Deformation and Fracture Behaviour of 316L Stainless Steel Manufactured Through Selective Laser Melting

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a relatively new manufacturing technique that offers many benefits. However the utilisation of SLM manufactured components depends on the assurance of their integrity during operation. The influence of processing parameters and build orientation on the tensile deformation and Charpy impact energy has been examined. In addition, the influence of processing parameters on the resultant microstructure has been determined. The processing parameters have been found to have a significant effect on both the tensile and Charpy impact energies. It was found that a layer thickness of 25 μm, scan speed of 800 mm s⁻¹ and hatch spacing of 60 μm resulted in the best properties determined, with tensile properties comparable to that of cold drawn material but impact energies around 25% lower. Significant porosity was observed in the samples especially for high scan speeds and hatch spacing which is considered to be the main cause of poor material properties in most samples examined.