process window of the alloy.The maximum relative density of the SLM-fabricated Si/Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy reached 99.6%.The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the alloy were(371±7)MPa and(518±6)MPa,respectively.These values were higher than those of the SLM-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr and other Sc-free Al−Mg-based alloys.

Effects of heat input on layer heterogeneity of selective laser melting Ti-6Al-4V components

Due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing characteristics,metallurgical process of selective laser melting(SLM)is inherently dif-ferent in the building direction because of varying conditions,thereby resulting inter-layer heterogeneity.To mitigate such anisotropy,it is of great significance to understand the effects of processing parameters on the property evolution and thus metallurgy of fabrication process.This research proposes one-factor-at-a-time experiment to investigate the influences of laser power and scanning speed on the surface qual-ity,microstructures and mechanical properties of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V parts.Surface quality is assessed by roughness around the printings while mechanical properties are evaluated through microhardness and tensile strengths.Phases in microstructure are quantified by XRD to correlate with mechanical properties.Fracture morphology is analyzed to understand the effect of defects and microstructure on mechanical performance.The optimized parameter corresponding to best surface quality and mechanical properties has been found respect-ively in laser power of 190 W and scanning speed of 800 mm/s.After optimization,surface roughness has decreased by 44.47%for upper surface.Yielding strength,tensile strength and elongation rate have improved by 13.17%,43.34%and 64.51%,respectively,with similar hardness and Young’s modulus.In addition,heterogeneity of mechanical properties has great improvement by a range of 31.63%-92.68%.

Microstructure,Properties and Crack Suppression Mechanism of High-speed Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting at Different Process Parameters

To enrich material types applied to additive manufacturing and enlarge application scope of additive manufacturing in conformal cooling tools,M2 high-speed steel specimens were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM).Effects of SLM parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of M2 high-speed steel were investigated.The results showed that substrate temperature and energy density had significant influence on the densification process of materials and defects control.Models to evaluate the effect of substrate temperature and energy density on hardness were studied.The optimized process parameters,laser power,scan speed,scan distance,and substrate temperature,for fabricated M2 are 220 W,960 mm/s,0.06 mm,and 200℃,respectively.Based on this,the hardness and tensile strength reached 60 HRC and 1000 MPa,respectively.Interlaminar crack formation and suppression mechanism and the relationship between temperature gradient and thermal stress were illustrated.The inhibition effect of substrate temperature on the cracks generated by residual stresses was also explained.AM showed great application potential in the field of special conformal cooling cutting tool preparation.

Surface Integrity of Inconel 738LC Parts Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting Followed by High-speed Milling

This study is concerned with the surface integrity of Inconel 738LC parts manufactured by selective laser melting(SLM)followed by high-speed milling(HSM).In the investigation process of surface integrity,the study employs ultradepth three-dimensional microscopy,laser scanning confocal microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,electron backscatter diffractometry,and energy dispersive spectroscopy to characterize the evolution of material microstructure,work hardening,residual stress coupling,and anisotropic effect of the building direction on surface integrity of the samples.The results show that SLM/HSM hybrid manufacturing can be an effective method to obtain better surface quality with a thinner machining metamorphic layer.High-speed machining is adopted to reduce cutting force and suppress machining heat,which is an effective way to produce better surface mechanical properties during the SLM/HSM hybrid manufacturing process.In general,high-speed milling of the SLM-built Inconel 738LC samples offers better surface integrity,compared to simplex additive manufacturing or casting.

Preparation of coated sand for selective laser sintering and optimization of baking process of sand moulds

A cold method was used to prepare coated sand for application in the selective laser sintering(SLS)process.Tensile strength,loss on ignition,gas evolution,and accuracy of the SLS samples were tested and analyzed,and the baking process was thoroughly investigated.Compared with coated sand prepared by the hot method,the cold method yields a more uniform and complete resin film on the sand's surface,resulting in enhanced tensile strength and accuracy.Additionally,the cold method requires a lower binder content to meet the same strength requirements,thereby minimizing gas evolution,reducing porosity defects,and ultimately improving casting quality.The coated sand samples prepared through the cold method exhibit superior accuracy,with a size error of within±0.4 mm.In contrast,the coated sand samples prepared by the hot method display a lower accuracy,with an average negative error of 2.1993 mm.The highest tensile strength could be attained by controlling the baking temperature within a suitable range(180-190°C),which can effectively reduce the generation of gas,thus contributing to improved overall performance.

