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.

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. .

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.

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.

Tensile behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by selective laser melting: effects of microstructures and as-built surface quality

Selective laser melting(SLM) is a powerful additive manufacturing(AM) technology, of which the most prominent advantage is the ability to produce components with a complex geometry. The service performances of the SLM-processed components depend on the microstructure and surface quality. In this work, the microstructures, mechanical properties, and fracture behaviors of SLM-processed Ti-6 Al-4 V alloy under machined and as-built surfaces after annealing treatments and hot isostatic pressing(HIP) were investigated. The microstructures were analyzed by optical microscope(OM), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The mechanical properties were measured by tensile testing at room temperature. The results indicate that the as-deposited microstructures are characterized by columnar grains and fine brittle martensite and the asdeposited properties present high strength, low ductility and obvious anisotropy. After annealing at 800-900°C for 2-4 h and HIP at 920°C/100 MPa for 2 h, the brittle martensite could be transformed into ductile lamellar(α+β) microstructure and the static tensile properties of SLM-processed Ti-6 Al-4 V alloys in the machined condition could be comparable to that of wrought materials. Even after HIP treatment, the as-built surfaces could decrease the ductility and reduction of area of SLM-processed Ti-6 Al-4 V alloys to 9.2% and 20%, respectively. The crack initiation could occur at the columnar grain boundaries or at the as-built surfaces. The lamellar(α+β) microstructures and columnar grains could hinder or distort the crack propagation path during tensile tests.

Influence of process parameters and aging treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al Si8Mg3 alloy fabricated by selective laser melting

Many studies have investigated the selective laser melting(SLM)of AlSi10Mg and AlSi7Mg alloys,but there are still lack of researches focused on Al-Si-Mg alloys specifically tailored for SLM.In this work,a novel high Mg-content AlSi8Mg3 alloy was specifically designed for SLM.The results showed that this new alloy exhibited excellent SLM processability with a lowest porosity of 0.07%.Massive lattice distortion led to a high Vickers hardness in samples fabricated at a high laser power due to the precipitation of Mg_(2)Si nanoparticles from theα-Al matrix induced by high-intensity intrinsic heat treatment during SLM.The maximum microhardness and compressive yield strength of the alloy reached HV(211±4)and(526±12)MPa,respectively.After aging treatment at 150℃,the maximum microhardness and compressive yield strength of the samples were further improved to HV(221±4)and(577±5)MPa,respectively.These values are higher than those of most known aluminum alloys fabricated by SLM.This paper provides a new idea for optimizing the mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg alloys fabricated using SLM.

Metal-ceramic Bond Mechanism of the Co-Cr Alloy Denture with Original Rough Surface Produced by Selective Laser Melting

The porcelain fracture caused by low metal-ceramic bond strength is a critical issue in porcelain fused to metal（PFM） restorations. Surface roughening methods, such as sand blasting, acid etching and alkaline degreasing for the metal matrix are used to increase bond strength. However, the metal matrix of PFM processed by selective laser melting（SLM） has natural rough surface. To explore the effect of the original roughness on metal-ceramic bond strength, two groups of specimen are fabricated by SLM. One group of specimen surface is polished smooth while another group remains the original rough surface. The dental porcelain is fused to the specimens＇ surfaces according to the ISO 9693：1999 standard. To gain the bond strength, a three-point bending test is carried out and X ray energy spectrum analysis（EDS）, scanning electron microscope（SEM） are used to show fracture mode. The results show that the mean bond strength is 116.5 16 MPa of the group with rough surface（Ra= 17.2）, and the fracture mode is cohesive. However, when the surface is smooth （Ra =3.8）, the mean bond strength is 74.5 MPa _＋ 5 MPa and the fracture mode is mixed. The original surface with prominent structures formed by the partly melted powder particles, not only increases surface roughness but also significantly improves the bond strength by forming strong mechanical lock effect. Statistical analysis （Student＇s t-test） demonstrates a significant difference （p〈0.05） of the mean value of bond strength between the two groups. The experiments indicate the natural rough surface can enhance the metal-ceramic bond strength to over four times the minimum value （25 MPa） of the ISO 9693：1999 standard. It is found that the natural rough surface of SLM-made PFM can eliminate the porcelain collapse defect produced by traditional casting method in PFM restorations.

