Scanning strategies for the 316L part with lattice structures fabricated by selective laser melting

The part with lattice structures generally consists of a framework and lattice structures. Since its slices contain the large-area contours of the framework and some small and discrete contours of the lattice structures, using the scanning strategy recommended by the SLM machine supplier may result in material and shape defects, especially in the case of lattice structures. Therefore, this article proposes a rectangular ring area-partition (RRAP) combined with a 67°-interval rotating scanning strategy for the framework and a parallel line (PL) combined with a 67°-interval rotating scanning strategy for the lattice structures. To study the influence of scanning strategy on the produced samples from the aspects of tensile strength and deformation, the self-developed scanning strategies and existing scanning strategies are used to fabricate 316L samples. The results showed that the 316L solid samples using the RRAP scanning strategy could improve the tensile strength and reduce the deformation. The 316L lattice sandwich panels that adopted the PL scanning strategy can obtain the smallest deviation value of the top surface. Moreover, the effectiveness of the proposed scanning strategies was proven in SLM experiments on two parts that have lattice structures.