Recent developments in selective laser processes for wearable devices

Recently,the increasing interest in wearable technology for personal healthcare and smart virtual/augmented reality applications has led to the development of facile fabrication methods.Lasers have long been used to develop original solutions to such challenging technological problems due to their remote,sterile,rapid,and site-selective processing of materials.In this review,recent developments in relevant laser processes are summarized under two separate categories.First,transformative approaches,such as for laser-induced graphene,are introduced.In addition to design optimization and the alteration of a native substrate,the latest advances under a transformative approach now enable more complex material compositions and multilayer device configurations through the simultaneous transformation of heterogeneous precursors,or the sequential addition of functional layers coupled with other electronic elements.In addition,the more conventional laser techniques,such as ablation,sintering,and synthesis,can still be used to enhance the functionality of an entire system through the expansion of applicable materials and the adoption of new mechanisms.Later,various wearable device components developed through the corresponding laser processes are discussed,with an emphasis on chemical/physical sensors and energy devices.In addition,special attention is given to applications that use multiple laser sources or processes,which lay the foundation for the all-laser fabrication of wearable devices.

Topology optimization of microstructure and selective laser meltingfabrication for metallic biomaterial scaffolds

The precise design and fabrication of biomaterial scaffolds is necessary to provide a systematic study for bone tissue engineering. Biomaterial scaffolds should have sufficient stiffness and large porosity. These two goals generally contradict since larger porosity results in lower mechanical properties. To seek the microstructure of maximum stiffness with the constraint of volume fraction by topology optimization method, algorithms and programs were built to obtain 2D and 3D optimized microstructure and then they were transferred to CAD models of STL format. Ti scaffolds with 30% volume fraction were fabricated using a selective laser melting （SLM） technology. The architecture and pore shape in the metallic biomaterial scaffolds were relatively precise reproduced and the minimum mean pore size was 231μm. The accurate fabrication of intricate microstructure has verified that the SLM process is suitable for fabrication of metallic biomaterial scaffolds.

Selective laser melted AZ91D magnesium alloy with superior balance of strength and ductility

In the context of global carbon neutrality, the application of lightweight magnesium alloys is becoming increasingly attractive. In this study, selective laser melting(SLM) was employed to achieve nearly full dense and crack-free AZ91D components with fine equiaxed grain structure. The formation mechanism of typical pore defects(gas pore, lack-of-fusion pore and keyhole pore) and melting modes(keyhole mode and conduction mode) were systematically studied by varying the laser power and scanning speed. The morphology and volume fraction of the pores under different processing conditions were characterized. A criterion based on the depth-to-width ratio of the melt pool was established to identify different melting modes. The strength and ductility(tensile strength up to 340 MPa and uniform elongation of 8.9%)of the as deposited AZ91D are far superior to those of the casting components and are comparable to those of its wrought counterparts.The superior balance of strength and ductility of SLMed AZ91D, as well as the negligible anisotropic properties are mainly ascribed to the extremely fine equiaxed grain structure(with average grain size of ~1.2 μm), as well as the discontinuous distribution of β-Al_(12)Mg_(17) phases. It thus provides an alternative way to fabricate high-strength magnesium alloys with complex geometry.

Defect Formation Mechanisms in Selective Laser Melting:A Review

Defect formation is a common problem in selective laser melting （SLM）. This paper provides a review of defect formation mechanisms in SLM. It sum- marizes the recent research outcomes on defect findings and classification, analyzes formation mechanisms of the common defects, such as porosities, incomplete fusion holes, and cracks. The paper discusses the effect of the process parameters on defect formation and the impact of defect formation on the mechanical properties of a fabri- cated part. Based on the discussion, the paper proposes strategies for defect suppression and control in SLM.

Development of Micro Selective Laser Melting:The State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Additive manufacturing(AM)is gaining traction in the manufacturing industry for the fabrication of components with complex geometries using a variety of materials.Selective laser melting(SLM)is a common AM technique that is based on powder-bed fusion(PBF)to process metals;however,it is currently focused only on the fabrication of macroscale and mesoscale components.This paper reviews the state of the art of the SLM of metallic materials at the microscale level.In comparison with the direct writing techniques that are commonly used for micro AM,micro SLM is attractive due to a number of factors,including a faster cycle time,process simplicity,and material versatility.A comprehensive evaluation of various research works and commercial systems for the fabrication of microscale parts using SLM and selective laser sintering(SLS)is conducted.In addition to identifying existing issues with SLM at the microscale,which include powder recoating,laser optics,and powder particle size,this paper details potential future directions.A detailed review of existing recoating methods in powder-bed techniques is conducted,along with a description of emerging efforts to implement dry powder dispensing methods in the AM domain.A number of secondary finishing techniques for AM components are reviewed,with a focus on implementation for microscale features and integration with micro SLM systems.