Corrosion Behavior of the S136 Mold Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting

The selective laser melting(SLM) method has a great potential for fabricating injection mold with complex structure. However, the microstructure and performance of the SLM molds show significantly di erent from those manufac?tured by traditional technologies. In this study, the microstructure, hardness and especially corrosion behavior of the samples fabricated by SLM and casting were investigated. The XRD results exhibit that the γ?Fe phase is only obtained in the SLM parts, and the α?Fe peak slightly moves to low di raction angle compared with casting counterparts. Due to the rapid cooling rate, the SLM samples have fine cellular microstructures while the casting ones have coarse grains with obvious elements segregation. Besides, the SLM samples show anisotropy, hardness of side view and top view are 48.73 and 50.31 HRC respectively, which are 20% higher than that of casting ones. Corrosion results show that the SLM samples have the better anti?corrosion resistance(in a 6% FeCl3 solution for 48 h) but the deeper corrosion pits than casting ones. Finally, the performance of the SLM molds could meet the requirement of injecting production. Moreover, the molds especially present a significant decrease(20%) of cooling time and increases of cooling uniform?ity due to the customized conformal cooling channels.

Research progress on selective laser melting processing for nickel-based superalloy

Selective laser melting(SLM),an additive manufacturing process mostly applied in the metal material field,can fabricate complex-shaped metal objects with high precision.Nickel-based superalloy exhibits excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and plays an important role in the aviation industry.This paper emphasizes the research of SLM processed Inconel 718,Inconel 625,CM247LC,and Hastelloy X,which are typical alloys with different strengthening mechanisms and operating temperatures.The strengthening mechanism and phase change evolution of different nickel-based superalloys under laser irradiation are discussed.The influence of laser parameters and the heat-treatment process on mechanical properties of SLM nickel-based superalloys are systematically introduced.Moreover,the attractive in-dustrial applications of SLM nickel-based superalloy and printed components are presented.Finally,the prospects for nickel-based superalloy materials for SLM technology are presented.

Influence of graphene oxide(GO)on microstructure and biodegradation of ZK30-xGO composites prepared by selective laser melting

Different graphene oxide(GO)contents were chosen as the addition to prepare ZK30-xGO composites by selective laser melting(SLM).The microstructure and biodegradation of the SLMed ZK30-xGO composites were investigated.The results indicated that(i)SLM effectively produced a small grain size,(ii)the incorporation of GO into ZK30 caused a further decrease in grain size,and(iii)GO has a strong effect on the formation of the MgZn2 precipitates.The SLMed ZK30-0.6GO had the lowest biodegradation rate,which is attributed to the fact that the effect of the increased grain refinement and decreased amount of the MgZn?precipitates counteracted the effect of the increased GO content on the biodegradation rate.Furthermore,the SLMed ZK30-xGO composites had good cytocompatibility.This work provided a novel approach to the composition design and fabrication of novel biodegradable GO reinforced Mg-based biomedical implants.

In situ monitoring methods for selective laser melting additive manufacturing process based on images-A review

Selective laser melting(SLM)has been widely used in the fields of aviation,aerospace and die manufacturing due to its ability to produce metal components with arbitrarily complex shapes.However,the instability of SLM process often leads to quality fluctuation of the formed component,which hinders the further development and application of SLM.In situ quality control during SLM process is an effective solution to the quality fluctuation of formed components.However,the basic premise of feedback control during SLM process is the rapid and accurate diagnosis of the quality.Therefore,an in situ monitoring method of SLM process,which provides quality diagnosis information for feedback control,became one of the research hotspots in this field in recent years.In this paper,the research progress of in situ monitoring during SLM process based on images is reviewed.Firstly,the significance of in situ monitoring during SLM process is analyzed.Then,the image information source of SLM process,the image acquisition systems for different detection objects(the molten pool region,the scanned layer and the powder spread layer)and the methods of the image information analysis,detection and recognition are reviewed and analyzed.Through review and analysis,it is found that the existing image analysis and detection methods during SLM process are mainly based on traditional image processing methods combined with traditional machine learning models.Finally,the main development direction of in situ monitoring during SLM process is proposed by combining with the frontier technology of image-based computer vision.

