Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Surface quality of the curved overhanging structure manufactured from 316-L stainless steel by SLM

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The efficiency of fabricating an overhanging structure by selective laser melting (SLM) is an important indicator of the performance of metallic parts. This is due to the fact that defects such as warpage and adherent dross may occur during fabrication of the curved surfaces of overhanging structures. In order to investigate the optimum conditions for fabrication of the curved surfaces of the overhanging structures, experiments were carried out using 316-L stainless steel powder. Initially, the almost 100 % dense parts were fabricated. Then, a model that has a circular curved surface along the Z axis was designed. For a given fabrication depth of 25 μm, several overhanging structures were produced when the laser scanning energy input ranges from 0.15 to 0.6 J/mm. Results show that the upper surface of the almost 100 % dense cube fluctuates like ripples and that the fabrication quality of the curved surface of the overhanging structure varies greatly depending on the energy input and the obliquity angle. For a given energy input of 0.2 J/mm, the obliquity angle for fabricating a totally overhanging surface is as low as 30°. The warpage and adherent dross grow with an increase in the energy input and a decrease in the obliquity angle. Warpage may accumulate, and the accumulated warpage of many layers significantly exceeds the predetermined thickness of the layer. All the four overhanging structures fabricated using varying energy inputs have the following four zones: no dross surface, dense-sinking transition surface, totally sinking surface, and forming failure surface. In the overhanging structures, fabricated with varying laser energy parameters, the angle corresponding to each region was different. The quality of the overhanging surface can be improved by reducing the laser energy. Additionally, a better overhanging surface can be obtained by increasing the obliquity angle. The variation trend of the roughness Rz was almost the same as that of Ra, but the variation range of Rz was much larger than that of Ra. Finally, a foldable abacus with several curved-surface overhanging structures was fabricated to verify the research results. Fundamental methods for controlling and optimizing the SLM-based direct fabrication of curved surfaces of overhanging structures are proposed in this paper, from the perspectives of crafting and design.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bremen S, Meiners W, Diatlov A (2012) Selective Laser Melting [J]. Laser Tech J 9(2):33–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lu ZL, Zhang AF, Tong ZQ et al (2011) Fabricating the steam turbine blade by direct laser forming [J]. Mater Manuf Process 26(7):879–885

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Pattanayak DK, Fukuda A, Matsushita T et al (2011) Bioactive Ti metal analogous to human cancellous bone: fabrication by selective laser melting and chemical treatments. [J]. Acta Biomater 7(3):1398–1406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Yasa E, Kruth J (2011) Application of laser re-melting on selective laser melting parts. [J]. APEM 6(4):259–270

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gibson, I., Rosen, D. W., & Stucker, B. Additive manufacturing technologies: rapid prototyping to direct digital manufacturing. 2010.

  6. Wohlers, T. (2014). Wohlers report 2014: Global reports: Belgium. Wohlers Associates

  7. Calignano F, Manfredi D, Ambrosio EP et al (2013) Influence of process parameters on surface roughness of aluminum parts produced by DMLS [J]. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 67(9-12):2743–2751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kruth J P, Vandenbroucke B, Vaerenbergh J, et al. Benchmarking of different SLS/SLM processes as rapid manufacturing techniques [J]. 2005

  9. Strano G, Hao L, Everson RM et al (2013) Surface roughness analysis, modelling and prediction in selective laser melting [J]. J Mater Process Technol 213(4):589–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Safdar A, He HZ, Wei LY, Snis A, Chavez de Paz LE (2012) Effect of process parameters settings and thickness on surface roughness of EBM produced Ti-6Al-4V. Rapid Prototyp J 18(5):401–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mumtaz K, Hopkinson N (2009) Top surface and side roughness of Inconel 625 parts processed using selective laser melting. Rapid Prototyp J 15(2):96–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Yasa E, Kruth JP, Deckers J (2011) Manufacturing by combining selective laser melting and selective laser erosion/laser re-melting. CIRP Ann Manuf Technol 60(1):263–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kruth J P, Yasa E, Deckers J. Roughness improvement in selective laser melting[C]//Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Polymers and Moulds Innovations. 2008: 170-183

  14. Li R D, Yuan T C, Wei Q S, et al. Effects of Thermal History and Isostatic Pressing on the Microstructure Evolution of Metallic Components Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) [J]. Lasers in Engineering (Old City Publishing), 2013, 25.

  15. Dai D, Gu D (2015) Tailoring surface quality through mass and momentum transfer modeling using a volume of fluid method in selective laser melting of TiC/AlSi10Mg powder [J]. Int J Mach Tools Manuf 88:95–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Cherry JA, Davies HM, Mehmood S et al (2015) Investigation into the effect of process parameters on microstructural and physical properties of 316L stainless steel parts by selective laser melting [J]. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 76(5-8):869–879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Pupo Y, Monroy KP, Ciurana J (2015) Influence of process parameters on surface quality of CoCrMo produced by selective laser melting [J]. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 1–11

  18. Wang D, Yang Y, Liu R et al (2013) Study on the designing rules and processability of porous structure based on selective laser melting (SLM) [J]. J Mater Process Technol 213(10):1734–1742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wang D, Yang Y, Yi Z et al (2013) Research on the fabricating quality optimization of the overhanging surface in SLM process [J]. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 65(9-12):1471–1484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Abe F, Osakada K, Shiomi M et al (2001) The manufacturing of hard tools from metallic powders by selective laser melting [J]. J Mater Process Technol 111(1):210–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yadroitsev I, Krakhmalev P, Yadroitsava I et al (2013) Energy input effect on morphology and microstructure of selective laser melting single track from metallic powder [J]. J Mater Process Technol 213(4):606–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Spierings AB, Herres N, Levy G (2011) Influence of the particle size distribution on surface quality and mechanical properties in AM steel parts. Rapid Prototyp J 17(3):195–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Di Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, D., Mai, S., Xiao, D. et al. Surface quality of the curved overhanging structure manufactured from 316-L stainless steel by SLM. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 86, 781–792 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-015-8216-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-015-8216-6

Keywords

Navigation