Effects of laser energy density on forming accuracy and tensile strength of selective laser sintering resin coated sands

Baozhu sand particles with size between 75 μm and 150 μm were coated by resin with the ratio of 1.5 wt.% of sands. Laser sintering experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of laser energy density(E = P/v), with different laser power(P) and scanning velocity(v), on the dimensional accuracy and tensile strength of sintered parts. The experimental results indicate that with the constant scanning velocity, the tensile strength of sintered samples increases with an increase in laser energy density; while the dimensional accuracy apparently decreases when the laser energy density is larger than 0.032 J·mm-2. When the laser energy density is 0.024 J·mm-2, the tensile strength shows no obvious change; but when the laser energy density is larger than 0.024 J·mm-2, the sample strength is featured by the initial increase and subsequent decrease with simultaneous increase of both laser power and scanning velocity. In this study, the optimal energy density range for laser sintering is 0.024-0.032 J·mm-2. Moreover, samples with the best tensile strength and dimensional accuracy can be obtained when P = 30-40 W and v = 1.5-2.0 m·s-1. Using the optimized laser energy density, laser power and scanning speed, a complex coated sand mould with clear contour and excellent forming accuracy has been successfully fabricated.

A review of particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composites fabricated by selective laser melting

Selective laser melting(SLM)is an emerging layer-wise additive manufacturing technique that can generate complex components with high performance.Particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composites(PAMCs)are important materials for various applications due to the combined properties of Al matrix and reinforcements.Considering the advantages of SLM technology and PAMCs,the novel SLM PAMCs have been developed and researched in recent years.Therefore,the current research progress about the SLM PAMCs is reviewed.Firstly,special attention is paid to the solidification behavior of SLM PAMCs.Secondly,the important issues about the design and fabrication of high-performance SLM PAMCs,including the selection of reinforcement,the influence of parameters on the processing and microstructure,the defect evolution and phase control,are highlighted and discussed comprehensively.Thirdly,the performance and strengthening mechanism of SLM PAMCs are systematically figured out.Finally,future directions are pointed out on the advancement of high-performance SLM PAMCs.

In uence of Particle Size on Laser Absorption and Scanning Track Formation Mechanisms of Pure Tungsten Powder During Selective Laser Melting

A three-dimensional laser absorption model based on ray tracing was established to describe the coupled interaction of a laser beam with particles in the powder layers of pure tungsten(W)material processed by selective laser melting(SLM).The influence of particle size on the powder-to-laser absorptivity and underlying absorption behavior was investigated.An intrinsic relationship between the absorption,distribution of absorbed irradiance within the powder layers,and surface morphology and geometric characteristics(e.g.,contact angle,width and height of tracks,and remelted depth)of the laser scanning tracks is presented here.Simulation conclusions indicate that the absorptivity of the powder layers considerably exceeds the single powder particle value or the dense solid material value.With an increase in particle size,the powder layer absorbs less laser energy.The maximum absorptivity of theWpowder layers reached 0.6030 at the particle size of 5 lm.The distribution of laser irradiance on the particle surface was sensitive to particle size,azimuthal angle,and the position of the powder particles on the substrate.The maximum irradiance in the powder layers decreased from 1.117×10^–3 to 0.85×10^–3W·μm^-2 and the contour of the irradiance distribution in the center of the irradiated area gradually contracted when the particle size increased from 5 to 45 lm.An experimental study on the surface morphologies and cross-sectional geometric characteristics of SLM-fabricated W material was performed,and the experimental results validated the mechanisms of the powder-to-laser-absorption behavior that were obtained in simulations.This work provides a scientific basis for the application of the ray-tracing model to predict the wetting and spreading ability of melted tracks during SLM additive manufacturing in order to yield a sound laser processability.

Enhanced mechanical properties and formability of 316L stainless steel materials 3D-printed using selective laser melting

This study is conducted to develop an innovative and attractive selective laser melting(SLM)method to produce 316 L stainless steel materials with excellent mechanical performance and complex part shape.In this work,the subregional manufacturing strategy,which separates the special parts from the components using an optimized process,was proposed.The results showed that produced 316 L materials exhibited superior strength of^755 MPa and good ductility.In the as-built parts,austenite with preferred orientation of the(220)plane,δ-ferrite,and a small amount of CrO phases were present.In addition,the crystal size was fine,which contributed to the enhancement of the parts’mechanical properties.The structural anisotropy mechanism of the materials was also investigated for a group of half-sized samples with variable inclination directions.This technique was used to fabricate a set of impellers with helical bevels and high-precision planetary gears,demonstrating its strong potential for use in practical applications.