Analysis of Influencing Parameters on Mechanical and Physical Properties of SLM Parts

Since additive manufacturing (AM) is continuously growing, the influence of processing conditions and setup parameters on microstructural and mechanical properties of additively manufacturedcomponents needs to be clarified. The paper discusses an experimental approach for the identification of influencing parameters in Selective Laser Melting; this consists of an evaluation of the mechanical and physical properties of final parts, depending on the chosen process parameters. The Design of Experiments is used to get valid results from a limited number of experiments. The research work focuses on the application of a Definitive Screening Design to identify the most important influencing parameters: Several parameters of the hatch and the contour exposure are varied, as well as the position and orientation of the samples in the build chamber. A maraging steel and a CoCr alloy are used, and the mechanical and physical properties of the samples are evaluated. The interdependencies between the variation of the factors and the observed properties are analyzed.