Investigation into Spatter Particles and Their Effect on the Formation Quality During Selective Laser Melting Processes

During the selective laser melting process,a high-energy laser beam acts on the powder,a molten pool is rapidly generated and the characteristic parameters are constantly changing.Among them,temperature is one of the important parameters in the forming process.Due to the generation of splash particles,there will be defects in the microstructure,which will seriously affect the formation quality of the prepared parts.Therefore,it is necessary to study the relationships between the splash behavior,molten pool characteristics and product quality.The finite element simulation of the transient temperature field was performed by ANSYS software.Time-series images at different frame rates were obtained with a high-speed camera,and the dynamic process of splashing was observed.Using IN718 alloy powder,the influence of the laser energy density on the light intensity of the molten pool was studied.The appearance of splash particles and the deviation of the powder chemical elements caused by the splash were analyzed.The results show that the transient temperature field with drastic change is easy to cause spatter,which is consistent with the experimental results.There are large differences in the splash at different shooting frame rates.Increasing the frame rate can allow the observation of details such as the shape,size and number of splash particles,which is beneficial for studying the process of splash formation.At the moment when the splash occurs,the light intensity of the molten pool always first increases and then decreases,depending on the energy input.The higher the energy input is,the more intense the light intensity of the molten pool and the higher the peak interval distribution.Compared with fresh powder,the contents of Al and Ti in powder reused 5 times were reduced by 0.15%and 0.02%,respectively.The increases of these two elements in the splash were 16.18%and 29.62%,respectively,and the content of Nb even exceeded the standard range.When the energy density decreased from 229.17 J/mm3 to 130.95 J/mm3,the relative density of the part increased from 91.82%to 99.83%.This shows that reducing the energy input can reduce the splash to suppress the generation of defects,along with the weakening of the overall light intensity of the molten pool.These results can provide a basis for feature extraction of the molten pool,which is of great significance for real-time monitoring and online control in manufacturing processes and ensuring product quality.

Effects of Structural Parameters on the Poisson’s Ratio and Compressive Modulus of 2D Pentamode Structures Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting

Metamaterials have been receiving an increasing amount of interest in recent years. As a type of metamaterial, pentamode materials (PMs) approximate the elastic properties of liquids. In this study, a finite-element analysis was conducted to predict the mechanical properties of PM structures by altering the thin wall thicknesses and layer numbers to obtain an outstanding load-bearing capacity. It was found that as the thin wall thickness increased from 0.15 to 0.45 mm, the compressive modulus of the PM structures increased and the Poisson’s ratio decreased. As the layer number increased, the Poisson’s ratio of the PM structures increased rapidly and reaches a stable value ranging from 0.50 to 0.55. Simulation results of the stress distribution in the PM structures confirmed that stress concentrations exist at the junctions of the thin walls and weights. For validation, Ti–6Al–4V specimens were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM), and the mechanical properties of these specimens (i.e., Poisson’s ratio and elastic modulus) were experimentally studied. Good consistency was achieved between the numerical and experimental results. This work is beneficial for the design and development of PM structures with simultaneous load-bearing capacity and pentamodal properties.

Surface modification of biomedical Mg-Ca and Mg-Zn-Ca alloys using selective laser melting: Corrosion behaviour, microhardness and biocompatibility

Magnesium alloys such as Mg–Ca and Mg–Zn–Ca are good orthopaedic materials;however their tendency to corrode is high.Herein we utilize selective laser melting(SLM)to modify the surface of these Mg alloys to simultaneously improve the corrosion behaviour and microhardness.The corrosion rate decreased from 2.1±0.2 mm/y to 1.0±0.1 mm/y for the laser-processed Mg–0.6Ca,and from 1.6±0.1 mm/y to 0.7±0.2 mm/y for laser-processed Mg–0.5Zn–0.3Ca.The microhardness increased from 46±1 HV to 56±1 HV for Mg–0.6Ca,and from 47±3 HV to 55±3 HV for Mg–0.5Zn–0.3Ca.In addition,good biocompatibility remained in the laser processed Mg alloys.The improved properties are attributed to laser-induced grain refinement,confined impurity elements,residual stress,and modified surface chemistry.The results demonstrated the potential of SLM as a surface engineering approach for developing advanced biomedical Mg alloys.

Dual alloying improves the corrosion resistance of biodegradable Mg alloys prepared by selective laser melting

Mg alloys have been regarded as revolutionary metallic biomaterials for biodegradable bone implants,but their applications are mainly blocked by the too rapid degradation in physiological environment.This study explores the dual alloying effects of Mn and/or Sn on the performance of Mg alloys prepared by selective laser melting.The observed microstructure indicated remarkable refinement of both the grains and intermetallic phases in the Mn-and/or Sn-containing alloys during the rapid solidification process.Moreover,approximately a half decrease in corrosion rate was observed for AZ61-0.4Mn-0.8Sn alloy with respect to AZ61 alloy.The improved corrosion behavior was primarily due to the enhanced protective effects of surface layers,in which Mn-and/or Sn-rich phases acted as a helpful barrier against medium penetration and thereby alleviated the current exchange with the matrix.In addition,the solute Mn and/or Sn positively shifted the corrosion potential,which also brought about a better corrosion resistance.Furthermore,the strength and hardness of the alloys were also effectively improved and comparable to those of cortical bone.This could be ascribed to the dissolved Mn and/or Sn atoms and the finely dispersed intermetallic phases,which might cause lattice distortion and precipitation hardening.Besides,the Mn-and/or Sn-containing alloys showed good cytocompatibility as indicated by the normal morphology and increased viability of MG-63 cells.These findings suggest that the developed AZ61-Mn-Sn alloy is a promising candidate for biodegradable bone implants.

Surface Integrity of Ultrasonically-Assisted Milled Ti6Al4V Alloy Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

The Ti6Al4V parts produced by the existing selective laser melting(SLM)are mainly confronted with poor surface finish and inevitable interior defects,which substantially deteriorates the mechanical properties and performances of the parts.In this regard,ultrasonically-assisted machining(UAM)technique is commonly introduced to improve the machining quality due to its merits in increasing tool life and reducing cutting force.However,most of the previous studies focus on the performance of UAM with ultrasonic vibrations applied in the tangential and feed directions,whereas few of them on the impact of ultrasonic vibration along the vertical direction.In this study,the effects of feed rate on surface integrity in ultrasonically-assisted vertical milling(UAVM)of the Ti6Al4V alloy manufactured by SLM were systemically investigated compared with the conventional machining(CM)method.The results revealed that the milling forces in UAVM showed a lower amplitude than that in CM due to the intermittent cutting style.The surface roughness values of the parts produced by UAVM were generally greater than that by CM owing to the extra sinusoidal vibration textures induced by the milling cutter.Moreover,the extra vertical ultrasonic vibration in UAVM was beneficial to suppressing machining chatter.As feed rate increased,surface microhardness and thickness of the plastic deformation zone in CM raised due to more intensive plastic deformation,while these two material properties in UAVM were reduced owing to the mitigated impact effect by the high-frequency vibration of the milling cutter.Therefore,the improved surface microhardness and reduced thickness of the subsurface deformation layer in UAVM were ascribed to the vertical high-frequency impact of the milling cutter in UAVM.In general,the results of this study provided an in-depth understanding in UAVM of Ti6Al4V parts manufactured by SLM.

Design and Manufacture of Bionic Porous Titanium Alloy Spinal Implant Based on Selective Laser Melting(SLM)

In order to meet the clinical requirements of spine surgery,this paper proposed the exploratory research of computer-aided design and selective laser melting(SLM)fabrication of a bionic porous titanium spine implant.The structural design of the spinal implant is based on CT scanning data to ensure correct matching,and the mechanical properties of the implant are verified by simulation analysis and laser selective melting experiment.The surface roughness of the spinal implant manufactured by SLM without post-processing is Ra 15μm,and the implant is precisely jointed with the photosensitive resin model of the upper and lower spine.The surface micro-hardness of the implant is HV 373,tensile strengthσ_(b)=1238.7 MPa,yield strengthσ_(0.2)=1043.9 MPa,the elongation is 6.43%,and the compressive strength of porous structure under 84.60%porosity is 184.09 MPa,which can meet the requirements of the reconstruction of stable spines.Compared with the traditional implant and intervertebral fusion cage,the bionic porous spinal implant has the advantages of accurate fit,porous bionic structure and recovery of patients,and the ion release experiment proved that implants manufactured by SLM are more suitable for clinical application after certain treatments.The elastic modulus of the sample is improved after heat treatment,mainly because the microstructure of the sample changes fromα’phase toα+βdual-phase after heat treatment.In addition,the design of high-quality bionic porous spinal implants still needs to be optimized for the actual needs of doctors.

Effects of laser scanning strategies on selective laser melting of pure tungsten

Three types of scanning strategies,including the chessboard scanning strategy,the zigzag scanning strategy and the remelting scanning strategy,were conducted to study the effects of scanning strategies on surface morphology,microstructure,mechanical properties and the grain orientation of selective laser melted pure tungsten.The results showed that the pores and cracks were main defects in SLM-processed tungsten parts.The pores could be eliminated using the remelting scanning strategy.However,the cracks seemed to be inevitable regardless of the applied scanning strategies.The microstructures of SLM-processed tungsten were columnar grains and showed strong epitaxial growth along the building direction.A compressive strength of 923 MPa with an elongation of 7.7%was obtained when the zigzag scanning strategy was applied,which was the highest among the three scanning strategies.By changing the scanning strategies,the texture of SLM-processed tungsten in the direction of processing could be changed.